The One Thing In Your LinkedIn Profile (That you're probably not using right!)

As we head full speed into the new year it's time to reflect and take a good long assessment?on?what the past year has been like and a chance to make some, probably, long overdue changes.??

This is especially true when it comes to LinkedIn. There's ONE thing that I see on a regular basis in our client's LinkedIn profiles that gets overlooked and it's a serious game-changer when used properly.??

It's your LinkedIn Profile headline.?Most people on LinkedIn just have their title, occupation and leave it just like LinkedIn creates it for you. But those?short 120?characters can be a whole lot more than that.??

Your headline can help you stand out from the crowd and entice people to not just follow you but also engage with you at a much higher level.??

This prime piece of real estate is where you can really give people who?take a look?at your profile a key takeaway about who you are, what your mission is and how you do it.?

It's also one of the most used parts of your profile in the LinkedIn algorithm so that you show up in relevant searches, and that can make a huge difference in not just the number of connections but more importantly the quality of those connections.??

Now, don't think you need to run out and take a?full on?course about how to create compelling headlines. It's not necessary.??

I have a super easy formula that will give you everything you need to create a fantastic headline that will catch the eye of anyone visiting your page or looking at your profile.??

I call it the XYZ Method. Here's how it works.??

It starts with a simple statement:??

I help X - to achieve Y - so they can do Z.??

So?X is the person you help. Whether that be entrepreneurs, job seekers, companies, coaches, whoever your target audience happens to be.??

Y is the service that you provide. The thing that you do for the people you just described.??

And Z is the outcome of the two. This is the most important part of the equation. This?the?reason people come to you, the reason they'll break out their wallets and pay you for your product or service.??

It's what they get from doing business with you.??

Use specificity when crafting your XYZ statement, your headline is likely the first thing anyone visiting your page will see and it not only needs to make an immediate impact,?it?needs to be memorable.??

Be creative, have fun with it, use your headline to really catch the attention of your target audience and hook them into wanting to read your entire profile to learn more about who you are and what you do.?

You might think of your headline as an afterthought, but considering it's the very first point of contact, think of it as a direct introduction to you as a person and what you're trying to achieve through your brand or business.??

Take the time to craft several different versions of your XYZ statement and share them with business associates, friends or coworkers. It will become clear which one resonates with the most people.??

Then get in there and change that bad boy up. Remember, there's only one chance to make a first impression, and that's doubly true when you're trying to raise your hand in a crowded digital landscape and get people to notice you.??

This single, seemingly small change in your profile can?make?a huge impact on your reach, connections and engagement! See you next week for another installment of your Weekly Dopamine Dose!??

And click here to get signed up for our first Community Call of the new year, we'll be discussing in depth?all of?the new trends and tools across LinkedIn and other social media that should be on your radar for 2022 and beyond.??