I am going to be blunt here because I am more than a little perturbed. There is a lot of misinformation out there about LinkedIn profiles. I know because I have asked a few hundred people about it…and boy, I got some insight and a few expletives!
And, this is the part that makes me mad…when I surveyed those hundreds of people about their profiles on LinkedIn, I kept hearing a few common responses:
“Guru X or Influencer Y said I only need a background photo, headline, and a sales letter in my About summary…"
Of course, they didn’t really say “Guru X” or “Influencer Y”. They gave me an actual name, but I went ahead and changed the name to protect the guilty.
If you have studied marketing and publishing at all, you probably know what I mean when I say “Guru”. These folks do their best to create this impression that you need to have the bare minimum to attract, pre-qualify and close those that view your profile.
They would have you believe that they are like some modern-day sorcerer that can turn lead into gold.
Well, here’s the thing – they are sorta half-right.
Because once you learn how to write a great profile, then you literally can sit down, write some words out, and then watch those words turn into big-time cash.
Ok, not really, but it’s the foundation of a great marketing and branding campaign.
OK, first things first – there is a LOT of money to be made on LinkedIn.
A great profile has the power to completely transform a business. If a business is just starting out, it can put that business on the map. If a business is slowly dying on the vine, a great profile can be the start to turning that business around.
Are competitors giving you problems? Well, you know the answer – you are just one profile makeover away from leaving your competitors in your dust.
Case Study: My good friend and colleague Bob Lovely (now passed) had an executive career coaching business — something that could easily be viewed as a commodity. When you are selling a commodity, consumers tend to “price shop,” looking for the lowest price they can find. Bob repositioned his profile and started publishing consistently since June 2014, something his competitors didn’t do. Suddenly he became a “category of one”, which made it impossible for his coaching prospects to “price shop”, therefore making price irrelevant to his ideal client.
Outcome: He consistently made six figures a year organically only using LinkedIn, articles, and Gmail.
How did he do it? He knew his ideal client inside and out.
Take a moment to think through exactly who it is you want to target. Who is your ideal customer or client? If you answered “everybody”, “any business owner”, or “every U.S.-based sales executive”, that’s NOT the right answer.
Get the picture?! If all you can come up with is the above, take a closer look at your clients right now. Think about the types of people you really like working with and who are your best clients from a financial perspective. Now it’s time to build a real prospect profile.
Here are a few questions you should answer:
Your headline is the single most important piece of your profile. 99% of your activities on LinkedIn are tied to your profile. What they see first is your photo and headline.
If you blow it here, then the rest of your profile can be pure gold, and IT WON’T MATTER.
Because if your headline doesn’t work, then no one will be compelled to read on or, worse yet, even view your profile.
Headline Examples:
Does any of this sound like you? Your ‘About’ section sings like a Toby Keith song, "I Wanna Talk About Me," or worse yet, it's in 3rd person?
C’mon folks, this isn’t 2009!
Your ‘About’ section is the ideal location to share your story in FIRST PERSON, what you do, who you do it for, and the outcome or results you get for your clients/customers.
Ultimately your prospects want to know what's in it for them when working with you over your competition, so focus on the clients you serve.
TIP: It is important, but optional, to share your most important value proposition, HOOK or call to action in the first three lines before the prospect clicks on 'see more.' Make it exciting or irresistible! It will compel them to read the rest of your copy.
Great 'ABOUT' sections:
This is one that even some of the “experts” miss… your readers will take different paths through your profile.
In fact, they will have an almost infinite number of paths through your copy. But there are TWO PATHS that your copy ABSOLUTELY must be written for…
The Linear Path and The Skimmers Path
Some of your prospects will read the entire profile straight through from top to bottom. This is the easy one that most people write for.
However, many entrepreneurs (even some of the gurus) completely forget about the Skimmers… and depending on your market and your message, the Skimmers might represent the MAJORITY of your readers.
You NEED to write for both the Linear readers and the Skimmers. If you don’t, you will kill your opportunities.
If you can hook both types of readers (and maybe even CONVERT those Skimmers to Linear readers)… then you really have a winner.
Here is the formula for a great profile beyond the 'Headline' and 'About' Summary:
This is something that so many people mess up… well, it just has to be on my list of steps.
The big problem for most people is that they optimize their profile, and that’s it; they don’t do anything; they just reposition it and HOPE for the best.
This is a big-time mistake.
First, there is a reason for a CTA in many of the profile sections…. and it’s not a “build it, and they will come strategy.” I call that HOPE MARKETING.
You build value, expertise, and solutions in your profile, and after that… you need to cross-promote it and get active.
Of course, there is much more to this subject than I can go into in this article, but take it from me… you need to have a plan for how you will promote yourself, and you need to have a structure for how you do this.
(This is where Dux-Soup can help - get started with their FREE 14-day trial, which includes ALL the features, and you can be nurturing your prospects in no time).
Again, this is NOT rocket science, and you cannot guarantee LinkedIn will organically promote you… but you can’t ignore it either.
Here are some suggestions:
Obviously, this article is more an “expose” than an end-to-end guide. My goal was to open your eyes and clear up many misconceptions about LinkedIn Profiles.
That’s it for now… now it’s time for you to get to work on a profile that sells!
Need some help? Grab my free Ultimate 30-Point LinkedIn Profile Checklist Here!
Oh, before I go…
BONUS: Possible New Profile Features (Premium Members Only)
Last month I was honored to be on an opinion panel for potential new profile features. Let’s just say that some of these will be a GAME CHANGER for many, especially for entrepreneurs and those working in the gig economy.
Here’s a taste:
Tracy Enos is one of the world’s top LinkedIn Experts and a single Mom of 4. She has helped 1000’s of clients all over the globe generate millions of dollars in business, without spending a cent on paid advertising.
Follow and Connect with Tracy on LinkedIn.
Handle your entire sales pipeline, track your performances, and in the end, close more deals.
