LinkedIn is arguably the most popular social network for businesses, perhaps mostly because of it’s networking and lead generation abilities. It’s also a firm favourite with job hunters because of it’s fantastic job search feature. But with over 433 million users, how can you stand out from the crowd? We’ve listed 5 quick-fire tips to help you get ahead with your profile.

Decide on your goal
Like any task, you need to decide what your goal is from the outset so each action you take is in line with this end goal. For example, if you are actively looking for a job and are using LinkedIn to boost your chances of getting found by or want to impress recruiters you might include keywords in your bio which are relevant to your target job role. If your goal with LinkedIn is lead generation, you might optimise your profile based on the products or services you are offering.

Set a custom URL
This is a no-brainer really. It’s like the difference between having an email address for your plumbing business ending ‘@gmail.com’ or ‘@hotmail.co.uk’ rather than @’joesplumbing.com’ for example. The latter just looks way more professional and trustworthy. LinkedIn changes it’s interface from time to time, but this setting can usually be found in the ‘edit profile’ settings area.

Use a professional photo
If you’re going to be aiming to generate leads or be found by recruiters, your profile needs to look professional, trustworthy and needs to stand out. It’s important to have readable, relevant content within your bio, but having a good quality profile picture shouldn’t be overlooked. A good rule of thumb with LinkedIn profile photos are to aim for similar dimensions to a passport picture. Ensure you are smiling, that your head takes up 60-70% of the frame, and that the image is good quality.

Watch your content
Remember, LinkedIn isn’t the same as other social networks such as Facebook or Twitter. It’s a professional network, so talking about your breakfast or posting a selfie with your dog probably isn’t going to be as well received. Concentrate on posting relevant content that offers advice, inspires or entertains – but save the cat pictures for Instagram 😉

Ask for recommendations
Recommendations work differently from endorsements. A recommendation is like a testimonial from a person that you have worked with, and they really do look good on your profile. Testimonials boost trust in your or your business and they are extremely important for reinforcing all those shining claims in your bio!

Phew! That wasn’t hard was it? Now you’re all set for generating those leads or getting that dream job with a stunning, optimised LinkedIn profile.

P.S. If you’d like a stunning website to go with that LinkedIn profile, get in touch!