The Ultimate LinkedIn Profile Checklist …

• Not fond of the way your LinkedIn profile is looking?
• Want to create a compelling profile to help you bring in more leads and conversation?

LinkedIn’s mission is to connect the world’s professionals. I know it might be painstaking to think about, but it is a necessary tool in the work world today. LinkedIn is basically your client-facing store front. So … Could you be successful without LinkedIn? Probably. But would you be more successful with it? I would give that a huge, YES. Keep reading as today’s special post of LinkedIn Secrets is just the thing you’ve been looking for! And you will be greatly rewarded with more connections, increased visibility, and more leads (which means more sales — YAY!).

Ladies and gentlemen, LinkedIn has power! 

Why is LinkedIn just as, or perhaps even more important for your business than Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 

The answer: It facilitates professional connections and followers. Sure, friends, followers, likes and retweets are fantastic, but LinkedIn empowers your business to grow via building professional connections you wouldn’t necessarily be able to connect with on other social media platforms or in your everyday neck of the woods either. 

Social media platforms, whether Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and others, are all valuable when establishing and growing a business. But this post isn’t really about comparing and contrasting all of the platforms out there. It is about how LinkedIn, on its own, can help your business be even more successful. Below, we have drilled down on THREE lists that we would recommend you explore and focus your attention on in order to make your virtual storefront journey a maximized one!

List #1: Smart Steps to Reflect Your Personal Brand.

• Test impactful headlines by making it keyword searchable. (Try to communicate more than what you do and tell people WHO you are and How you can help.)
• Weave those same headliner keywords wherever the opportunity arises – naturally fitting of course.
• Shine with a current professional high-resolution profile photo.
• Customize the background image (whether branded or high-res stock photography).
• Customize your default vanity URL (you know, the one with all the generic digits and symbols) to be short and branded so people can remember it easily.
• Create a strong call to action in “About” summary. (Try to communicate more than what you do and tell people WHO you are and How you can help.)
• Create an impact story in the “Summary” section that lets people know HOW your services and expertise translate into value and solutions. (You have 2,000 words to play with – long summaries show up better in search results.)
• Ensure your contact info, website, landing page URLs and social accounts are visible under the “Contact” tab.
• Promote relevant work experience, skills, and expertise (including a Showcase multimedia projects)
• Update the “Skills” section by noting your current business, past work experience, education, certifications, volunteer efforts, awards, and publications. This is basically a visual testimonial.
• Ask for (and give) thoughtful recommendations to those in which you have/had a relationship with or who’s content you find valuable.
• In the “Public” section, toggle your choices on what you want to make visible (e.g. website, courses, languages, groups, etc.) – Truthfully, it’s best to leave it all on the table.

Quick Tip:
Using hashtags is becoming more and more popular on LinkedIn. You can include hashtags on regular updates/posts, along with articles that you decide to publish. If you decide to use hashtags, we recommend doing some quick research on which ones are most popular amongst your connections, your niche, and certain influencers you enjoy following. Just be mindful that the hashtags are also relevant to the topic at hand.

RESOURCE BONUS: Discover NEW Hashtags HERE (free and easy to use).