In this article we are going to show you 5 tips to improve your LinkedIn profile. This professional social network is a hotbed of opportunities and can be truly useful for your professional purposes.
Your LinkedIn profile is a cover letter or resume that you have open to recruiters, headhunters and potential clients. All the time you spend improving and optimizing it is a great investment. Follow these simple actions that we propose from UIE, and you will see how you notice a qualitative leap in the social network.
1. Incorporate a professional photograph
Profiles that do not have an image generate distrust. In fact, accounts with photography are visited up to 7 times more than those without.
In addition, on LinkedIn, being a social network of professionals, it can be a sign of neglect, lack of care, or simply not wanting to provide transparency.
But, beware, you have to keep in mind that if the image is of poor quality or does not show you professionally, you will not create a good impression either.
Given the importance of a good photograph in your profile, the ideal would be that you go to a professional photographer to advise you and can do this work. However, in principle we show you some canons recommended by experts in social networks:
- It is important that only you are visible in the photo.
- On LinkedIn a full-body photograph is not interesting, instead, focus on the face (it must occupy more than half of the image).
- Show a friendly expression.
- Look at the camera.
- Keep an eye on the clothes you’re wearing.
- Avoid a background that is flashy.
2. Think about search engine optimization
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) defines the place you occupy in Internet search results.
Take a test, enter your name in Google, and you will see that your LinkedIn profile appears among the top positions.
Now imagine that someone is not looking for your name, but your profession or your professional activity.
As you may have deduced, LinkedIn positions well in Google and if you carry out a good management of this social network, you have many options to appear in the top positions.
Therefore, another tip to improve your LinkedIn profile is based on entering the words by which you want to be found in these strategic sites, such as the headline and description.
A good idea is to develop the fields of training and experience, including extra information (tasks performed, subjects taken, etc.), to introduce these keywords.
Apart from having an orderly, updated and optimized profile for SEO, it is important that you stay active in the network and take care of the relationship with your contacts. In addition to their own benefits, these actions provide better search engine positioning.
3. Write a good headline
The professional headline is one of the parts of the profile that most attracts the attention of other users. It is very difficult to access a profile on LinkedIn and not notice this element.
For this reason, in addition to taking into consideration optimizing it with the keyword, it is important that you add some skill or competence that makes you stand out.
For the rest, it is only about being clear and direct in what you do. With a careful spelling and always oriented towards the target audience to which you are addressing (customers, employers, headhunters, investors, etc.).
In this aspect, we recommend that you perform different tests. It is not easy to find a good starter on the first attempt; so don’t despair.
4. Get recommendations
With regard to the recommendations, it is one of the elements that you should consider, since they serve as a guarantee of the knowledge and experience that you have included in your profile. These are testimonials from third parties that confirm what you have previously said and are highly valued by Human Resources managers, clients or headhunters.
The most appreciated recommendations are those of those who worked with you and can judge first-hand your personal and professional capabilities. Therefore, it would be a good option to request them from former bosses or clients.
It’s not a good idea to ask for recommendations from people who are among your contacts, who don’t know you, or who haven’t worked with you, as it would detract from the credibility of your LinkedIn profile.
As a recommendation, we could suggest that you get three good quality recommendations.
5. Don’t forget your URL
Another element of a LinkedIn profile that, although it may not seem like it, is very important is the personalization of the URL.
Indeed, you can modify the name and numbers that appear in the navigation bar. Moreover, you should do it because, in addition to working as a search engine positioning factor, it offers a much more professional and attractive image.
The URL should be short and friendly; without forgetting that it must be related to you (your name, surname or professional activity). In this way, you can include the link in other sites and show it in presentations so that they remember you and can contact you in a simpler way.
