A simple underused account will never serve the purpose of the account holder on LinkedIn. Users need to follow simple basic steps to get the necessary attention and visibility for their LinkedIn profiles that have an impressive impact on visitors.
1. Basic entries for the profile: A person’s LinkedIn profile is a reflection of their professional image online. Therefore, it is important to complete all the required fields of the profile basics to convey a positive personality to others.
• To achieve impressive visual impact, the ‘display image’ must look professional. It is important to upload a higher quality image, with well-lit 200 * 200 pixel headshots.
• The next important step is to customize the ‘Profile URL’ so that people can easily find it. To customize the ‘Profile URL’, the first step is to click on the ‘Me’ icon at the top of the LinkedIn home page and then select ‘View Profile’. Then the user needs to click on ‘edit public profile and URL’ to the right of their profile page. The next step is to click the ‘Edit’ icon next to the public profile URL and then insert the name without spaces and then click ‘Save’.
• Another crucial step is to optimize the “title” that appears under the profile user’s name, as the title is the most visible and searchable. The character limit for this field is 120 and it is important to use relevant keywords that the target audience uses frequently.
To add or make any edits to the “title”, click the “Me” icon at the top of the home page and select “View Profile”. The next step is to click on ‘Edit icon’ and then enter new content in the input dialog box and then click on ‘save’.
• The next step is to personalize the ‘contact information’ as it rewards the user with more visibility. Click on the ‘Me’ icon to add contact information and then select ‘View Profile’. Click on the ‘Edit’ icon on the right hand side next to Contact and personal information.
• On LinkedIn, professionals can present their work and achievements to them through ‘video’. A video is an excellent medium for presentation, as it immediately makes a difference to others. You can also upload an introductory video to a host site and then share the video link to LinkedIn.
To add a video introduction to the LinkedIn profile, a user must click on the ‘Me’ icon and select ‘View Profile’ and then click on the ‘edit’ icon and then scroll down to the ‘media’ section. Then paste the link to your video and then click ‘add’. Then enter the video title and description in the media dialog and then click ‘apply’ and ‘save’.
• The next thing that awaits the user is to earn ‘recommendations and endorsements’. A user must use high-volume search phrases to showcase their skills and ability to gain endorsement. The first step to get approved is to add skills by clicking on the ‘Me’ icon and then selecting ‘View Profile’. Then add new skills in the skills and endorsement section and then click ‘Add’. The recommendation is important to create prospects. For recommendations, click on the ‘Request to be recommended’ link, fill out the field and submit your request.
• The next big thing is to share qualification certificates, awards and professional certificates, as it is the vital aspect of a LinkedIn profile.
To add details about the grade, click on the ‘+ sign’ in the education section. Enter the details in the dialog about your school, colleges and degrees. You can also add a video that is relevant. To add achievements or certifications, click on the ‘+ sign’ in the achievements section and select from the list. The required details can also be entered in the dialog box.
2. Refining communication:
For a LinkedIn profile, it is important to be personable as the user communicates directly with the visitor. That is why it is important to write in the first person as if you were speaking directly to the person with whom you are willing to proceed in professional terms.
LinkedIn users can maximize the visibility of their profile by contributing articles. Open the ‘LinkedIn publishing tools’ by clicking on ‘Write an article’. To edit drafts, click on the “Me” icon and then select “Posts and Activity”.
For more exposure, you can also share your article on other platforms such as Twitter by asking LinkedIn editors to submit your articles on Twitter “tip @ LinkedIn editors” along with the link to your article.
3. Expanding network:
You can expand your network on LinkedIn by applying various strategies. Use the ‘Search’ feature to find your target audience or you can also include a link to connect to your email, signature, blog and website to direct your target audience.
If you are satisfied with the list of people in your network, send them an invitation by clicking ‘Add connection’.
LinkedIn also recommends groups for you to expand your network. This professional social site has all kinds of groups that will give you wide exposure to your target audience.
Start searching for your “Group” by entering keywords or group name in the search box and click “search”.
4. Generate possible inbound links:
Importing inbound links to your LinkedIn profile from anywhere on the web will make your profile more credible. If you post a blog or article on any popular site, re-link it to your LinkedIn profile. This will increase the appearance of your profile in the search results.
