Essentials for a LinkedIn Profile
In today's information-driven world, it’s critical to have a top-notch LinkedIn profile to set yourself apart from your competitors.
When people are trying to find out about you or your company, you will most likely still get searched for on Google; however, you also will be looked up on LinkedIn nearly as often. For business owners, your LinkedIn profile is what will establish your reputation and credibility. It also will go a long way to showing your status as an expert in your particular field.
Before you begin writing your profile, you should be aware that LinkedIn does not have any spell check. It would be wise for you to cut and paste all of your information from a program where you can check your spelling and grammar. You will not get a second chance to make a good first impression, so make sure your profile does not have any mistakes.
Here are five things that every quality profile should have:
1. Website/Blog Links
You should use the "Other" option to custom edit these links so that you can title the link with a search engine friendly phrase. The number of clicks you get from LinkedIn to your site will be increased by doing this. Use all three links, even if you do not have three websites. You can choose to link to a few
subpages on your blog or website.
2. Public Profile
Your public profile is a customized URL that links directly to your LinkedIn profile. Make sure you change the default URL into something that is memorable and relates directly to you or your brand. The default URL is just a string of random letters and numbers. When you edit your profile, you can change the URL and check to see if the URL you have chosen is available.
3. Your Experience
This is the part of your profile that shows everything you have done. You should not write this part like it is a resume. List each item as an accomplishment, not just a job. When you describe your accomplishments, try to use words that people would use if they were searching for someone like you.
If you have non-work related experiences that can showcase your expertise or connect you to others, be sure to include those as well. If you add many experiences in this section, it will be much easier for LinkedIn to connect you with people who might be interested in you within the network.
4. Your Current and Past Positions
LinkedIn would like your experience section to have three positions listed. If you are having a hard time coming up with three relevant positions, or if you are just getting started, try explaining your current job in sections. As long as your experience dates are correct, you can explain different roles of the same position and list them as separate positions. All of your positions on LinkedIn will be listed in reverse chronological order. Choose the best order for your positions by using your curser to drag and drop them.
5. Your Arrangement
Carefully think about all of your strong points on your LinkedIn profile. Use your most interesting content to front-load your page. On your profile page, you will see a directional arrow icon that is next to most of the section headings. Use this arrow to rearrange your profile sections. Put sections in the right order by dragging and dropping them. Give your readers the best of what you have got before they stop reading.
This article was written by Ryan Devereux on behalf of the Heller Law Firm. Visit us at http://www.seriousinjury.org. With nearly 40 years of experience in the field of serious medical injury litigation, their hiring practices have evolved to consider all public information (such as LinkedIn profiles) in order to attract the most talented legal professionals.