Bringing LinkedIn to life
Have you always looked at LinkedIn with fear and thought “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to write on here?” Or “What will people think of me when I write _______?”
Well, the good news is that it’s a lot more approachable than it’s ever been. Some feel it’s getting a little too much like facebook, but the reality of it is that it’s been a useful way of getting to know someone you may wish to do business with before you’ve even had a business conversation with them. We all know people buy from people they know, like and trust, so if you can show up consistently, your ideal client can get to know you from your views and values and see if you’re a match.
What’s in the bio?
You’ll need to cast your eyes over your bio and check that you’ve completed all the sections and include your contact details - so many omit this as they’re worried about people getting in touch with them. If you’re on LInkedIn to do business and someone in your audience is your ideal client, wouldn’t you want them to get in touch with you? “But someone’s always trying to sell me something!” I hear you say. Doesn’t the positive of a potential client outweigh the negative of a salesperson?
Have you updated your profile photo recently? Are you using a good clear headshot for your profile photo? What do you think when you see a profile photo that looks like someone’s at a party? Does it look like someone you’d like to do business with? Maybe it does but, I’d always advise one that reflects your business so if you’re a gardening expert, for example, you’d probably wear a polo shirt, whereas if you’re a toastmaster, you’d wear your toastmaster uniform….. you get the idea.
How do you pronounce your name?
I’m really excited with this next feature..…… Have you noticed the new “speaker” button that sits next to your name? If you record the pronunciation of your name it will turn blue to prompt a viewer to listen. Especially useful for those with a hard-to-pronounce name, this feature is only available to record on the mobile app but will then show up for visitors to your profile on both mobile and desktop versions once recorded. Of the relatively low number of LinkedIn users who have used this feature, most have simply recorded their name, but with a 10 second recording time, you could add a short greeting or a brief sales message. It’s a great opportunity to add a little more media to your profile and stand out from the crowd. Let me know if you use it and what greeting you have recorded - I’m sure there will be some inventive ones!
Make your headline work for you
Many users simply add their job title in their headline, but did you know that the headline is searchable? Why not let others on the platform understand how you can help them - remember people aren’t interested in you per se; they’re interested in how you can help them. This may sound a little harsh (but true), so take some time to find a succinct way of summing up what it is you do that helps your clients - so that you can resonate with what they’re looking for from the beginning of your relationship. And when you comment or like posts on LinkedIn, that headline is seen by everyone else who has liked or commented on that same post. This is why it is so important to interact with other profiles (this is still a social media platform, don’t forget) - if you can show that you’re interested in what others have to say and you can add value to a conversation, you’ll be making valuable connections in no time.
Where have you been featured?
The next section I’m really excited about is the “featured” section and it really is a case of the more media the better. Think of any media that you've done which has been broadcast, I was recently on a podcast and that went straight on there! Let your potential customers hear from you, get to know what makes you tick and they can hear or see for themselves whether you have a good match of values - this is the basis for great long-standing relationships so not to be overlooked.
Have you ever checked out your Social Selling Index (SSI)? The score is made up of your ability to
Establish your professional brand
Find the right people
Engage with insights
Build relationships
You can find yours by clicking here and the app will give you an indication of where you sit compared to your competitors. If you’re looking for measurable results, this is the place to monitor your progress. Get your starting point today and see how you can improve the above 4 pillars over the coming weeks and months.
Are you a statistics geek?
And if statistics make you tick, then check out LinkedIn insights, you can find out the reach of your most popular post - this is such useful information when you’re thinking about your content for other platforms and your blog. You can check out your followers and connections and see if they’re growing according to your plans and ensure you engage with new connections - you’re not collecting them just for the numbers, view them all as potential clients, so send them a message to thank them for connecting - you’ll be surprised at how many people never follow up after connecting.
So we’ve scraped the surface of LinkedIn, are you feeling that you’re ready to dive in and start or re-start using the platform? I’d love to know how you get on and whether you feel comfortable posting and reacting to content your potential clients post. If you’d like any more pointers, get in touch and if you missed the previous blogs simply check them out below. If you haven’t already and would like to, please sign up for my 10 top tips to make your social media more effective here.
