Five Crucial Mistakes to Avoid on Your LinkedIn Profile

Did you know that as a job hunter, your LinkedIn Profile is more important asset than your resume or cover letter?

Did you know that you must have highly optimized Profile to turn it into a recruiter or client magnet and make a great first impression to recruiters or potential clients?

Yet, most Profiles are not highly optimized and lack magnetism.

Your LinkedIn Profile is your online real estate. Everybody gets an online piece of land on LinkedIn and an equal opportunity to build a mansion on it. Yet, most LinkedIn Profiles are not like online mansions.

Most professionals build just a shack. Or as Jarrod Best-Mitchell commented on one of my posts: “Not even a house, they just put a chain link fence.”

Your Profile should make a great first impression and it should attract potential clients. 

To help you avoid creating just an online shack, in this edition, I’ll present five crucial mistakes that you must avoid on your LinkedIn Profile.

And I will help you build a mansion on your online real estate.

Let’s start leveraging LinkedIn!

Five deadly sins to avoid on your LinkedIn Profile

1. No headshot or inappropriate headshot

Your headshot is part of the first impression you make. Quite a few professionals have a too relaxed or other ways inappropriate headshot. If you don’t have a picture, it makes a hazy first impression about you. Accordingly, use a professional and positive close-up photo of you. The background should be quite neutral. Your photo can be taken outside – especially if you are an outdoor person.

Embed a 30-second video pitch within your photo. 

2. Vague or insufficient Headline

A great number of professionals have just their title and company in the Headline. That’s it.

But it’s not enough.

Headline is the most important section of your LinkedIn Profile. It is the first message that you give to your potential client who lands on your Profile.

Include your expertise, your service promise and your best competencies on your Headline.

3. No Summary or insufficient Summary (About section)

Many professionals don’t have the Summary section or it has only a few lines or paragraphs.

Yet, this section is a crucial section of your Profile to brand yourself; it is your pitch. It should convince your potential client to contact you.

Here is a proven formula (if you are a solopreneur/coach/consultant) how to start your About section:

1.      Your mission (related to your service promise)

2.      Your service promise (primary value) to your clients ”I help you in X” (make sure it is in alignment with your Headline)

3.      You in a nutshell (your background and work experience).

4. Not customized backdrop image

Most professionals have not customize their backdrop (background) image at the top of your Profile.

As your headshot, your backdrop image is part of the first impression that you make. It is a great opportunity to highlight your personality, expertise and service promise. You can also have a call to action on it. For reference, check my background image below.

5. Not highlighting your best achievement on Featured section

Surprisingly many solopreneurs and professionals have not utilized this section. The Featured section is a crucial section to brand yourself.

Add your video pitch, link to your blog/podcast/YouTube channel here to highlight your services, work samples or achievements. Regularly update the materials and links no this section.

Outcome of not perfecting your Profile:

recruiters and your potential clients won’t find you on LinkedIn and

they don’t want to contact you!

Outcome of perfecting your Profile:

recruiters and your potential clients will find you on LinkedIn and

want to contact you!

I want to hear from you… Please comment below now!

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Let’s make you the next LinkedIn champion: your success is my mission!

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