As we all know, first impressions count. I don’t know about you but I judge people immediately based on the model of smartphone they use. First impressions are especially important on LinkedIn because in the absence of a handshake, an introductory coffee or a long embrace, when sizing up new companies, business opportunities and prospective dates online, all we have to go off is the content we see in front of us. In many cases it’s the very first introduction people have to you or your brand, so it counts.
Just like you wouldn’t rock up to a business meeting with ketchup stains all over your white pants, you also shouldn’t have virtual ketchup all over your profile (unless it’s a really cool new visual effect – in which case, definitely try it out). My point is, with more than 25 million profiles viewed each and every day on LinkedIn, you need to look presentable. Charming. Inviting. If your profile is bland and boring, or heaven-forbid your titles and headlines have any typos, chances are if someone clicks away, they’ll click away forever. Just like that second Tinder date that never happened. So, what are you currently revealing about yourself, or your business, through your content? And how can you ensure you look your best?
Well, there are plenty of ways to pimp up your profile: a professional and eye-catching headshot (that means no selfies, Saturday night party pics, or photos with your Puggle) a keyword-rich summary and title to boost your search results, requesting recommendations to validate your embellished skills list, creating a vanity URL, and more.
While they’re all super important, I want to focus on three different strategies.
1. Show me you’re human
Breaking news: You are not a robot. There is nothing more off-putting than auto-generated laziness. So, remove your default settings and put some effort into personalising your LinkedIn activity. I’m not saying you need to post photos of your family’s matching Christmas jumpers, but be you. I want to read your profile and connect with your personal story, so include details about your successes, your learnings, your career goals, your aspirations. And, when you send connection invites, take a few seconds to personalise them (yes, you can do that) instead of just using the standard ‘I’d like to add you to my professional network’ message. Bring yourself into your profile and your activity because that’s what will distinguish you from everyone else out there. It’s what people will connect with.
2. Turn your LinkedIn profile into a LinkedIn portfolio
Too many profiles on LinkedIn look like long text-heavy resumes. Simply copying and pasting your resume from Microsoft Word means you’re not making the most of what LinkedIn has to offer. Add visuals to help bring your work experience to life: images, videos, presentations, documents. You can even add a picture of a handwritten note from your Mum outlining what superior talent you had in Grade 6 art class – whatever you’ve got to do to get more visual. As the classic literary technique goes, ‘Show; don’t tell’.
3. It’s a social network so, you know, be social
If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone complain about the amount of connection requests they received from strangers, well, I wouldn’t be writing this post. I’d be reclining with a mojito on a private Carribbean island. Yes, LinkedIn notifications requesting you congratulate (insert random college friend you haven’t seen for 15 years here) on her recent promotion aren’t the best allocation of your time when you’re a lawyer charging by the millisecond. But, people seem to forget, at its core, LinkedIn is a social network. And even though the news feed is (mostly) a LOLcat-free zone, it’s a powerful social media platform. Why are you even using LinkedIn if you don’t want to create new connections and new leads? So, get active. Give love to get love because if you put into LinkedIn, you will definitely get back. Join groups, share updates, publish posts and engage with other people’s content. Feel free to start now by leaving a comment on this post. If we’ve never met before, I can guarantee you’d make a great first impression.