Setting up the Ultimate LinkedIn Profile – Part 1

LinkedIn is social media for the business crowd.  As a free professional networking tool, LinkedIn’s latest research indicates it has 53 million users from 200 countries, with a new member joining every second.  According to a recent CNN article citing The Nielsen Company, 58.5% of LinkedIn users have a household income above $75,000.

Please do not mistake your LinkedIn profile as a dressed up version of your resume you can avoid until you need a new job.  Think of it as your dossier … a complete file about yourself.  You get to control the content and how you are presented beyond your desk.  People you meet or call will likely look you up on LinkedIn to learn more about you.  Present a complete, best impression.

I recommend the following to update your “blue box” areas:

1.  Name:  Only include your name – don’t add a tagline or your email address.  If you do, you violate LinkedIn’s policy.  May seem like an empty threat – but try to get help from LinkedIn with a “bad” Name.  If you have a maiden name, include in the form.  LinkedIn’s search will help people find you.

2.  Headline:  This defaults to your title – change it.  It is the 120 characters that nearly always accompanies your name in searches.  Determine your searchable keywords to develop your personal branding statement and edit until it is succinct in 120 characters.

3.  Photo:  Social media is about personally reaching other persons and building your credibility. Show you are a person by using this photo opportunity.  Most recommend a headshot of just you, not family members or your BFF.  It is a personal preference whether you should use a formal business headshot or a more casual headshot.  I prefer casual.  However, I agree that a baseball cap is too casual for LinkedIn.

4.  Status Update:  Visit www.linkedin.com and the first thing you see is “Network Updates.”  When anyone in your network updates their “Status Updates,” you will see it in your Network Updates.  Why should this matter to you?  Because every time you update your status, your smiling photo is on the Network Updates section of every one of your Connections.  This tells your Connections what you are up to as it reminds them that you have a relationship with each other.  Some smarties may link their Twitter accounts to their LinkedIn accounts – so every time they post to Twitter, it updates their Status Updates and they are always at the top of your Network Updates page.  Of my 200 Connections – I always have the same half dozen faces smiling back at me every time I visit LinkedIn.

Wonder if it works?  A former colleague from 15 years ago does a great job managing his profile on LinkedIn and updating his status every few days.  I would have said I would never need his services in my current role, but it was nice to see him do well and his business grow.  A few days ago – I surprisingly needed the service he provides and he was top of mind since several times a week I see his update on LinkedIn.

5.  Education:  Put ALL your schools, including high school.

6.  Recommendations:  You should ask for them.  You should offer them.  They are important – which is why I will cover in a separate post.

7.  Websites:  Use all 3 opportunities to add websites.  If you add your company’s site and you still have 2 opportunities – add sites you like or find valuable.  For example, if you are interested in Social Media, you could add Mashable: The Social Media Guide to your list.

Customize what people see under websites so they don’t simply see “My Website” on your profile.  Click on “edit” next to the website entry and choose “Other” and type in what you want on your profile:

8. Twitter:  If you have a Twitter account – use LinkedIn to tell people about it.

 9.  Public Profile:  If your LinkedIn address ends with a list of numbers – create a simpler link.  While in the Edit My Profile tab – click “Edit” to the right of your current Public Profile web address.  You will have the opportunity to type your name there for a unique and simple web address you may use in your email signatures and correspondences.

Follow these steps to get the “blue box” of your LinkedIn profile up-to-speed.  The attention to this detail offers a great impression for people that review your profile and increases your “searchability.”

Next post:  Setting up the Ultimate LinkedIn Profile – Part 2