Does your LinkedIn profile speak to your ideal customer?

So often people have used LinkedIn as a job search tool and there is no doubt recruiters are supremely active on there, but gone are the days of simply having a job title to describe you.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or you work for a business, your job title often only means something to you and the hierarchy of your business; but what benefit is that to your potential customers?

If a user is searching LinkedIn for an expert in a certain field, they are unlikely to search for “business owner” for example, so when you set up your bio think about who you help so they may find you more easily.

This also works in terms of your headline following you around LinkedIn; for example when you like or comment on a post, or create a post yourself, if a potential customer can understand at a glance what you do and who you help it aids connection.

So many of us try to be really “clever or cute“ with our titles and yes, it will make you stand out, but will it help someone connect with you? 

It’s also useful to bear in mind that if someone understands what you do more clearly, they are far more likely to refer you should they come across someone in their network who needs your products or services.

So have you done your research? 

Do you know who your ideal client is? 

Can you identify what makes them your ideal client? 

Is it that your service is a perfect match for their needs? 

Is it that they’re the right demographic for your products and services? 

Are they in the right locality to benefit from your products and services?

Have you identified precisely how you help them?

For this you may have to get more specific (remember this is not the only client type you help) but by really narrowing down your search criteria you can market your business more effectively.

We’re not saying that you exclusively cater for a certain customer but we’re purely identifying your target market.

Turning your bio around to be customer-focused really speaks to your audience. They want to feel like you understand them and you can empathise with their situation or needs. That feeling that you’ve been where they are, standing “in their shoes“ is remarkably powerful when you’re showing relatability.

Often we attract clients who are like ourselves, who can relate to us because we’ve experienced similar life events, employment history perhaps, faced the same hurdles and that really appeals.

That feeling for the customer that you know and understand where they’re coming from cannot be understated.

Creating relatable marketing will help move your potential customer closer to being a committed customer.

We now have some new tools on LinkedIn to help us connect further with our audience so do get using them. They both sit on your profile but are only accessible from the mobile app. This can be really frustrating as almost half LinkedIn users access the app from their desktop but hopefully LinkedIn will make them more accessible soon.

The first one is the “pronunciation” feature. You may have seen some users have a little “speaker” symbol by their name – this only appears once you have recorded your 10 seconds voice note.

Brought in to help those who have complicated spelling of names, you’ll see it being used for a very brief message. It makes for a more friendly touch point than a written message. 

• Simply tap into your linked in app, 

• tap on view profile 

• tap on the pencil/edit icon. 

• Where you see name pronunciation, tap on the pencil/edit icon where it’ll give you an opportunity to record a 10 second voice note. 

If you’re not happy with your recording, simply delete and have another go until you’re happy with the result. Once satisfied, you’ll notice you have a speaker icon next to your name. You can listen to mine here if you’d like some inspiration on what to say.

The next opportunity is the video profile pic – have you seen the moving heads as you’ve gone around LinkedIn? You’ve probably also noticed that some profile pics have an orange ring around them – similar to when you have a story loaded on Instagram – that means they have a video recording you can watch. Simply tap (on phone) or click (on laptop) to play.

To record your own video is really simple but I would suggest you have a way of keeping your phone still and steady – perhaps you have a tripod or can lean your phone against something to keep it still – I’ve heard of people putting their phone in a mug to keep it upright so do whatever works for you. I’ve recorded a video to show you how here.

This video can be up to 20 seconds long so you should have time to say who you help, how you help them and what you help them achieve.

Again you access through your mobile phone app tap on your static profile picture which brings up options to view or edit profile pic or view or edit cover story. Choose the cover story And the app will ask for access to your camera and microphone. Simply film your short video clip and again if you’re not happy with it discard it and have another go until you are satisfied with the result.

With such a tiny proportion of users activating this option, having a video cover story will really help you stand out. Think of it as a mini advert for your business.

While we are looking at the profile, think about your banner image too. Many will leave it with a default image or simply use their logo. That’s prime real estate as they say, so use it to promote what you do. It’s all about making it easy and quick for your viewers to see what you do and how you can help them. The sooner they can see that, the easier you make it for them to get in touch and consider working with you.

The final step I’d like to draw your attention to, is the feature section. Use this space to highlight any collateral you may have like PDFs or media. You can upload links so if you’ve been on the radio or TV you can upload video or YouTube links. You can also highlight some of your most engaging posts. 

These can all point to your credibility. They show your history so that your audience can understand your views and values and determine whether you’re a good fit for them.

So we’ve covered

• Recording your name pronunciation using the 10 seconds to add a little bit about how you can help

• Recording your cover story allowing your audience to see your video message and connect with you

• Ensuring you use the banner image to full effect 

• Populating your featured section

With all these additional touch points, you’re standing out from the crowd and allowing your audience some insight into who you are and how you help beyond the written word. When people now land on your profile they can find out so much more about you and you’ll be well on your way to creating lasting relationships leading ultimately to sales.

If you’d like any support with your LinkedIn marketing, whether it’s setting up your page, optimising it for maximum views or understanding what to post and how to engage, did you know I offer one-to-one online strategy sessions? 

You can book yours here and I look forward to sharing more about using LinkedIn to support your business.