Every year I like to give you a few tips you can use to enhance your LinkedIn presence. After all, LinkedIn is professional social media. It’s a great way to professionally network and an excellent method to convey who you are in an authentic, powerful manner.
Maybe you’re looking for a new job or maybe you’re looking to expand your network. In any case, LinkedIn has gained even more traction during this COVID-19 pandemic. More than a million people logged on for the first time since March 2020, bringing the users up over 7.5 million. It’s a popular platform that’s growing every day. You want to make it work for you!!
In 2019 I gave you 7 tips. In 2020 I gave you another 6 tips.
To build on these 13 tips, for 2021, I have five more tips to get your profile singing. Keep reading and then head to LinkedIn to update your profile and get more going on!
Remember, you can invest in yourself by hiring me to get 1-on-1 tailored specifically-for-you guidance. I have three packages you can choose from. You are worth it! I love helping people get the most out of LinkedIn.
2021 LinkedIn Tips
Tip 1: Make your Headline engaging, compelling and unique
I’m a bit of a fanatic on the Headline feature of LinkedIn. Please DON’T use the default headline, which is your current experience job title. Take a look at my headline or at the headlines of the people I suggest in my 2020 LinkedIn post. This is your opportunity to stand out, to be unique, to capture the attention of those scrolling through. You can describe yourself to future employers or to potential clients.
Tip 2: Put relevant and engaging items in the Featured section
This is a newer section and be sure you have something here! You can put a link to your website, your blog, articles and posts you’ve written on LinkedIn, or photos, documents or presentations you’ve made. In short, this is a key place to feature your awesomeness. Take a moment and make sure you put something that reflects your value to the world here!
Tip 3: Be sure your Experience write ups tell a future client/employer about you & what you offer
I’ve mentioned in previous years that these days it’s important to write your profile in the 1st person. You’re the one writing your profile, so own it! People are looking for authenticity and realness. They want to get a sense of who you are and what you value.
As you write up what you did at previous work experiences, frame what you write in the same way you would describe what you did in a present day interview. Meaning, frame what you did through the lens of how that experience makes you ideal for future work.
Take a look at Michelle’s top notch profile to get a few ideas on how to do this!
Tip 4: List 50 skills in the Skills section, choose your top 3 with intention
The Skills section of LinkedIn matters! Fifty is the maximum number of skills you can list and make sure you have 50 skills listed in your profile. Additionally, “pin” the top three skills that relate to your industry. The Skills section is important in the LinkedIn algorithm, thus it’s worth spending some time on it.
Next, spend a bit of time endorsing others for their skills. That’s one of the best ways to get endorsements in return, which you for sure want to get!
Tip 5: Build your connections ALL the time!
I’ve been attending quite a few Zoom meetings and webinars and before I get on, I make sure I have a notepad and pen handy. With that pen and paper, I jot down the names of people in the webinar. When the meeting is over, I look up the people on LinkedIn and read about them. I find out fun and interesting things and usually I send a personalized invitation to connect.
In short, building your network with people who are interested in similar things that interest you is just plain old smart. Remember, ALWAYS personalize your invitation to connect!
On LinkedIn you can have up to 30,000 1st degree connections. In this day and age, be sure you have at least 500 connections and then keep building. You never know when or how a connection could help you or you could help them.
Now it’s time to head over to your LinkedIn profile and spend a bit of time updating your profile! For sure let me know if I can support you!
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Please leave a comment if you have any thoughts about how to use LinkedIn. I appreciate hearing from you!!
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Thanks Mari! Always great to hear your wise wisdom on LinkedIn and how important it is to conytinually improve and evolve your profile!
I’m so glad you find this helpful Marie!! Your profile looks good!!!