Make Your LinkedIn Profile “POP" with this Simple Strategy

With almost 750 million users and no signs of stopping, LinkedIn is the ultimate (some say the ONLY) social networking platform for serious professionals. Yes, while Facebook has four times more users, do remember that people's behavior shifts depending on the different platforms there are at.

Case in point: Have you ever met a boss that's a "tiger" at the office, but a "pussy cat" at home? It's typical of human behavior to change depending on their environments.

This applies to LinkedIn too. While your potential clients are active on Facebook and LinkedIn, chances are, they are on the former to chill and catch up with casual friends, while keeping the professional matters at the latter.

So essentially, when you're on LinkedIn, you're interacting with decision-makers who are in "business mode".

THE YELLOW PAGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Remember that thick book your mom probably flip through years ago when she was looking for a plumber? Yeah, believe it or not, that's how searching was done before Google. (Though some may still use it today...)

That, kids, is what we called the Yellow Pages, a printed directory of businesses categorized into different industries, sorted alphabetically (or who has the bigger ad budget).

If Google is the 2.0, then LinkedIn is the Yellow Pages 3.0. Professionals, decision-makers, and business leaders are going to LinkedIn to search for that someone that can solve their "plumbing" problems.

So, how do you make sure that when they do search for your field of expertise, your LinkedIn profile will be the one that gets the most clicks?

EVERYBODY LOOKS THE SAME

Say I'm a client, and I want to look for leadership trainers. Naturally, I will go to LinkedIn's search bar and type in "leadership trainer". Have a look at the results.

Firstly, unless I've met them before, all the photos are pictures of strangers. One may argue that perhaps the prettier ones will get more clicks, but let's not be sexist here, shall we?

Secondly, as a potential client, I will then look at the names. Since all of them are strangers, unless they have an interesting name (*ahem* Maverick), chances are, everybody again will look the same.

On the search results, the only other info that stands out, is that sentence underneath a person's name. That's called a headline, and if you look at the results, you'll realize that most of them just tell you what they do. Sure, some job titles may be more interesting, but it may get clicked because the others suck, not because it's attractive.

Now, what if you see a profile which headline reads:

Leadership Trainer | I help transform exhausted corporate managers into effective 21st-century leaders.

#boom

I'm willing to bet there's a very high chance, among the sea of "just another leadership trainer", for that profile to immediately stand out.

THE WIIFM

Ah, the age-old What's In It For Me.

Human beings are innately selfish (we'll talk about it another day, because I sense some of you will furiously disagree), and we value our time.

If I'm going somewhere in hopes of looking for a solution, I want a solution that benefits me. Almost immediately, if possible, without me trying to figure sh*t out.

So, if you have two headline examples:

Exhibit A: Leadership Trainer, HRDF Certified, MBA

Exhibit B: Leadership Trainer | I help transform exhausted corporate managers into effective 21st-century leaders.

For trainer A, not to be blunt, but there's a high chance that it will get a "So what?" response. As a potential client, it doesn't promise anything that can solve my current problems, or even makes me want to click or connect with.

But for trainer B, that's a value proposition there. There's a "before and after", a promise for the better. It makes me want to reach out and ask the magic question, "How do you transform exhausted corporate managers into effective 21st-century leaders?"

Photocredit: ModernBuyerBehaviour.Wordpress.com

It's the same effect of AirAsia's tagline - Now Everyone Can Fly. No sane person would ask "Why would I want to fly?", unless he or she has a fear of flying. Naturally, most of us would ask, "How?" Or "What can I do to fly?"

This is a response as old as time. On the street markets, when you see an item you're interested in purchasing, you will ask "How much?" That's how the seller knows you're interested, and the pitching (some say the negotiation of the century) begins!

So, always have a headline or statement that can elicit a "How" or "Can I know more" response.

Sure, you can add some awards and achievements to it, as long as it's relevant. It will certainly help you boost your credibility, but bear in mind, you only have 230 characters to play with.

So perhaps, it now becomes:

Leadership Trainer | I help transform exhausted corporate managers into effective 21st-century leaders | Trainer of The Year Award Winner

THE EASY TEMPLATE

By now you'll ask,

"Eh Mav, of course you can come up with those sexy headlines. You're a copywriter (mah)!"

Fair enough, that's why I'm giving you this template.

[Keywords] | I help [your target market] with [problem] to achieve [result] using [tool]

Let's break it down:

• Keywords - These are the search terms that your potential prospects will enter in the search bar to look for you. Now, some of you may be tempted to put in something fancy, like an accountant who called himself Money Magician. Think about it, if you are looking for an accountant, would you search for "Accountant", or "Money Magician". BTW, Money Magician can mean two things: I can make your money grow, or make it disappear like Jho Low. (Hey, that rhymes!)
• Your Target Market - Who are you serving? Who's your ideal client? Here, you may say that you serve everybody, but remember, if you serve everybody, you serve nobody. "But… but… but… Mav! Won't it limit my potential markets?" Trust me, it's called niching yourself or positioning strategy.
• Problem - What's the problem you help your clients solve?
• Result - What's the outcome you can help them achieve?
• Tool - Are you using any unique technology or special methods to help your clients achieve the results they want.

Now, because of the 230 character limit, you may need to omit some of the components above. Play around with different combinations and see what sticks. Please ask feedback from your meanest, b*tchest friend too.

Here are some examples:

• Certified Accountant | I help retail businesses avoid crippling financial disasters with the latest forecast models
• Software Developer | Whatever you can dream it, I can make an app out of it.
• Graphic Designer | I help lawyers showcase their credibility through creative designs | Designer of the Year 2019
• B2B Marketing Consultant | I help companies with long sale cycles to generate more inquiries and win more contracts
• Sales Specialist | I help manufacturing companies convert dead leads into long term clients (Over $1B sales in 1 year)

NEXT STEPS

Well, what are you waiting for?

Sexify your headline and stand out from your competitors!

If you want me to have a look at your brand spanking new headline, leave a comment below. I can give you a suggestion or two, but it's for you to decide if you want to use it, because you know your product/service and market best.

p.s. Are you thinking of a friend or colleague that can benefit from a sexified LinkedIn headline? Let's help them together. Tag them in the comments below, or share this guide with them. Believe me: every time they look at their sexy new and highly effective headline, they are gonna thank you for it.?