Don’t Have A Complete Summary On LinkedIn? An Incomplete Profile Says THIS About Your Professionalism…..
Did you know that “users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn”?
I love to see professionals and companies express interest in using LinkedIn as a business tool, but it surprises me how many people have NOT have invested in optimizing their presence.
As you probably know, LinkedIn is MUCH more than just a “resume site”:
- It’s an online “Rolodex” of all your professional connections
- It allows you to reach out to new prospective clients through “warm introductions”
- It’s a sales prospecting tool, where you can search by role, industry, seniority level etc.
- It’s a trusted source for professional content
And because LinkedIn is one of the highest-ranked sites when someone Google’s your name, it may be the first impression your prospective client sees.
Did you know that 89% of B2B researchers use the internet during the B2B research process and 89% of consumers use search engines for purchase decisions?
So, what does your first impression say about you?
If you’re an executive, prospective clients and investors are looking at your online presence to see your qualifications and expertise.
They’ll ask themselves:
- “can I trust the leadership of this organization?”
- “are the executives qualified enough for me to invest in this company?”
Social Media is not just for marketing and customer service, social CEOs are perceived to be more: open & honest, respectful, friendly, personal and people-focused.
If you are involved in sales, your prospective clients are looking at your profile before they meet with you to see your photo and look at your accomplishments.
They’ll ask themselves:
- “will this person be able to solve my problems?”
- “has this person worked with others in my niche?”
- “will I like working with this person?”
- “do I share any common connections with them?
If you are responsible for marketing your brand, you can leverage your team of employees as brand advocates to help share your “wins” through word-of-mouth awareness.
You can:
- encourage your team to have a consistent brand presence for your company
- ask them to share company updates to their network
According to Kredible Research, 53% of decision makers have eliminated a vendor from consideration based on information they did or did not find about an employee online.
Throughout your organization, you and your staff are the BEST brand ambassadors.
So what do you do? Where do you start?
The 3 key areas to focus on are: your professional photo, your headline and your Summary.
An incomplete Summary make you look like you don’t care about your professional presence and is a missed opportunity to:
- tell your professional story that covers your entire career, not just what you do now
- develop rapport with prospective clients during their pre-call research
- highlight your professional accomplishments, awards, or company success stories
- showcase how your company is a thought-leader within your niche
- include a call-to-action for next steps
Your first impression online matters. Invest in making sure that you “wow” and fascinate them from the “get-go”.
Are you ready to take action and write your Summary? Click here to download this LinkedIn Worksheet that will take all the guesswork out of what to write and how to get started:
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Leslie Hughes is a LinkedIn Optimization Specialist, Professor of Social Media, Corporate Trainer and Principal of PUNCH!media
Leslie was called a “Social Media Guru” by CBC Radio and has been working in digital marketing since 1997 and founded PUNCH!media in 2009. PUNCH!media clients include The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and TVO.
PUNCH!media’s goal is to empower through education and help executives gain confidence in their online presence so you convert higher-paying clients.
