Kamis, 21 Juli 2016

How Your Linkedin Strategy Should Appear From Your Customer's Eyes

By Jeff McCombe


On LinkedIn, your personal profile is the core element of an effective LinkedIn strategy. You cannot be successful selling on LinkedIn if your profile is sub-par. This article gives some key pointers on how to do it right, so read on...

When somebody clicks on your image or byline, or links in comments you make, they go right to your LinkedIn profile. It's a quick hop to your message. So having a strong message is essential, right?

The following profile sections, if completed correctly will convert more of your profile visitors into discovery calls:

A professional image is critical. I'm sure you've seen tiny little photos, no photo, pictures of people's dogs, cartoons, and so forth. These are all immediate turn offs. Who wants to engage with somebody who hides their identity? Statistics show that a professional and attractive photo has a strong impact on the rate at which potential customers will connect with you.

The banner image at the top of your profile is a great place to brand yourself. LinkedIn's stock photos are pretty well-worn, so I recommend getting one from a stock photo service. Contrast and color matching with your headshot photo is important. For example, if you are wearing a black suit, a lighter color banner image can work well and make your photo pop out. Or you might want to go with a dark banner to emphasize the serious nature of your work, such as law or Internet security. I recommend against adding logos, avatars or anything like that.

Your byline or headline should state what you do in a nutshell. LinkedIn defaults to your job title, which is usually something like Head of XYZ. That might means something if you're the CEO, but you should also include a few words about what value you bring to the conversation. Otherwise, why should I connect with you? It's like an elevator pitch.

Don't forget your headline. Most people leave it at the default job title. But this isn't a good LinkedIn strategy -- it should be changed to what you do and what value you offer. Try to write a 3-5 word elevator pitch somebody can clearly understand at a glance. Your headline and photo is what people see at a glance all over LinkedIn, so a good headline will really increase your incoming connection invites.

Keywords are very important on LinkedIn. Potential customers searching for products and services will use the search box to find people and companies who can solve their needs. LinkedIn's search engine has a unique ranking mechanism that relies on keywords, skills and the ranking of your profile versus other similar professionals. If your profile has lots of keywords, it is naturally likely to appear at the top of relevant search results. That means more potential business for you!

Getting solid recommendations is an essential part of a strong LinkedIn strategy. Ideally these should be in the words of your clients. Three to five recommendations is a good range.

The publications section is a great place to prove you know what you're talking about. This is particularly important in knowledge-based industries. You can list any papers, articles, academic projects, awards, films, or other projects you've worked on in the past.

For an effective LinkedIn strategy aimed at selling to ideal customers, you need to have a strong profile. Hopefully, these suggestions will help you optimize your profile and generate more business.




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