Do you have a great Linkedin profile or does it sit, largely unused, in the hopes that someone will just stumble upon it someday?
Don’t waste a brilliant opportunity. There is so much potential on Linkedin for finding clients and so many coaches aren’t realising it. As a result, so many people don’t know how to capitalise on the opportunity that is there.
There are many different approaches for what works best for you online – depending on who you ask.
If you ask me? These are my top five tips for a great LinkedIn profile:
So many people sterilise themselves when it comes to LinkedIn.
They put their profile picture to a blurry old photograph (or don’t even add a photo at all) and are totally afraid to show off any personality. Yet, despite being a professional social network, I’d argue that this isn’t the best way to use that platform. Remember, humans love to connect with other humans.
Put yourself out there. Show off your character. Show your personality. For example, some ideas for a post could be:
There are so many ideas for posts to help overcome that daunting feeling of trying to think up ideas yourself. Aim to post 2-3 times a week to answer one of the above and see what works. Once you start to learn what people engage with, it’ll spark ideas to continue the conversation.
I think it’s so funny the way people are so conscious of how they present themselves in the real world. How they look, the clothes they’re wearing, everything.
However, they don’t always think about how they present themselves in their profile photo, despite living in a world where more people are working and interacting digitally.
Think about it…how many times will people see you in the flesh today? But how many times will people see you on social media today?
There’s a big difference.
So with that, take real-time, attention, and care with how you’re presenting yourself. Get a good headshot that compliments you and use that. What would you be wearing if you were going to meet a potential client in person? What sort of expression best shows your personality?
First impressions count – online as well as in real-life.
After your headshot, your Linkedin bio is the next thing people look at. So if your bio is confusing or lacking in information, you’re only making it harder for people to understand what you do.
If it’s simple, to the point and straightforward, that will help people connect, engage and actually help you. So think…how can you summarise what it is that you do, or the value you can bring in the simplest way?
Think about what the value you provide first, then describe your tasks later. Why should someone pick you as a coach, for example? What benefits do you aim to bring to people?
Have a look at some of the top coaches and content creators on Linkedin and see how they’re doing it. This will give you a little inspiration on how to approach your own bio, and to make it as interesting and clear as you can.
You have to put yourself out there in some way, shape or form. And to get the algorithm working, you’ll need to do this consistently.
By this, I don’t mean posting multiple times a day. Even just 2-3 times a week is enough to start getting your profile seen. Remember to comment on others’ posts too; the more you can get involved in conversations with your peers, the more they will do the same on your own posts too.
When you’re thinking about content, think about the value you’re giving to whoever it is that watches or reads that piece of content. Record a short video or create a carousel of tips using software like Canva. Something that makes it quick and easy for people to digest information on-the-go.
It’s the exact same when you publish a piece of content.
Don’t just randomly upload any old content that’s not relevant to you professionally, like taking a picture of your food (unless, of course, you’ve just opened a restaurant or have met a client for a meal to discuss something interesting). Actually think about the content that you want to put out there and create it in accordance to the value it will bring.
It helps to keep your topics in line with wherever it is that you ultimately want your career to go.
LinkedIn is such an amazing platform to network with people.
You can search up people by their job title, field, or individuals themselves if you’ve heard about them. And you can connect with them almost instantaneously.
Don’t be afraid to reach out and say “Hey, I heard you speak recently,” or “I’ve read about you in an article. I’ve seen what you’re doing and I’d really like to follow your journey.”
It’s not weird or odd. It’s perfectly acceptable.
It’s all networking.
And when you connect with somebody, your content will come up on their news feed as you publish it. This will build a relationship and an awareness between you and whoever it is you are looking to build connections with. You stay present in their mind when they see your content a lot.
And when they need something that is in your line of expertise?
They’re far more likely to think of you first.
These are just a few tips for building a great Linkedin profile to get you started. By applying even just a few, I promise that you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the benefit it will bring you and your career online over time.
Let me know how you get on!