What I wish I had known from Day 1 on Linkedin-Master the Basics in 5 Steps

Think of your LinkedIn profile as your personal sales flyer. You are on LinkedIn because you are marketing a service. The service is either one you personally provide as an employee or one you provide as a business/employer. You can master the basics in 5 easy steps.

Step 1: The Photo

Your profile photo is a necessity. Why? Well, the most obvious reason is that people want to know what you look like. What you may not know is that having a profile photo makes people more likely to connect with you. According to Sean Callahan, Senior Manager of Content Marketing at Linkedin, "Statistics show that Linkedin Members with a photo receive far more engagement: 21 more profile views and 9 times more connection requests." Another great reason to have a profile photo is that you want to be remembered! I might not remember a person's last name, but I do remember smiles, funny gestures, and cool props.

So, what type of picture should you use for your profile? A current photo is recommended, I'd avoid using one that is more than 5 years old, but to each their own. Linkedin recommends a professional headshot from the waist up or mid-chest with a solid, bright background color, and a slightly off-center picture. If that works for you, great. I'm a former teacher and my pay did not allow for such luxuries. So, I originally used my school picture from last year; professional, but nothing special. While scrolling and interacting with connections, I made mental notes of profile pictures I really loved, and the ones that made me feel, um, not-so-much. And then, I had my novice photographer husband take around 200 photos with my iPhone. I found a total of 3 photos I liked, edited them on Fotor, and ta-da!

You have the option of utilizing the #opentowork frame. Unless you are worried about your current employer knowing you are seeking opportunities, set your frame to #opentowork. LinkedIn recruiter software is expensive and smaller companies do not have the funds to pay for the service.

The optimal size for LinkedIn profile pictures is 400 X 400.

Pro-Tip: You may notice, I didn't follow the traditionally recommended profile photo structure. What can I say? I'm a rebel. I like to be different and defy the odds. Take a chance and stand out. Be Rememorable.

Step 2: The Banner

Your LinkedIn banner is a visual message and another opportunity to tell a story about yourself. And as we have all heard, storytelling is what sells! So, use it to showcase your skills! You can use a free template on Canva, Fotor, or a comparable SaaS, and make a custom banner in just a few minutes. If you are more of a Powerpoint or Google Slides person, you can change the slide size, customize, download, and upload it to LinkedIn. Easy-Peasy.

So, what should you include on your LinkedIn banner? Ask yourself, what can you tell people that will entice them to want to know more? Your banner should be a visual reflection of you and the services you are providing. Whether you include your skills, brand, services, or a simple fact, take advantage of the opportunity to show your uniqueness.

The optimal size for LinkedIn banners or background photos is 1584 X 396.

Pro-Tip: Forbes Council Member, Chris J "Mohawk" Reed suggests changing your banner picture every month. "Your profile is like a magazine cover, and your banner (behind your photo) is like the front page. Change the banner on a regular basis." You can read more in the linked article below.

Step 3: The Headline

Ohhh! The dreaded headline! I have rewritten my headline around 4,476 times or more! If writing your headline is scary, no need to worry, there's a simple formula you can follow.

Job title-3 skills-something about you

Think of your headline as your "attention-getter." What do you want recruiters and LinkedIn members to know about you as a professional? I highly recommend you put your future job title in your headline. When recruiters search LinkedIn to fill positions, they search by keywords. If you are a mechanic seeking a job as a CSM and you put mechanic as your title, you risk not being pulled up in the search for a CSM position. You can also write your job title as, "actively seeking" if you are worried about confusion. Another tip is to #ONO in your headline to notify recruiters and managers you are open to new opportunities.

When writing your headline, use lines, dots, or emojis to separate the words so that readers are not overwhelmed. When recruiters pull you up on Linkedin, they only see a portion of your headline, so put the most important information first.

Step 4: The About

The summary section on your LinkedIn profile is your sales pitch, it is not a duplicate of your resume. This section is a great place to flaunt your storytelling skills! Written in 1st person, you have another opportunity to tell your potential employers/clients what you can do for them. Take the opportunity to be creative. When I taught High School English, we would tell our students, "Don't tell me. Show me." This is the place to do exactly that! Again, it needs to be readable so use bullet points or separate sections with spacing. It should be a summary, not an essay, but you decided what fits your purpose best.

If in doubt, mimic the summary of professionals with the same title you are seeking.

Pro-Tip: Sprinkle keywords that match your headline and experience in this section. LinkedIn is a search engine and SEO is vital!

Step 5: The Experience

The experience section is important and needs to be filled out completely. When hiring managers and recruiters view your profile on LinkedIn, they look at your experience section. Every interview I have landed has been because of this section, not because of a job application. It is, in fact, your job application. When you click "Easy Apply," This section is uploaded into the LinkedIn database.

When entering your experience, make sure the company logo pulls up. If the company picture has a gray box, it did not load. You can either write your experience in summary or bulleted form. Whichever you choose, use quantifiable data and keywords. If you are pivoting careers, use the experience section to showcase your transferable skills.

Pro-Tip: If you are no longer employed, and you end your job in the experience section, LinkedIn Recruiter will not pull you into the database correctly. There is a workaround. Start a new position and enter the title as either currently seeking, open to opportunities, or a similar phrase that includes the job position you are looking for. When recruiters search by current position + keyword, you will increase your chances of successfully pulling as a match.

Next week: How to maximize your LinkedIn profile: Skill, Education, and Keyword Optimization

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/nadinajonesallsucceed/

My website: https://nadinajones2.wixsite.com/mysite

Sources:

Melanie Woods has amazing videos about LinkedIn and much more!

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/01/05/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-linkedin-to-win-in-2021/?sh=54e8842a2313

https://www.dhirubhai.net/business/sales/blog/b2b-sales/picture-perfect--make-a-great-first-impression-with-your-linkedi#:~:text=Statistics%20show%20that%20LinkedIn%20members,before%20even%20speaking%20a%20word.