Here are 10 of the most common mistakes when maintaining a profile on LinkedIn that you can avoid, resulting in more engagement with your profile from potential employers, business and sales customers! If you don't know how to complete your personal profile, I refer you to here.
1. no profile picture
Even if you have a profile picture uploaded, if the settings are not optimized, it will not be visible to people who are not connected to you. Check your visibility settings to make sure your photo is visible to all LinkedIn users.
2. your profile picture doesn't look like you
Make sure your photo clearly depicts you and is up to date. If you have met any of your contacts face to face, they should be able to recognize you.
3. no background photo
Your background photo is a huge visual message - take advantage of it! You can put a lot on your background photo. You can use it to tell a story, give people key information like phone number, email, or just use it as a conversation starter.
4. incomplete headline
Your headline on LinkedIn follows you everywhere on LinkedIn and is the first thing people read about you. Make sure that what it says clearly tells people what you do. You want to entice them to click on it so they 'see more' about you.
5. the "About Me" section is just an outline
You have 2000 characters to really impress your reader - so use them!
Divide your "About Me" section into sections so you can clearly tell people what you do, how you do it, and why they should hire you to do it!
6. incomplete section on education
Your school's alumni can be your best friends on LinkedIn - they can really help you grow your network. If you don't list where you went to school and/or college, you could lose a large network of potential customers.
7. missing skills
LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to list 50 skills - yes 50! These are seen as keywords, making it easier to appear in searches. You also position yourself as an authority in the listed field, so it's worth taking the time to update your skills section.
8. no recommendations
Recommendations on LinkedIn are like x100 testimonials! They are highlighted in such a way that they cannot be faked or made up. Don't forget to ask clients and colleagues for recommendations after your collaboration, as they are social proof to potential clients that you are good at what you do.
9. not personalizing the URL
Did you know that you can personalize your URL on LinkedIn? You can simplify your LinkedIn URL by taking off the "prison numbers" and putting just your name there.
10. the "About Me" section is written in the third person
LinkedIn is about building connections. People know that your profile is written by you, so there is no benefit to writing it in the 3rd person. It will make you seem aloof and "cold." Who wants to do business with someone who emits such vibes? Write from the heart, let people get to know "you" a little.
Have you made any of these mistakes in your LinkedIn profile? Why don't you stop by and take a look?
