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Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Great LinkedIn Profile

The Betts Team
November 7, 2019

Looking for some professional momentum? Whether you’re strategizing your next big career move, or ready to redefine social selling as we know it, look no further than your LinkedIn profile. In addition to amassing an impressive professional network, LinkedIn can help you navigate fast, bold networking and career moves.

More than just a job search tool

Here are a few things LinkedIn can do for you:

1. Boost your professional brand

LinkedIn is the perfect hub for your personal brand. Your LinkedIn profile highlights your achievements, what sets you apart, and your professional swagger. And, bonus, you’ll prime your first-page results for influencers and decision-makers searching for you. Because like other social networking sites, LinkedIn ranks high in search results. Your skills, recommendations, and achievements will only be a click or two away.

2. Be a magnet for recruiters

The professional network is a sweet spot for making meaningful impressions on recruiters and hiring managers. Recruiters use LinkedIn every day to pinpoint their searches by title location, and skills. Standout LinkedIn profiles fuel clicks, invites, and outreach from recruiters.

3. Up your social selling game

Social selling isn’t just about activity, it’s powered by your online reputation. In addition to liking your prospects’ updates and leaving thoughtful comments on their latest blogs and shares, you need a LinkedIn profile that sells ‘you’. Post interesting thought-leadership content related to your industry – either pulled from the internet or, if you’re particularly ambitious, created yourself – and see what kind of engagement you get from people in your field. Voila – you’ve got a set of potentially hot leads. If you’re in sales, then your LinkedIn profile should focus on the outcomes you’ve supported for customers instead of your personal achievements.

Your journey to a great LinkedIn profile

Ready to start building more social capital? The perfect LinkedIn profile is just five steps away.

1. Find the right photo

Studies show that people will only remember 10% of what they hear and 20% of what they read, but 80% remember what they see. Your LinkedIn profile picture will help influencers online remember you. In fact, just having a profile picture means your profile is 14x more likely to be viewed

Have someone else take the photo and don’t hide behind filters. Wear something you’d normally sport in the office and take your photo in natural light. Your face should take up about 60% of the frame.

2. Craft the perfect professional summary

Make your professional summary personal and approachable. Include your biggest wins and what you’re known for in and outside of the office. Use optimized search terms relevant to your industry and roles you’re pursuing. And make sure it’s written in the first person.

Don’t hold back either, LinkedIn summaries have a 2,000-character limit. Use all the space you can. And, for social sellers, your professional summary needs to cover results you’ve driven for your customers.

3. Nail your professional headline

Think of your professional headline as your value proposition to prospects and employers—visible everywhere on the network. You have up to 120 characters to tell people what you do in a memorable way. Use optimized search terms and phrases relevant to someone searching for a ‘you’. Pop as many of these as possible into your headline, and don’t be afraid to use some humor. 

Here are some examples: 

  • Copywriter known for grabbing hearts and iPhones and eating crosswords alive.
  • Customer advocate helping businesses meet their marketing goals.
  • Demand generation artist skilled in doubling email opens and CTRs.
  • Sales enablement-focused marketing leader driving revenue goals.

4. Show your professional chops

Add work examples to your professional summary and individual positions. Pile on relevant blog posts, presentations, brochures—any public-facing sales and marketing collateral you’ve been part of developing. 

5. Reel in meaningful LinkedIn endorsements

Reach out to a select group of professionals you’ve partnered with in meaningful ways to see if they are open to writing a LinkedIn endorsement for you. 

Make sure to make your request specific and be clear about what you’re looking to highlight. And of course, offer to return the favor.

Keep it going

The perfect LinkedIn profile won’t do anything without regular updates, interaction, and invites to professionals in your network. For maximum visibility make sure you are logging in and making thoughtful shares and comments for a few minutes daily throughout your work week.