01 Feb LinkedIn SOS: 7 no-brainer ways to rescue your profile in 2024
‘Update LinkedIn profile’ has probably been sitting on your to-do list for a while now.
I get it – the platform can seem intimidating (maybe even a tad boring).
But your professional digital footprint matters. And, like it or not, LinkedIn really is the Mecca of career opportunities and connections. So what better time than right now to elevate your personal brand?
Let’s get straight into the emergency fixes and pull your LinkedIn profile – and personal brand – out of the abyss.
1. Get the visuals right
First impressions are everything. And when it comes to LinkedIn, that means your headshot.
That selfie from your cousin’s 30th? Perfect for Instagram. Less so for LinkedIn. A group photo with others half cropped out won’t do either – we want you (and only you!) in the spotlight.
My advice? Hire a professional photographer to take a few headshots – it’s not as expensive as you might think. But if you need to DIY, just be sure to dress professionally and take it in a well-lit space with a plain background. The photo should be cropped to include your head and shoulders only.
Beyond the headshot, your LinkedIn cover banner is also a fantastic and often untapped opportunity to showcase your personal brand. So don’t leave it blank. You could consider adding a quote, a photo of you volunteering or presenting – or another image that symbolises your passion.
2. Drop in the keywords
People find you on LinkedIn by the words you use in your headline, summary and experience sections. And these will immediately shape their thoughts about you. If you’re looking to expand your professional network – or looking for a job – these are especially important.
(Quick note: please, please steer away from rubbish like ‘guru’ and ‘ninja’. Clichés and buzzwords won’t do you any favours!)
So, how should you clue people in on what your personal brand entails? Get specific.
- What not to write: ‘Marketer passionate about innovation, strategy and data’. (It may sound fancy at first, but it’s also generic – you’ll be confused with any other marketing Joe Schmo!)
- What you should write: ‘SEO and SEM Specialist | Digital Marketing Coordinator at XYZ’ – or ‘Senior In-house Content Creator at TGIF | Video Editor | Coffee Snob’
(Nothing wrong with adding in a bit of personality, too!)
But here’s the quickest and easiest improvement I will suggest in this entire post (truly, it takes less than one minute!):
Customise your profile URL!
Seriously, how much more professional and clean does www.linkedin.com/in/alannagray look compared to www.linkedin.com/alanna-gray-95783946783?
It’s also so much easier to remember and share.
Here’s where to find the setting. 👇
3. Strengthen your personal summary
Now comes your ‘About’ section.
A good ‘About’ section does a lot of heavy lifting for your personal brand. Perhaps that’s why so many people find it daunting to write.
While there’s no one right way to go about it, consider including:
- A brief overview of your work experience and professional backstory
- Specific career accomplishments
- Your key skills – and what specifically sets you apart from others
- Your passions (both professional and personal)
- A call-to-action (tell people how to contact you and who you want to work with!)
And when crafting it, keep these writing guidelines in mind:
- Use paragraph breaks and bullet point lists
- Keep your sentences short and sharp
- Write in the first person to appear friendly and genuine
- Purge any overdone phrases (I’m looking at you ‘highly motivated, results-oriented’!)
4. Turn on creator mode
‘Creator mode’ is a profile setting that gives you additional tools and features to help you grow your reach on LinkedIn.
For starters, with this setting, people can ‘Follow’ you. But turning creator mode on also means your posts are ‘eligible for discovery’ – increasing your chance of appearing in people’s searches and newsfeeds.
You can even see extra analytics about your posts and audience.
So, really, it’s a no-brainer!
Find the setting on your profile here. 👇
Now that you’ve got your profile set up, here’s how to use it to your advantage…
5. Provide value for your audience
‘Value? What is considered value, Alanna?’ I hear you ask.
In short, it’s about creating ‘unselfish’ content. It’s about asking: what will my audience find interesting? What will help them learn? What will spark conversation and debate? What would they find funny and enjoy seeing on their feed?
If you’re trying to grow your personal brand and audience, those kinds of community-minded posts are the way to go.
And while there’s nothing wrong with sharing personal updates (such as your career progressions and stories), be sure to find the right balance.
For a quick boost, remember that posts with images get 2X the engagement as those without images! So get visual.
6. Comment, connect and commend
Comments, connections and commendations. The iconic, award-winning ‘LinkedIn 3C’ framework.
(Okay, I made that up just now. But it’s got a nice ring to it, don’t you think?)
Firstly, leave comments.
Engaging with other people on their posts (not just replying to ones on your posts) is the first step to building relationships. As a bonus, people seeing the main post will also probably see your comment, giving you extra, positive exposure.
Just remember to give the comment a bit more thought than ‘Great article!’. Make it meaningful.
Secondly, build connections. Often.
If someone you don’t know comments on your post, send them a connection request. It’s an easy way to get a new relationship off the ground.
Another quick connections tip?
If you’re going to send an invitation message, make sure it’s personalised. People can tell when it’s a copy-and-paste, generic invite. Which doesn’t look great for your personal brand.
Thirdly, give commendations (recommendations/endorsements).
Happy with the service someone provided? Enjoyed working with them? Give them a recommendation or endorse them for their skills.
Make sure to mention your relationship and their role at the time – and get specific about their achievements.
It’s a super simple way to show someone your appreciation and boost them up. You’ll reinforce your professional network – and as a bonus, it may encourage them to return the favour for you!
7. Finally… don’t stop!
You’ve got the look, you’ve got the vibe. Now think of LinkedIn as an active project, making sure to consistently tweak your profile.
Also, don’t post and run once a month or, *shudder*, once a year. The more you post, the more comfortable you’ll be doing it. It’ll become second nature in no time.
Like any other habit, staying consistent is the key to success.
You’ve got this!
Have you got your profile in tip-top shape and are now racking your brains for LinkedIn post topics? We’ve got a FREE cheat sheet – How to Find Hot Topics to Bling Up Your Blog – waiting for you over at the RM Content Lab!
