Optimizing LinkedIn® is surprising complex. It’s hard enough to consider, understand and address:
- YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
- YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION
If you would like help with that effort, you can always take a look at the worksheets I have posted on this site.
After you have a full grasp of these key points, the next challenge is to craft a compelling narrative that draws people in, while understanding how clients, recruiters and/or other potential viewers might use LinkedIn to find and vet you as a candidate.
For your LinkedIn summary and other sections of your profile, there is a delicate balance of including the keywords that will attract your target audience while creating a robust and polished profile rather than a disjointed list of bullet points.
Your next hurdle might be to create an inviting profile photo, for which you can either hire a professional photographer (and even that is not always foolproof, see the checklist below) or learn the principles of portraiture for the LinkedIn format on your own and enlist friends or family to join in your efforts.
A further step is to combine the above strategies with the technical features of the platform, including other artificial intelligence features that drive LinkedIn searches (in addition to keywords) and privacy settings that keep your personal information protected. You could literally spend weeks or months trying to create and implement your strategy and the tactical means to achieve your goals.
You can consider the above a roadmap and take steps each week or month to improve one aspect of your LinkedIn profile.
If you are taking full stock of your profile and would like some guidance, here are links to some free resources from my Powerful LinkedIn Profiles for Executives and Attorneys course on my online learning site, Segal Online 24/7:
Working with a Professional Photographer: The Checklist
If you would like to maximize your downtime during the upcoming holiday season and sign up for the full course, keep reading below!
I have a limited number of 20% off coupons available for readers of this blog, if you would like to enroll in Powerful LinkedIn Profiles for Executives and Attorneys.
The coupon code is SAVE20, and you can enter here (while they last). To learn more about the course, including a full brochure, click here.
Anne Marie Segal is an executive coach, resume writer and author of two well-received books on interviewing and career development. She served as a corporate attorney for 15 years before launching her coaching practice, including roles at White & Case LLP and a hedge and private equity fund manager. Anne Marie is based in Stamford, CT and serves an international clientele.
Image above copyright 2019 Alejandro Barragan IV. All rights reserved.