LinkedIn has become one of the fastest-growing and fruitful social media platforms and it is perfectly-suited for people who want to engage in professional relationships without all of the family photos, political disagreements, vacation pics and silly memes of Facebook.

(I’m definitely not saying to ditch Facebook from your marketing mix!)

In my highly un-scientific poll, there are currently three types of LinkedIn users:

approximately 24.79% are well-versed users who firmly know how to leverage the power of LinkedIn.

approximately 36.12% are on LinkedIn but are not using it effectively. Profiles are not fully optimized, posting inappropriate content or content that is counter-productive to overall goals, poor usage, etc.

the remaining 39-ish% are either not on LInkedIn, but their target audience is and therefore they should be…or they have a LinkedIn profile but it’s massively out-dated or they are not active users.

If you fall into category 2 or 3, this post is for you. Here are some tips to help you become a LinkedIn expert.

Tip #1 - In the ‘Intro’ section, you need to have a great headshot and banner photo. This is a must. If you don’t have a good profile photo, stop reading this and get that updated!

The profile photo should be visible enough so people can really see your face. You should look similar to how to look when you’re doing your job, including what you’re wearing. If you work in an oil field, it doesn’t make sense if you’re wearing a suit in your photo. Conversely if you are an accountant or lawyer, your appearance should reflect a formal, highly-professional image.

Furthermore your banner photo should offer a reflection of the product/service you provide. If you can’t come up with something, you can create a colorful banner with some words that help describe what you do. Free apps like Canva or VSCO will help create a banner.

Don’t do: If you have the default ‘constellation’ banner, that is a surefire tip-off that you’re an amateur not a regular LinkedIn user!

Tip #2 - Make sure you have over 500 connections. In my opinion, social media should never be a popularity contest, buuuut if you have under 500 connections, it will show the actual number of people you’re connected with and it will look like you either don’t get along with others or inexperienced on LinkedIn.

Try to focus on connecting with relevant people as much as you can until you reach 500+ connections. I expect that LinkedIn will change how this is displayed in the future.

Tip #3 - make sure as many fields of your profile are filled out as possible including your headline, all job history, education and ‘About’ section. This information will help people get to know you. Furthermore, all of the fields are searchable which will make it easier for people to find you.

Pro tip: be sure to add something about your personality or hobbies or something unique or interesting - this can be a great icebreaker.

Tip #4 - Add photos to your profile. This will help paint a picture of who you are and why someone would want to do business with you.

Tip #5 - Add any Honors, Awards, Certifications in the ‘Accomplishments’ section…social proof! People are twice as likely to make a purchase based on other people’s opinion - it goes a long way in people’s mind if someone else thought enough to give you an award or honor. Let’s someone else’s words help toot your horn.

Tip #6 - Did you know that you can re-order the skills in this section. Make sure that the top 3 skills are what you’d like to be known for. You can encourage other people to endorse your skills by endorsing other people’s…the word on the streets is what comes around goes around.

Bonus Tip - Edit your profile URL. This is another way that you can show that you are a real professional - your URL should be: linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname/

not linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname-1234568675309ab/

Now that you have an All-Star LinkedIn profile are you stuck with what to post? I can help you create content that get you exposure and increase your brand awareness.

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Kup3 Marketing