Many professionals create a profile on LinkedIn only to allow it to stagnate, remain somewhat incomplete, and connect with few people. Add to that the likelihood that this same person is infrequently engaging with other professionals and we have the classic example of benign neglect – if you’re lucky.

What do I mean by that? There is a very good chance that a potential hire, business partner, community leader, or future client/customer will use LinkedIn to vet and verify your credentials after briefly meeting you, finding your contact information, or being referred to you.

They will google your name; the odds are good that your LinkedIn profile will be on page one of the search results along with your company website, assuming you have been working hard at SEO. Then they will compare. Is your profile / bio in both sections up-to-date? Do they learn something interesting, yet different in each place? Does your company have a page on LinkedIn? If so, is your ‘experience’ section connected to your Company page correctly (so the logo shows)? 

You are likely asking, why does any of that matter? Because people about to hire or consider a career or a partnership with a business person would like to know more about them, including if they sweat the details. It is a rare situation when attention to detail is not an important factor in evaluating a potential professional relationship.

Optimize your LinkedIn Profile

Complete your profile, which includes a current photo, a background photo, a headline and using the ‘about’ section to tell your story. That story is best told in first person, painting a picture of both your talent and passion, and in the voice of your ‘genius’; this means if you are creative, that should come through.

If you naturally bring order to chaos, then that’s your framework. People that read this narrative walk away knowing a little bit more about what makes you tick. What should you avoid? Beginning every sentence with “I” – a common trap for many when they hear, ‘write in first person’.

At Leader’s Cut, our clients often request the help of one of our professional writers when we are developing their profile. The result is a complete profile that is highly personalized with no steps skipped.

Use Recommendations to Build Credibility for Your Business on LinkedIn

When your favorite customers, those that have become your raving fans, are vocal about the great experience they have had with you and your business, and you know they have a profile on LinkedIn, this is an ideal opportunity to have them write a review. To make it as easy as possible, we recommend a conversation followed by an invitation within LinkedIn to that individual. And if your client replies that they are not sure what to say, offer to put together a couple of sentences for them.

The key to success is to quote what they said to you during their rave; most people don’t recall what they say when they are complimenting as much as how they feel about working with you. On the other hand, you likely remember what they said because of how you felt.

Recommendations add credibility and validity to how you are describing yourself and your business when others can see professionals like themselves raving about the results you mention in your profiles. Further, in order to use LinkedIn Profinder, you will be required to have reviews for the services you are offering.

Your best clients want to help you find more perfect clients – and are happy to do so, if you just ask.

Get Certified: It’s Business, Not Social™

Perhaps you are like many of our clients and you’re thinking, “I don’t have time for this”. You may also have in mind someone on your team that you would like to ‘handle’ the LinkedIn space for your organization.

Maybe that same person has been assigned all ‘social media’. Because other platforms (Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) are decidedly different ecosystems from LinkedIn, we developed a comprehensive certification process that helps one or more people on your team become the ‘expert’ at the LinkedIn ecosystem through an extensive training program, resource center, and ongoing live group training.

Further, we offer recertification annually to ensure that your team members are kept up to date as most realize that LinkedIn, like most platforms, is an ever changing environment. The best strategies are based on a sound plan of action that is in sync with your business goals and offer predictable outcomes following methodical tactics.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is a tremendous environment to foster professional relationships, robust networks, future hires, potential customers, and even a marketplace for professionals you seek to buy from.

When added to the effort you are already making on your own site, other media platforms, and in-person networking, LinkedIn can augment your efforts by providing unique insight to a highly engaged audience, specific in its makeup compared to more general platforms.

Taking the time to craft a strategy, recruit the right resources, and implement effectively can yield tremendous results. To meet and learn more about elevating your LinkedIn presence, schedule a 15-minute Meet & Greet with Ken Kilday.

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Complete your profile, which includes a current photo, a background photo, a headline and using the ‘about’ section to tell your story. That story is best told in first person, painting a picture of both your talent and passion, and in the voice of your ‘genius’; this means if you are creative, that should come through.

If you naturally bring order to chaos, then that’s your framework. People that read this narrative walk away knowing a little bit more about what makes you tick. What should you avoid? Beginning every sentence with ‘I’ – a common trap for many when they hear, ‘write in first person’.

At Leader’s Cut, our clients often request the help of one of our professional writers when we are developing their profile. The result is a complete profile that is highly personalized with no steps skipped.

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Perhaps you are like many of our clients and you’re thinking, ‘I don’t have time for this’. You may also have in mind someone on your team that you would like to ‘handle’ the LinkedIn space for your organization.

Maybe that same person has been assigned all ‘social media’. Because other platforms (Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) are decidedly different ecosystems from LinkedIn, we developed a comprehensive certification process that helps one or more people on your team become the ‘expert’ at the LinkedIn ecosystem through an extensive training program, resource center, and ongoing live group training.

Further, we offer recertification annually to ensure that your team members are kept up to date as most realize that LinkedIn, like most platforms, is an ever changing environment. The best strategies are based on a sound plan of action that is in sync with your business goals and offer predictable outcomes following methodical tactics.

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