Deleting my LinkedIn account!
Someone recently said to me “I’m deleting my LinkedIn account”, when I asked why they said, “because I think it’s a waste of time”. This is what people generally say who aren’t active on LinkedIn. If you haven’t updated your personal profile in a very long time and don’t want to leverage LinkedIn to help grow your business then yes, delete your account – go straight to your settings and click “close account”.
So, lets’ turn this question on its head. Think, “what’s in it for me – how can I use
LinkedIn in a proactive way?”
Here’s my top tips for starters:
- Upload a professional-looking profile picture
- Add a background image (normally in relation to your company’s
brand)
- Make your professional headline more than just a job title –
think of your 30-second elevator pitch!
- Turn your summary into your story – who, why, where, when and
goals for the future
- Grow your network – connect with people you know and those you
meet out networking
Here’s my top tips that you may not know:
- Edit your public profile URL – if it’s currently your name and a
long set of numbers then you can change this which also makes it easier for
people to find you. I use my URL on my
business cards, email footers and any other marketing material.
- Showcase your expertise by attaching copies of any certificates
to your profile, we should shout about our expertise, it might be the difference
between winning that new contract or winning your new job!
- Ask for recommendations (testimonials) from people you have
worked with, such as clients, contractors and members of your team – ask others
to tell the world how good you are at your job!
- Writing articles to Publisher is a great way to improve your
thought leadership position, establishing yourself as the expert in your field,
which and will increase your credibility and visibility. As with any content marketing plan, consistently
write a new article, say, one per month (to start with). However, if something in your industry suddenly
became a hot topic of conversation, writing an article will help you position
yourself in that topic.
- Use LinkedIn to generate leads through LinkedIn Lead Generation forms. Companies looking to advertise on LinkedIn can
collect quality leads using forms
that are pre-filled with LinkedIn profile data
and when a member clicks on the call-to-action button on a LinkedIn ad with an attached Lead Gen Form, the
form is automatically filled with their contact and profile information. For more information click here
- Use LinkedIn Search to search as part of your lead generation strategy. Look for those who are in your target audience. For example, if I wanted to run a search for an
ideal client, the search would look a little like: “Facilities Manager” > “Education”
> “Manchester”, you can specify these search terms in the fields provided. Remember to always tailor your reason as to
why you want to connect. Download one of
my free fact sheets here.
Summary
Still want to
consider deleting your account? Think again! There’s so much to LinkedIn and I hope this
blog has been useful, given you a great insight and opportunity to consider some
of the less obvious features of LinkedIn, which when understood can take your
efforts to a whole different level, including the search capability, which is a
free resource within LinkedIn.
Should you need any further assistance please don’t
hesitate to get in touch, whether that’s
for a bespoke LinkedIn workshop or ongoing, outsourced social media marketing
support, to help ensure that your brand stays on top in 2019.
By Ann Davies, Director