We need to talk about your future.

This may seem odd or even inappropriate under the current uncertain circumstances. But the lockdown won’t last forever, so we would like to help you use this time constructively to position yourself for an even brighter future as soon as the restrictions are lifted.

LinkedIn has recently become massively more relevant – both as a lead/opportunity generator and as a platform for people and businesses to come together to support each other. But most users are not maximising its full potential. So we’d like to share some tips to help you get the most out of it. With just a little savvy upkeep, it could open new – and unexpected – doors for you.

Change how you treat LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn page is not a lifeless extended CV or company overview: it is an opportunity to present yourself as a solution. Someone, somewhere, has a problem which YOU could solve.

Like most of us, you may neglect your profile, only dusting it off when you are looking for new opportunities. However, you will only reap what you sow: regular nurturing will yield juicier prospects.

Reach your ideal audience

To generate content that will attract the best leads, visualise exactly who your target audience is. Knowing who you are aiming to reach and their pain points, means you will more effectively tailor your content to show them how you will resolve those pain points. This will increase your chances of reaching an audience that will respond to you.

Driving your audience to you requires a few words: key words. Pick out words which your desirable audience would use to look for the exact solution and services you are offering. Add your key words to the intro section of your profile, separated by a line:

Edit the headline here

Engage with your target audience

Attention spans are diminishing but paradoxically there’s more content out there vying for them! You’ve got just one sentence to hook a reader. So get quickly to your point: what problem you are solving and how? Back it up with the most compelling evidence (testimonials, etc) you can.

Visuals always draw attention. Ensure your photo is high quality and is authentic to who you are. Fill your media or testimonials sections with strong, eye-catching images. Match them with intriguing click-bait headers for maximum impact.

If you have brilliant testimonials or feedback, you can display them powerfully. Simply saving them on a Powerpoint slide, add an image – either their company logo or your company logo, or their LinkedIn photo (if it is a personal plaudit) – then save as a PDF and upload to the “Featured” section of your page.

Add media, feature posts or articles you have shared here

Create a rapport

“To thine own self be true.” If only Hamlet had listened… Make sure that visitors to your page get to “meet” the real you. Authenticity is crucial to building a relationship – even an online one.

Above all, you want the visitor to get a strong feeling for what it would be like to work with you. Stick to what you know, words you would use, opinions you will stand by.

Create a buzz

“There’s only one thing worse than being talked about – not being talked about”. Oscar Wilde would have been amazing on LinkedIn. You won’t get likes by being vanilla, middle of the road, blah. You need to voice an opinion, join or start a debate, show your passion. Be controversial, if that’s how you really feel – but always remain professional.

To increase your chances of reaching your audience, include hashtags at the end of your posts, which will include your posts within the wider conversation of that topic. It will increase the number of likes your posts or profile can achieve and you might even end up “trending” – the holy grail!

Don’t be elusive

Remember that short attention span? Make it easy for your interested audience to immediately reach you – before they forget about you. Help them by including your contact details (or immediate links) in each section.

Follow these steps and you are halfway there. Don’t stop there!

Allow yourself 15 minutes each day to update your content. You will get better at specifically targeting your ideal audience. Your content will be fresher and better at encouraging their engagement.

LinkedIn is so much more than an online CV. Feed it and watch opportunity come to life. Now you ARE using it properly.

Click here to connect with Francesca on LinkedIn

View my profile on LinkedIn. Let’s connect.

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Are you REALLY using LinkedIn properly?