5 Tips to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

From Social Media Sonar | Aug 10, 2009

Several times a
month I speak at events talking to others about how to use LinkedIn
more effectively.  I'm constantly revising the presentations; trying to
come up with one that balances showing new members what LinkedIn is
while providing value to those that have been members for a while.

The latest presentation focuses on the three areas I wrote about in
the 3 Basic Keys to LinkedIn:  Optimizing Your Profile, Building Your
Network, and Leveraging LinkedIn.  From this I have put together a list
of Tips for each area.  I'll cover each in separate posts over the next
two weeks.  Today we focus on 5 Tips to Optimize Your Profile.

Tip 1:  Have a Relevant Profile Photo

No discussion on creating a better profile can exclude the impact of
the photo.  Having a photo simply allows people to place a face with a
name.  Not having a photo says that you don't get "it".

Having a logo, a product shot, a cartoon etc. isn't much better than
not having a photo.  Doing this also says you don't get "it".  Having a
photo that is hard to see, doesn't match your brand, or that is not
properly formatted says the same thing.

What is "It"?  "It" is the fact that social networking is about
people interacting with people.  Not with companies, products, logos,
or cartoon characters.  Being a professional network for business
people, What might be acceptable on MySpace of Facebook doesn't work on
LinkedIn.

Tip 2:  Title verses a Tag Line

Titles tell people what you are.  Tag lines can tell people what you
can do for them.  For example, there's a huge difference between
"Social Media Consultant" and "Helping business build communities and
monetize social networking and media".

If I'm the CEO for a company maybe I stick with the title.  If I'm a
sales person I'd rather people know what I can do for them.  Remember
whenever your mini profile is displayed (answering a question, posting
a discussion question, posting a news article, etc.) viewers see your
photo,  name, title/tag line.

Tip 3:  Customize Your URL's

In your profile you have the ability to add 3 web links.  Typically
you see these on a profile listed as My Website, My Blog, My Company,
etc.  Each of these can easily be customized so that My Company is
changed to SONARconnects, or MY Blog is Social Media Sonar Blog.

To make the change simply go to you "Edit Profile" page and click on
the "edit" text link next to your URL's.  Then click on the drop down
box and choose "Other".  This allows you to then type in a name to list
for the link.

You also are assigned a URL for your Public Profile page.  It
typically looks like this:
 http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sean-nelson/10/6a4/3b6.  A customized
Public Profile page URL would look like this:
 http://www.linkedin.com/in/seannelson.

The customized web links and the customized profile URL will have an effect on your ranking in the search engines.

Tip 4:  Add Applications

Your profile is made up of a lot of static information.  You can update it over time which is good for two reasons:

1.  You want the information listed to be as up to date as possible; and

2.  Every time you update your profile your network is notified that something has changed.  This generates profile visits.

Applications allow you to present information in a variety of
formats.  You can add videos,  PowerPoint presentations, white papers,
brochures, one-pager's, case studies, etc.  Not everyone visiting your
profile will view the information, but for those who want to know more
about you, this is a great way to share information about who you are
and what you do.

For video I prefer the Goggle Presentations application.  For
presentations I use Slide Share.  And for files I use Boxnet.  I also
use the Word Press application to import my blog into my profile.

Others are using the Amazon application to share information on the
books they like and TripIt to show others where they are traveling to.
 You don't have to use every application but a few can take your
profile from 2 dimensional to 3 dimensional.

Tip 5:  Add Keywords to Your Profile

Your profile is searchable, whether it's on LinkedIn or from search
engines such as Google.  The more effectively you use keywords in your
profile the better you will display in search results.  I'm not a fan
of adding a string of keywords, but with the various places to add
information you can sprinkle them naturally in your descriptions.

I wrote the LinkedIn MBA Workbook to provide a systematic way for
someone to build a "Killer" profile.  The workbook is over 20 pages so
there are a lot of other tips to optimize your profile.  If you do
nothing but focus on the five I've listed above you will have a better
profile tomorrow than you did today.

Your profile is where people that find you on LinkedIn begin forming
their first impression.  Make it a good one and make sure that when
they leave your profile they know exactly what you do and how you can
help them.

What are some profile tips that I should have included?

**If you would like to learn more about how to use LinkedIn,
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and Business Blogs to grow you
business, SONAR Connects offers two options:

1. Social Media Training that teaches you how to
   optimize your accounts, build communities of friends, followers, and
   connections, and how to monetize social networking and media.


2. Social Networking/Media Management: We take on the responsibility for managing your social media accounts including creating and writing your blog.

For more information contact me at (404) 939-7186.  Have a great day!

Sean Nelson

11 Responses to "5 Tips to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile"

1. 
   Arthur Catalanello Says:
   
   
   August 10th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
   

   Sean,

   
   

   Great blog on optimizing LinkedIn! I'd also suggest that people join
   groups so they can participate in discussion forums to share useful
   information. Making yourself visible AND useful are important to
   growing your network. Being a group member also allows you to send
   messages to fellow group members (assuming their privacy settings allow
   it).

   
   

   Best regards,
   
   Arthur Catalanello
   
   http://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurcatalanello
   
   http://www.visualcv.com/acatalanello
   
   http://twitter.com/acatalanello

   
   


2. 
   Sean Says:
   
   
   August 10th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
   

   Arthur,

   
   

   Thanks for the comments. You've actually gotten ahead of me. Next
   weeks tips are on Growing your network and Groups are an important part
   of that.

   
   

   Sean

   
   


3. 
   Carla Clayton Says:
   
   
   August 10th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
   

   Sean,

   
   

   I love the 5 tips for optimizing our Linked In profiles. I found the
   tip about using a tag line instead of a title to be a valuable tool for
   keyword optimization too. I'll be sharing your article with my audience.

   
   

   Carla Clayton
   
   http://internet-marketing-for-blondes.com

   
   


4. 
   Kathy Condon Says:
   
   
   August 10th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
   

   Really appreciated this information. You pointed out very clearly that it is the "Little Things" that often have a big impact.

   
   

   As result of your blog, I have made some tweaks that sounds like it may have a big impact for me.

   
   

   Thank you....
   
   http://www.kathycondons.blogspot.com
   
   http://www.kathycondon.info

   
   


5. 
   Sean Says:
   
   
   August 11th, 2009 at 12:23 am
   

   Kathy,

   
   

   Be sure to check out some of the other articles on http://www.socialmediasonar.com blog. There's more gold in the hills.

   
   

   Sean

   
   


6. 
   Dan Druen Says:
   
   
   August 11th, 2009 at 12:44 am
   

   Sean,
   
   Thank you for the information. I like the back to the basics approach.
   
   Dan

   
   


7. 
   Sean Says:
   
   
   August 11th, 2009 at 12:51 am
   

   Dan,

   
   

   In the end it always comes back to the basics. Have to do them first before going to the next step.

   
   

   Sean

   
   


8. 
   Barbara Says:
   
   
   August 11th, 2009 at 10:00 am
   

   I'd like to see some tips on keeping age out of the equation.

   
   


9. 
   Twitted by RachelWriter Says:
   
   
   August 11th, 2009 at 10:52 am
   

   [...] This post was Twitted by RachelWriter [...]

   
   


10. 
    Sean Says:
    
    
    August 11th, 2009 at 11:38 am
    

    Thank you RachelWriter. I love retweets.

    
    


11. 
    Ruth Soller Says:
    
    
    August 11th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
    

    Sean,
    
    Thank you for your ideas about optimizing your LinkedIn Profile. I have
    updated my Title as a tag-line as you suggested and also updated my
    Summary along the lines of your elevator speech example. Now, I am a
    member of six groups and hope to meet like minded people through these
    groups.