Do you have a LinkedIn profile? If you’re a business professional, chances are you’re on LinkedIn. It’s the perfect platform for meeting new business connections, link up with people in complimentary industries and share knowledge with those inside your own. And as of Oct 2018 there are almost 4.5 million active daily users on LinkedIn in Australia.

Your LinkedIn profile – First impressions count

Just like a resume or business card, your LinkedIn profile will be the first thing people see about you. Also, how well you fill out your details, as well as other factors like the number of connections, will determine how well you are found in search results on the platform.

Treat your profile like it is a part of your business. Invest time in improving it and constantly attend to it by updating your status and sharing information. More importantly make sure that your profile is a reflection of how you wish to present you and your brand.

Quick tips to improve your profile

Want to optimise your profile for success? Here are my top 10 tips:

1. Upload a profile picture. Make sure it’s professional and not a photo you took on your last holiday – that might work for a travel agent, but not for most industries. You’re on LinkedIn to make business connections not friends.
2. Write a clear description of what you do in your ‘Professional Headline’. Don’t make it too long and make sure you have important related keywords.
3. Make sure you include yourself in the correct industry so that people can find you.
4. Grab you unique URL. It gives you a shortened link to share with business contacts and it’s easy to remember.
5. In the ‘Summary’ section include important relevant keywords and when drafting this section, have someone read it before you upload. If you need to, employ a copywriter to do this for you.
6. Include relevant work experience that demonstrates your skills and talents.
7. Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations and endorsements – they help you rank higher in search results!
8. Include all of your skills. You may want to only add a few at a time.
9. If you have written a published article or another publication, be sure to include this in the “Publications’ section. This will give you credibility.
10. Add you Twitter handle and website!

Over to you!

What other tips and tricks have you used to get the most out of your LinkedIn profile? You can also connect with me on LinkedIn here.