How to Make a Rock Star LinkedIn Page

LinkedIn – the world’s largest professional network over social media – is a vital channel that helps connect business professionals and provide users with new opportunities, become thought leaders in their industry, and so much more. One amazing part about this effective channel is that it’s totally free!

Simply creating a LinkedIn profile isn’t enough. To ensure that your profile best reflects who you are professionally, as well as the company you work for, you should consider implementing the best practices onto your page.

Why Should You Care About Having a LinkedIn Page?
Whether you’re a CEO or just starting your professional career, you should have a LinkedIn page. A stellar LinkedIn page will help create awareness of you, your company, and what your professional “brand” stands for. Additionally, your LinkedIn page is free publicity. Your profile helps broaden your organic search rankings including both the company you work for, key personnel, and helps broadcast your expertise to the rest of your industry. This is a win-win situation for both you and your company.

Your LinkedIn Profile Essentials

Profile Photo
Your profile photo will be the first impression you make, so make it a good one! Along with your name and title, this is the first thing viewers will see when you appear in search. For best practices, it’s highly recommended to use a professionally styled photograph, preferably with a solid background so that there are no distractions in the photo. Lighting is important too. Make sure your face is visible and fully lit. Frontal lighting is the best to avoid strange directional shadows cutting across your face. When it comes to attire, wear what best reflects professional standards in your field.

LinkedIn Header Image
Once someone clicks into your profile, your LinkedIn header will typically make the second impression on your page. LinkedIn headers are customizable and allows you to add an additional understanding on who you are and what your background entails. Why miss out on an opportunity to represent yourself? It shows that you care about your whole page by putting in the extra effort. It’s a small step that really helps make your profile a visually cohesive and polished self-brand.

Headline
Sounds like a no brainer, but you must always be mindful of your LinkedIn headline. The headline is the first line under your profile and is your professional title. Always remember to update your headline to reflect your current position.

LinkedIn Summary
Your LinkedIn Summary section describes who you are on a professional and personal level. It should say who you are, what you represent, and can be used as an elevator pitch to sell your services. Don’t leave this section empty. By doing so, you are losing a great opportunity to tell the story of your professional journey, your experience, and professional goals.

Your Experience
This is the section where your entire professional background and story should be included. Profile viewers will head to this area on your page to see your experience, professional journey, and growth throughout your career. We highly recommend explaining in detail your role, duties, and a little background about the company.

This is important because different company titles may have different responsibilities. Let everyone know exactly what you are capable of. This should be the meatiest part of your profile, and the main reason people are looking at your LinkedIn page. Don’t leave them wondering what you do for a living. LinkedIn also has a great feature that allows you to upload or link media. Add a little portfolio of highlights from your work! People love seeing results and what you can deliver.

Your Skills
Adding skills to your profile helps display what you specialize in and allows your colleagues or peers to endorse you for these strengths. This section also helps orient you with new groups of professionals with the same expertise and helps reinforce your professional experience in your profile.

Your Education
Be proud of where you came from! The education section allows you to list all your schooling history along with any activities or societies you were a part of and accomplishments or awards you may have achieved throughout the years. For example, if you graduated college summa cum laude, you should add this to your profile.

Don’t Abandon Ship!
Once all your essentials are triple-checked and ready to go, don’t abandon your LinkedIn page. We recommend visiting your page for a quick check-in 3 times a week. Not only will you be able to keep in the loop with the latest news in your industry, but you will be able to see who viewed your profile, discover new connections, share your original content, and much more.

These strategies will help both you and your colleagues put your best foot forward over social media, giving proper credit to your professional accomplishments. For more social recommendations on LinkedIn, please contact me at Tim@Brain.Do.