We know you’ve probably heard this about a thousand times, but we can’t emphasize enough how important it is for any professional or business to have a strong social media presence when trying to attract new clients.
Let me tell you a personal anecdote. I used to live away from home and there were a couple of instances in which I couldn’t simply go to Walgreens or CVS to buy some over-the-counter meds. So, I asked ‘Frau Google’ about doctors in the area in order to decide which was the best option for me. I wasn’t just looking for reviews, I was interested in seeing the experience some doctors had. Granted, I didn’t find many LinkedIn profiles stating a doctor’s experience, but it sure would’ve made it easier to decide.
The moral of the story? As a business or professional of any given line of work, you should invest time in building a strong LinkedIn profile in order to attract potential clients.
Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered on how to go about not only creating a profile, but having an “All-Star” one.
Inspired by Law Firm Suites’ ebook, A Lawyer’s Guide to Effective LinkedIn Marketing (not just for lawyers btw), we give you some tips on how to set up a strong profile that will help you in closing the deal with prospective clients.
1. Optimize your profile
- Write a hooking headline; be specific and use popular keywords used in your industry. You can use symbols such as vertical bars to give your headline a cleaner look.
- Use a professional headshot. Avoid using group photos or photos with a ‘noisy’ background; your LinkedIn photo should have a solid or business like background and portray your professional image.
- Personalize your profile URL. Instead of having numbers and symbols on your URL, you can personalize it to something like: www.linkedin.com/in/yournameandlastname.
- Include a summary. Don’t be afraid to show some of your personality in your summary; include your professional experience, how you’ve grown, and where you’d like to be or what you’d like to be doing in the future.
- Your experience section: make is thorough but scannable. Think of bullet points, but don’t just list your duties; think about goals achieved, results, and skills you used or acquired. Don’t forget to include numbers!
- Publications, certifications, and awards. Hey, if you’ve worked hard and earned a recognition, no harm in braggin about it. Don’t be shy. Remember to link to publications and explain some about the awards you’ve won and why you won them.
- Skills, endorsements, and recommendations. Include skills and ask for endorsements, it’s a common practise on LinkedIn; send an InMail and say you’ll return the favor. If you have a happy client, they’ll be glad to do it.
2. Be active on updates and join and participate in groups
- Share updates and news with your connections. If you find interesting articles, if you’re adding new services, if you have a new skill, share an update. Also, make sure you engage with your connections, comment or like their updates, congratulate them on good news, etc.
- As with any other social media, LinkedIn is also social. Joining groups related to your industry and line of work is a great way to connect with fellow professionals, find advice, get answers to questions, and even get some referrals.
- Again, think social; you should participate and add value to the groups you join. Not only will this help you establish new connections, but it can also help position you as a thought-leader in your industry.
3. Grow your network
- Think quality beats quantity; don’t just add anyone. Add those who you’ve worked with and those that could be potential clients, could lead to referrals, or could be a partner or someone to collaborate with.
- If you’re sending an invitation to someone, personalize the invitation message instead of using LinkedIn’s automated one. But, don’t use a message that sounds like a sales pitch as it’ll likely lead to a rejected invitation.
Set out an hour or two a couple of days and you’ll have a strong, professional looking LinkedIn profile that’ll help you close the next business opportunity in no time.
