Why is it important to optimise your Linkedin profile?
With over 600 million users, Linkedin is the world’s largest professional network that is not only used by 94% of recruiters to find potential candidates but also for professionals to connect and share educational content.
So with Linkedin’s growing network of professionals, it’s important to be able to stand out in the crowd. And whilst filling in all the gaps can optimise your visibility, we have compiled a list of some handy tips to help optimise your LinkedIn profile.
Choose the right photo
We are automatically more drawn to visual content especially when 90% of the information that reaches the brain is visual and is processed much faster than text. Choosing the right photo is your first impression to everyone in the network and will impact whether someone interacts with your profile.
Profile picture
First impressions are important and your profile picture will be the initial draw card for people visiting your LinkedIn profile. It’s important to choose a recent photo of yourself and a photo that looks like you because nobody likes a catfish.
Choosing the right profile picture can reflect your credibility, so here are a few more tips to pick the right photo:
- Use a high-resolution photo – The optimal size for your profile photo on Linkedin is 400 x 400 pixels.
- Make sure you can clearly see your face in the photo
- Be the only person in the photo
- Have a simple background
- Have the right expression that you want to convey your personal brand.
Background photo
Your background photo is your second visual engagement tool. Changing your background photo from the generic Linkedin background image can make you stand out from other profiles and can also let the viewer get to know you a little more.
Headline
Adding a headline to your LinkedIn profile can again let people know you more. It can be more than a field to add your job titles, it can show people how you see your role and what inspires you. The headline can even be your life motto.
Be creative with your summary
The summary is your chance to tell your story for people to dig a little deeper into who you are. So, make sure your summary is punchy and enough for people to want to carry on viewing your LinkedIn profile. There’s plenty of room on your profile to list your job titles and skills so use this field wisely and think how you can convey your personality and work ethic through this personal piece.
Choose your words carefully and avoid being cliche with commonly used buzzwords on Linkedin because you run the risk of getting lost in the crowd.
Relevant experience
Listing relevant experience will make your profile more cohesive and add credibility to your summary. Making a long list of experiences is a quick way to lose the attention of the viewer so highlight your skills and experience that is relevant to the roles you are interested in. So if it’s no longer relevant, don’t add it!
Create a custom URL
Making it easier for people to find your profile is always a win! And creating a custom URL, does just that.
Doing this can boost your credibility and differentiate your profile from others especially when you might want to share your profile with the website address. The automatically assigned address on Linkedin isn’t easy on the eye, filled with letters and numbers and definitely not memorable for the average person.
Connect with others
Grow your network! They say that through the theory of, six degrees of separation, you are connected with the entire world. Connecting with others is so important to give your profile the chance to be seen and for people to want to connect with you. The reason for this is, every person that appears in your timeline is labeled with a degree of separation and it is more likely for someone to connect with you or vice versa if you have someone in common within your network.
Endorsements & recommendations
Endorsements & recommendations are a great way to add weight and credibility to your skills and experience so don’t be afraid to ask for them! Don’t forget to share the love and endorse the skills of your colleagues, clients and business contacts too.
Share relevant content
Being active on Linkedin is highly regarded especially when you share content that adds value to them. We are already cluttered with so much information on multiple platforms daily and that’s why it’s important to make sure that the content you share on the world’s largest professional network is relevant and that you genuinely find interesting. The content you share on Linkedin can generate an impression of your personal branding.
The bottom line is, as much as it is important to fill in the gaps and complete your profile, it is no longer the only thing to make your Linkedin profile more visible. Make your profile meaningful and a true reflection of who you are to stand out from the crowd. This platform is the stage for you to present yourself from a professional stance.
Have you ever used Linkedin to either look for employment or used it to look up a potential candidate? Tell us in the comments.
