Whether you desire a new job, a pay increase, or a competitive edge in the marketplace, you need a killer online presence, proof of your expertise, and a personal brand that reflects you as an industry insider with a marketable skill set. But, taking these concepts and turning them into something real and usable can seem daunting, leaving countless individuals floating away in a “where do I even begin” standstill.
You can make it happen, however, in the time it takes you to have your morning cup of joe. I’ll be here on Sundays, with practical, easy and actionable tips–that you can complete within 30 minutes–to create an online you that reflects your passion and allows you to command your future.
So, let’s dive in and take a look at one of the most fundamental components of the online you–your LinkedIn profile.
When the person you want to impress Googles your name, your LinkedIn profile will be their most convenient reference tool. And human nature dictates that they’ll attach a higher (or lower) value to your perceived skill set based on what they see. If you only have 30 minutes to spend on your online self, this is definitely the place to use them.
Getting linked
1) Consider this: the average employer looks at a resume for only 45 seconds. In the online world, you can cut that in half. Grab a sheet of paper and set your timer for 23 seconds. Open up your profile and press start. When the timer goes off, write down 3 pieces of information that were left top of mind. Does the information there reflect how you want people to perceive you? Change, update or re-word those 3 items to better describe you and your expertise. (4 minutes)
2) Do you have a sizable, relevant, targeted network? One of the easiest ways to add high quality, relevant connections is to join groups. Join 10 LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your industry or area of expertise. Once you’re a member, you can freely invite other members within the group. (5 minutes)
3) Studies show that more people make decisions based on peer recommendations today than any other form of advertising. Here are two easy ways to get a recommendation: a) Give one to someone else first. b.) Send a recommendation request with an ultra-specific message, such as: “Would you be willing to write a 2-sentence endorsement about the additional hours I devoted to the Pensky project? I will gladly return the favor.” The more thumb’s up recommendation icons you have, the better. (9 minutes)
4) Search LinkedIn Q&A for open questions in your area of expertise. Answer 2 now. Even if you answer only 2 per week, you’re presenting yourself as an authority and significantly increasing your chances of being tagged an “expert.” (9 minutes)
5) Every click of your email “send” button is an opportunity to advertise yourself. Adding your profile link to your email signature is the perfect way to direct recipients to the information you want them to see. (3 minutes)
Okay—time’s up. Look at how much you accomplished in just 30 minutes! See you here next week–
Author:
Wendy Brache is the co-creator of Sales Force Branding and founder of Kismet Group Web Marketing, now a division of Access Marketing Company. Wendy is a senior consultant specializing in B2B Corporate Social Media, and is a featured marketing technology speaker and columnist on renowned websites, such as Maria Shriver’s Women’s Conference, Chopra’s Intent.com and Denver’s GreatIdeasForKids.com.
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Great blog post, I do have one question regarding “Join 10 LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your industry or area of expertise.”
I joined 3 groups in niche and 2 of them have more than 10,000 members in it. One problem I am facing is too many people taking there at once and I feel that half of the members are “self promoting” their own blog post. It sometimes turn me off to log into these groups.
Any helps or tips?
Hi Aaron,
Sorry for the delayed reply. You bring up a very good question. With large groups, the massive amount of noise and thinly-veiled attempts at self-promotion will drive you nuts..
Here are two ideas:
1) LinkedIn recently implemented some new group navigation tools. You can click on the “Discussions” tab and see all discussions in one place, making it easier to peruse and jump in where you you want. You can also flip through only the latest posts in order to see what’s fresh and to which conversations you wish to join. Lastly, you can use the “All Discussions” search box to find topics that are only of interest to you. For larger groups, I usually have weekly digests sent to my inbox so I can shuffle through during down-time moments, like while I’m waiting for other people to join a conference call.
2) Go from “relevant to your industry” to niche–and then to micro-niche. So–instead of searching for a “Tropical Fish” group, search for the more narrow “Tropical Fish Store Owners”…and then the even more narrow “Tropical Fish Store Owners in Baylor County”.
Belonging to some large groups will benefit you in terms of opening doors to invite hundreds/thousands of people into your network. Belonging to micro-niche groups will give you a more relevant experience and help you build a great quality network. Both are beneficial.
Hope this helps!
Wendy
Some good advice here Wendy. Especially interesting about the impact of LinkedIn. Thanks
If truly it is the LinkedIn profile that pop up in search of a personal Brand remuse, some of us would have lost great opportunity. I do not update that profile for ages but concentrate on other online profile. thanks
Hi Yinka,
An optimized, complete LinkedIn profile will almost always pop up in the first 5 results when someone searches on your name–definitely a great result to take advantage of and the perfect way to direct searchers to the information you want them to see.
Good luck!
Wendy
great blog, and some nice points I did not think of.
Thanks for the tips and clear cut strategies.
I am looking forward to your Sunday posts.
Great advice Wendy! I guess I underestimate the importance of LInkedIn. I’ve put it in a category with all of the other social networks.
[...] In “A Cup of Coffee to Your Personal Brand”(6/27) we discussed joining 10 LinkedIn groups. If you haven’t already, join 3 groups right now [...]
[...] In “A Cup of Coffee to Your Personal Brand”(6/27) we discussed joining 10 LinkedIn groups. If you haven’t already, join 3 groups right now [...]