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I know that LinkedIn can feel like it's hit or miss. Some of you probably don't even use it - or hardly ever check it, it's just another annoying app on your phone you have to manage. But if increasing your engagement on LinkedIn, expanding your network and hopefully grabbing a lead or two is on your 2019 to-do list, then here are 3 easy-peasy tips to get things going. Seriously, they're so easy you could probably nail it in 10 minutes, pogo-ing to King of Leon whilst balancing a pineapple on your head.
Tip #1
Let's talk about your profile picture. No selfies. No out-of-focus, badly lit, dance floor shots (yes...people are still using these) and if your LinkedIn profile picture is the same as your dating app profile picture, chances are you're doing one of them wrong. Keep it professional, but add a little personality. Look at the camera, look friendly and approachable. Why? Because your profile picture is one of the first things everyone will see. I know, you hate having your photo taken...suck it up Buttercup...it's got to be done. Just smile and you'll be fine!
Tip #2
Headline. "Looking for the next opportunity" is a little bit worn out - at the very least you might say everyone is "looking for the next opportunity" in some way or another. Your headline needs to be concise and to the point - but think outside of the box (only a marketer would say something like that - I know). I like to break up my headline because I wear a few different hats, so I use the vertical line* to achieve this but another good format is to use one sentence to highlight a problem your potential client might have that you can solve i.e "helping businesses grow through engaging, original marketing". Avoid penning the next War and Peace, as I said, concise and to the point is key here.
Tip #3
Introduce yourself. This may sound a bit basic, but uploading a post explaining who you are, not just what you do helps to remind your connections that you're there and you're human - not just another vacant profile on their feed. LinkedIn articles are a great way to do this but if you're not yet comfortable with creating large content, opt for a static post update on your feed - use a relevant picture too as this will help with your engagement. If you're feeling extremely brave - then you can even do a snazzy video introduction and watch the views tot up. Just be warned, videos are a tricky business and you don't want to do them wrong - something I recently covered in an Inception style LinkedIn video (talking about LinkedIn videos within a LinkedIn video).
So, there you have it, three VERY easy ways to bring your LinkedIn profile into the light. If you stick around here, I will be sharing my tips on generating content for LinkedIn soon - so might be worth a little read.
*When I was writing this article I wasn't sure what that line was technically called, so I Googled it...it really is just called "vertical line".
Want to hear more from me? You can find me on Instagram @ems_marketing_consultant and Twitter @ems_talks, see you there!
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