If you have ever asked yourself this, then you might want to pay attention. LinkedIn is the largest social network based solely on building professional connections around the globe.
Whether you are looking for professional connections within your industry or just looking for people with similar interests, a LinkedIn Profile is something all professionals should have.
Checklist for Creating an All-Star LinkedIn Profile
There are currently three levels of profiles on LinkedIn:
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- All-Star
LinkedIn has said that an All-Star profile will make you 40 times more discoverable than less developed profiles. So, here are the 8 things you need to do to achieve All-Star profile status in LinkedIn.
#1 Picture
Select an image of yourself that is appropriate to either your target buyer or hiring decision maker. If you aren’t sure, look at pictures of others with the title you want to have.
#2 Headline
Get rid of the job title in your headline and replace it with up to 220 characters that tell your story or tell your buyers how you can help them. Think of this as if you were writing for the billboard at the two busiest intersections in your area.
#3 Summary/ About
LinkedIn allows you to expand on your headline with this section. You’ll have up to 2000 characters to use here, and you’ll want to write it like a newspaper story because only the first three lines appear to everyone. Visitors to your profile must click “see more…” to view the rest, and you’ll want to give them a reason to do that. You don’t need to have 2000 characters to reach All-Star status; a few sentences will do.
#4 Experience
In addition to your current role, even if that is ‘seeking opportunities,’ people viewing your profile will want to see your previous two work positions. Use each position to tell your professional success story by providing mini-case studies of who you worked for and how you help them while working there.
#5 Skills
Recruiters are often tasked with finding people with specific skills. To become an All-Star, you need to select at least 5 skills that you want to showcase. You can pin 3 of those skills to the top, so they are always visible. We recommend pinning the skills you want people to endorse you for the most.
#6 Industry & Location
LinkedIn has a finite selection of industries, and you’ll want to choose the one closest to yours if there isn’t an exact match. If you live near a large metro area, you can also select that as your location rather than a smaller community—both help searchers and LinkedIn.
#7 Education
While this is a requisite for All-Star status, it’s also an opportunity to showcase your educational background. Listing the university, school, or college you attended will also make it easier to connect with other Alumni from your alma mater.
#8 Connections
Making valuable connections is one of the biggest benefits of LinkedIn, and to achieve All-Star status, you’ll need to have at least 50 connections. But don’t stop there. Set your next goal at 500 because that’s the level where LinkedIn stops showing how many actual connections you have.
Most of the above items are easy to complete. You will also want to enhance your profile by receiving and giving recommendations, as well as customizing your personal URL for your LinkedIn profile (see instructions below). Remember, as your work experience, skills, or position changes, go back and fine-tune your LinkedIn profile content as needed.
Read More: 5 LinkedIn Business Tips to Use Now
Looking to leverage LinkedIn as part of your online marketing strategy more effectively?
Contact Famous WSI Results today! We help small to mid-sized business owners who are too busy running their businesses to focus on their marketing and advertising efforts. We specialize in Internet, TV, and radio advertising, and are particularly vested in Search Engine Optimization, website design, mobile website design, pay-per-click campaigns, and original content management in order to help our clientele claim their share of the marketplace.
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