Chances are if you’re reading this, you’re probably the owner of a small business. If you’re not already on LinkedIn, it’s definitely worth looking into. It’s a powerful social networking platform that’s great for building and maintaining professional relationships. Whilst it can seem impossible – because it’s pretty huge – if you break it down into chunks, then you’ll be running away with it in no time.
In April 2022, we wrote a blog post with a few tips on your personal LinkedIn profile in order to help you nail it (this is definitely worth a read if you want to improve your LinkedIn profile). We thought it was about time we revisited it. So, here are three more top tips for a great LinkedIn profile.
Update your profile picture
Is your profile photo a picture of you at Uncle Andy’s wedding with a pint in your hand, that was taken 6 years ago?
That’s not a good look.
Get yourself a clean (professional, if possible) headshot and use that. And make an effort to update it semi-regularly as well. Make sure it actually looks like you (not 16 year-old you from when you just left secondary school)!
It doesn’t have to be you against a white background either – in fact, some people say that a coloured background makes you stand out more. The pop of colour against all of the white really draws attention! So if you’ve got a bright blue wall you can use, then use it.
Oh, and for the love of all that is holy, don’t set that picture to private. If you have a common name it can be really hard to work out if it’s you if you can’t see a picture! So ensure the visibility is set to “anyone”.
If you’re in Cornwall and you’re not sure where to start with your headshots, why not talk to Claire Wilson? Claire’s a client of ours who can help you out with your brand photography and portraits in the South West.
Check your “about” section
Our next tip for a great LinkedIn profile is addressing that all important “about” section.
Assuming you’re a small business owner trying to promote yourself on LinkedIn, don’t write your “about” section like a CV. It’s not a CV.
Write about how you can help people, what pain points you solve, and what sets you apart from the competition. People want to know what you can do for them, not what primary school you went to.
You can write a bit about yourself too, to help make you seem human, but you need to grab people’s attention first with how you can help.
Finish it off with a call to action (perhaps a link to a cheatsheet you offer, or a freebie) and – most importantly – how to contact you.
Engage when you post your own updates
We’ve written before about how your comment strategy matters more than your content strategy but, if you’re posting your own content, there’s a golden rule to be aware of:
Don’t “post and ghost”.
Hang around after you’ve posted your status and make sure to engage with comments you get on it. The LinkedIn algorithm decides how much to promote your post based on the engagement you get early on; the first couple of hours are golden. If you post and ghost, you won’t get that all-important algorithm boost.
Similarly, it can help if you go and comment on three or more other people’s posts just before, and just after, making your own.
Summary
It’s as simple as that. Social media isn’t rocket science, it’s actually fairly straightforward. Be relevant, be up to date, engage, and the rest will fall into place. We’ve got loads of articles on how to do this, that, and the other thing, on social media (including Facebook!). Have a look around our blog, it’s bursting with useful information. Or feel free to drop us a line and you can pick our brains under our free advice offer.