LinkedIn Basics - Standout!

When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen. But so many of us do exactly that. We invest too little attention and effort into how we show up online. We assume that because we are not looking, others are not looking either. But this is a mistake, because usually they are. The first place we typically go to find out more is Google. Online search offers us access to information like never before. This is a gift, because it means that we can make use of free social networking tools to craft the messages we want others to take away about us. An online footprint is building up about you, even if you are not ‘active’ online. Leaving others to cobble together what they can find about you is risky, why not shape what people find by adding what you want them to find?

What’s more, Dorie Clark, contributor to Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur and Forbes, and author of Standout, says that in today’s competitive economy, it is not enough to simply do your job well. Developing a reputation as an expert in your field attracts people who want to hire you, do business with you and your company, and spread your ideas. It is the ultimate form of career insurance, she notes. So there is more motivation to show up well online, and to stand out.

In this blog we have curated 7 easy tips for standing out online, using the business-essential networking tool, LinkedIn.

Our 7 tips:

1. Check that you do not have duplicate profiles, many of us do! Duplicate profiles dilute your network. Make it easy for others to find you by deleting duplicate profiles.

2. Customise your LinkedIn URL so that it is clean and relevant. You can edit the URL that LinkedIn assigns you (often full of numbers and characters) so that it is shorter and branded with your name. Here is an example: http://www.linkedin.com/in/estellelotter.

To do this, on your profile page, look for and click on the "Edit your public profile" link, and then click on the "Edit URL" link on the right-hand side. This will bring up a box that lets you enter whatever you want to appear as your own URL. If your choice is already taken (your name and your surname), try something close to your original choice.

3. Add a professional, friendly profile photo. Select a picture that clearly shows your face, not too dark or light. Consider using a professional photographer and use a make-up artist if needs be. You can always arrange a group shoot to keep costs down. Profiles with no picture give the impression of incompleteness and are less likely to elicit a favourable response.

4. Customize your professional headline – it appears under your name. In place of your current job title, you might want to think about an active ‘what you do’. Here is an example:

Keynote Speaker; Harvard Business Review Contributor; Author.

5. Include a summary statement that tells others unique and human information about you, such as your aspirations, what you offer or what opportunities interest you most. Use quotes from influencers you admire if these help to convey what you cannot put into words.

6. Review your ‘skills’ section and check for any that seem to have ‘slipped’ onto your profile but are not really that relevant to what you do now or what you want to do in the future. Aim for fewer skills so that you end up being endorsed more for a core skillset.

7. Request recommendations from clients, colleagues and suppliers. You can be specific in your request. Here is an example: “Please comment specifically on my project management skills.”

Why leave online impressions to chance? Take advantage of the opportunities that the digital age offers. Apply some of these simple tips and Stand out!

Do you have any tips to add?