Personal branding is the key to developing credibility and trust within your industry! While there are many valuable platforms to develop your personal brand, LinkedIn is definitely a front runner. Optimizing your LinkedIn profile results in additional personal branding opportunities.

LinkedIn has over 900 million professionals using their site in over 200 countries! No matter your location or passion, you’re guaranteed to discover invaluable advice and make meaningful connections. As a result, LinkedIn is the ideal social platform to publish advice, job updates, and network with like-minded professionals. Our Team at Thrive loves using LinkedIn to create meaningful conversations, and sometimes that leads to coffee chats with new connections.

LinkedIn is not just an online resume anymore! Since its creation in 2002, it’s grown into a professional social networking platform to create connections and show a more complete picture of yourself. Now, what exactly is an “optimized” LinkedIn profile? Simply put – it’s one with every piece of information completed and regularly updated. Having a complete profile has many benefits for engaging with your audience and building your personal brand.

A complete, optimized profile…

• Increases your visibility to recruiters and potential customers.
• Supports the development of your personal brand.
• Establishes a relationship and builds trust with your company’s customers.

Here is our guide to developing a LinkedIn profile to be proud of:

GET THE BASICS IN ORDER

Start simple! Prior to diving in and building your network, ensure your profile is updated with a current headshot, banner photo, education, and general contact information to increase the likelihood of appearing in a search result.

Add your current position and previous professional work in the “Experience” section. This feature gives you the opportunity to elaborate on your responsibilities and contributions to your organizations. To further standout, write concise bullet points using action verbs describing your accomplishments in each position. Don’t forget to include quantitative results to show the direct impact and results you accomplished!

YOUR PROFILE HEADLINE IS MORE VALUABLE THAN YOU THINK!

The profile headline is the first piece of information viewers see below your name. Surprisingly, we see many people simply stating their current job title, but your headline is valuable digital real estate. This short description is your opportunity to highlight relevant accomplishments and keywords. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your headline!

Here’s some of our favorite headlines that go beyond your job title:

• Public Relations & Marketing Leader | Strategic Problem Solver | Passionate About Building Your Best Brand
• Empowering Sales Leaders With Social Selling | VP of Sales

UNLEASH THE POWER OF STORYTELLING.

Marketing has deep roots in storytelling, and telling your professional story on LinkedIn starts in your “About” section. This section allows you to elaborate on your experience outside the constraints of the “Experience” section. Show your personality and passion for your industry! 

Here are our tips to craft the perfect “About” section:

• Engage your reader through telling a story of your experiences.
• Incorporate relevant keywords tied to your experience and industry. 
• Highlight your successes and responsibilities at your current role.
• If you’re in the market for opportunities, include skills you will apply to a future position.

POST REGULARLY AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR NETWORK.

Optimizing your LinkedIn account goes beyond your profile alone. Every piece of content you publish increases your visibility with recruiters and industry leaders. Likewise, your content can garner immense levels of exposure from likes, shares, and comments. That increased visibility develops credibility and trust within your network.

Along with consistent posting, engaging with your audience is another crucial step to developing your brand on LinkedIn. Beyond that, connecting with your following keeps your name top of mind for viewers and helps you stay informed on market trends and updates.

These tips will give you a great foundation to get the most out of this valuable platform. Marketing is all about connections, and LinkedIn is a great way to develop a relationship with your audience and customers.