Learn About LinkedIn: 8 Tools That Make It Work for You
Have you heard of The Invisible Gorilla?
This is a book published back in 2010 and co-authored by experimental psychologists Chabris and Simons. In a nutshell, it discusses the research around selective attention. The main thrust of the project deals with how we humans can be so focused on one thing that we can easily overlook something else.
“How can this help me learn about LinkedIn?” we hear you ask.
LinkedIn is a massive platform with more bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at. It’s also rife with opinion and ego from professionals and wannabes, all jostling for attention.
The important part though, and the one which we want to highlight, is that there are over 700,000,000 registered users on LinkedIn. This makes it a phenomenally valuable tool for business development and marketing.
And the gorilla?
Well, he represents all the tools, tips, ideas, and workarounds that are thrown up daily around LinkedIn that keep you from focusing on the important stuff. That is, the things that actually make a difference to your LinkedIn presence and will serve you well.
Why Learn About LinkedIn?
Okay, so we know that there are a lot of people on this platform, and we also know that they are here for a reason. That reason is mainly to network; to form mutually beneficial relationships in the virtual world.
Did you know that:
- 90% of decision-makers don’t respond to cold calls.
- 75% of buyers research you and your business online first.
- Buyers are 63% of the way through the buying process before they contact you.
These three simple yet powerful stats show us clearly how powerful LinkedIn can be. What we need to know now is, why is it not working for me?
If you’ve been on LinkedIn for a while and haven’t gained any real benefit from it then we can help. We’ve drafted an in-depth article on the eight essentials that too many people overlook on LinkedIn, and we’ve made it available for download.
Here’s what you’ll learn.
8 Essentials for LinkedIn Success
Take an honest look at your LinkedIn profile. How can you make use of these fundamental concepts to maximise your visibility on this busy platform?
1. Clarify Your Brand
Who is your target audience? Do you have a clear understanding of what they do, where they live, who they work for, and why they should work with you?
We’ve noted some key questions that will uncover who you should be talking to, and how. We’ve also got a clever formula to help you market your products or services effectively.
2. Background Photo
Your background photo is often referred to as your virtual reception area where you can subtly welcome visitors.
What does yours say about you? This image should communicate, via imagery, fonts, or colour, what you are all about.
Does yours do this? Have you got the best sizing and layout for all devices?
3. Personal Photo
A professional, personal photo is an absolute must. Remember, we may be all about business, but ultimately people deal with people. This is a gentle way of showing prospective clients or partners who you are. It starts a potential contact down the road to trust and connection in this uncertain cyber-universe.
Do you know the dos and don’ts of a LinkedIn photo?
4. Contact Information
The one thing that contacts should never have to hunt for is contact information.
All your details must be readily available (and current!) to allow them multiple avenues of contact. What else should you include in your contact details? We have some thoughts on that too…
5. Headline
LinkedIn offers just 240 characters for you to present your elevator pitch. It’s really not a lot of space, and on top of that, it’s one of the most important fields in your entire profile.
How do you get your skills, show your value, include your keywords, and still show a little personality in this tiny space?
6. About
If you’ve captured their attention with a winning headline, then the About section on LinkedIn is your place to shine.
Here is where you can expand on who you are and what you do using a very specific and foolproof formula. After this, they will be in no doubt as to your value and the benefits you offer.
7. Experience
The Experience section of your LinkedIn profile is all about proving your authority. It highlights what you have done (how you can solve the reader’s problem) and allows you to inject the best keywords which help you to get found on this platform.
8. Featured Media
Including media in the section provided allows you to tie everything together and enhances your personal brand. Personal videos allow your audience to see the real you and images of past projects demonstrate your experience.
Learn About LinkedIn with Us
We have only touched on the eight tools that we should be keenly focusing on if we want LinkedIn to work for us. If you would like to know more then please click here for our free PDF titled 8 Quick Fixes to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile.
Therefore, no doubt that LinkedIn – done right – is one of the most valuable tools for marketing, development, and networking.
Let’s do it right.
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The Digital Coach bridges the gap between CEO strategy and technical implementation. I am fully bilingual; fluent in corporate jargon and technical vernacular. I work to translate this mixed communication into actionable points for the technical, web, and marketing team to execute for maximum ROI, while giving the captain of the ship exactly what he wants.
