LinkedIn is a professional network
designed to help professional individuals and companies connect and build
business relationships. With first impressions meaning everything in the online
networking world, your LinkedIn profile must be accurate, attention grabbing
and substantial enough to stand out in LinkedIn’s 180 million strong network.
The following 5 things need to be right to ensure your professional profile is
effective:
1. Spelling
and Grammar – Would you even look twice at a
professional whose profile was riddled with simple grammatical and spelling
errors? To avoid this, use Word to type up any changes and updates before
adding to your profile.
2. Bio,
Skills and Expertise –
Just like on their normal CV, many people exaggerate their skills and expertise
on LinkedIn. Don’t fall into this trap. Be honest and proud of your
achievements, and get people to recommend and endorse you to give you a proven
track record that will stand out above the rest.
3. Profile
Image – That one of you on a drunken night on
the town, or the one of you and your partner on your summer holiday is not
right for LinkedIn. Get someone to take a professional style headshot of your
warm and friendly smiling face.
4. Status
Updates – This isn’t Facebook. Remember your
contacts on LinkedIn are professional, so they don’t want to hear about your
cat’s latest exploits or your Christmas shopping.
5. Please
and Thank You – Good manners cost nothing, and just
because you are networking online is no excuse for bad manners, so when asking
someone for a recommendation or endorsement don’t forget to say please, and
thank them afterwards.
Labels: linkedin, linkedin company pages, linkedin company profile