Personal branding on LinkedIn
In terms of your professional online reputation, there is one social media channel that can help you more than any other and that is LinkedIn. Here are 12 ways that it can help you build your personal brand:
Your LinkedIn URL – Having your own URL makes it much easier to be found on Google, and your profile should be higher in the rankings than Facebook etc, so that people see you, the professional, first.
Your image – Uploading a professional image not only help people see what you look like, but, as the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words. In a survey in 2012, 43% of employers said that they were more likely to hire a person who conveyed a professional image.
Your headline – Next to your image, your headline is shown everywhere on LinkedIn. Use it to tell people what it is you do and how you could make a difference to their business.
Your summary – As I’ve said many times before, without a summary, your’re just a sum of the jobs that you’ve held. Your summary allows you to set out what you do in much more detail. Include a call to action and encourage people to connect with you.
Your work experience – As your career develops, so does your experience. Keep your profile up to date, so that people are clear about where you are in your career.
Your skills and expertise section – Having a skills and expertise that has been endorsed by 10, 20 99+ people, really does validate them.
Your recommendations – Having skills endorsed is one thing, but someone taking the time to write a recommendation is another. Recommendations, more than anything else, increase your professional credibility
[Tweet “Recommendations, more than anything else, increase your professional credibility”].
Your network – Create credibility by connecting with experts in your industry. For advice on sending invitations to connect that get accepted, take a look at this post.
Your groups. The groups that you join can validate elements of your LinkedIn profile, for example being part of an alumni group shows that you went to, or are a member of, the relevant institute or faculty.
Who and what you follow – LinkedIn allows you to follow people, channels and publishers. These are shown at the bottom of your profile, but demonstrate where your interests really lie.
Your status updates – As stated before, one way of adding value to your network is by posting status updates. These remind people that you exist, but also show that you’re prepared to help others by posting articles that help them keep up to date.
Your own posts – To really build your personal brand, and set yourself above the rest, then start publishing your own posts on LinkedIn.
Have a look at your profile and see which elements you’re using to develop your personal brand on LinkedIn.
If you’d like some 1:1 help and support, then consider becoming a VIP client. My VIP package includes 13 weeks resume and LinkedIn coaching, weekly coaching calls (in person, by phone or via Skype), email support and so much. Let’s turn you from a job seeker to a job magnet!
Alternatively, why not have a read of my latest book:
My latest book: 5o Shades of LinkedIn
Take care for now
Karen x