2. 2
Purpose
This paper is an opportunity for you to develop a deeper understanding of LinkedIn and its
role in protecting and projecting your personal brand.
You’ll learn about how your user profiles has changed, and what actions you can take to
get your profile up to an A-grade standard.
Remember… How you use LinkedIn is for you to decide.
Your options range from:
• Remaining a passive user – using it occasionally to research a company or fellow
executive;
• Be semi-active – supporting the efforts of others within your network or the company
that employs you – you become an amplification agent; or
• Using LinkedIn as an expert so as to actively publish content, establish yourself as a
thought leader or domain expert (i.e. if you’re a network security expert – how you
might use LinkedIn to communicate domain expertise), and build your professional
brand.
The following pages provide:
1. A summary of the key sections of a user profile
2. FAQ’s
3. Cheat sheet on creating a blog post
3. 3
LinkedIn Profile – The Basics
LinkedIn profiles provide users with many options as to how they represent themselves.
Your profile comprises the following key sections:
1. Header – this section includes the profile photo, banner image, profile statement,
current and previous roles, education, and contact information
a. This is what a visitor to your profile will see first
2. Optional Sections – this is an optional and moveable section allowing you to include
a variety of modules that demonstrate expertise such as multi-lingual capabilities,
volunteering experience, patents, certifications, publications, and project
experience.
3. Posts – this section highlights any recent posts published by the user – posts are
long form blog posts, not status updates, likes, or comments
4. Profile Summary – this is the most search keyword sensitive part of your profile.
5. Skills and Endorsements – This section confuses many users including me!
6. Experience – this is a moveable section that allows you to list out key milestones in
your work history.
7. Education – this is an optional section that allows users to nominate high school,
university, and post-graduate schools attended.
8. Footer Sections – this part of the profile includes optional modules such as:
a. Additional Information
b. Organisations
c. Recommendations
d. Group membership
e. Companies you follow
9. Other Sections – there are even further sections such as LinkedIn SlideShare which
can be added to profiles.
4. 4
Your LinkedIn Profile – How It Is Analysed
Your profile has been analysed against 14 metrics and you have been given a score.
The purpose of analysing your profile is to provide feedback and action items so that a
profile can be improved and optimised.
As was noted earlier, how you use LinkedIn is your decision – just make sure your profile is
complete and optimised. You may find this engagement model useful:
Stage 1 – Basic Profile: Your profile addresses most of the 14 criteria detailed below;
you may not be publishing content or particularly active, but your profile is complete
AND a professional representation of you
Stage 2 – Active Profile: Building on stage 1 your profile addresses all 14 criteria and
you are actively engaging with the LinkedIn community
Stage 3 – Expert Profile: Building on stage 2 you now have a defined publishing and
engagement calendar, you are seeking to establish yourself as a digital leader, you are
actively building your network, and have clear, coordinated marketing activities on
LinkedIn
The Metrics:
1. Profile Photo
Expectation: A relevant, professional headshot of the user – just you, no animals, no
colleagues, not 100 feet away from the camera, preferably nothing like a wine glass or silly
hat or a wedding photo.
2. Profile banner image
What? This is an image that sits behind the header section of your profile. It gives you the
opportunity to add a high quality, visually appealing image to your profile
Expectation: A visual image that sits at the top of a profile – its relevant and high quality.
3. Profile statement
Expectation: A clear, simple value proposition – don’t think of this as “this is my role” think
of it as an opportunity to tell someone visiting your profile how and why you will help them.
Common Mistake: Most users don’t edit the default text that is based on your current role.
Further Comment: This is often a significant oversight as a profile statement is one of the
first visual (and keyword sensitive) clues when someone searches on a name in LinkedIn
5. 5
4. Profile Summary
Expectation: This is the most search keyword sensitive part of your profile. Ideally it should
be 200-250 words that are aligned to both your role and relevant search terms.
Further Comment: Should the profile summary be written in first-person or third-person?
It’s really down to your preference, just be consistent. Also, drop the corporate speak…
Keep in mind: What you think are relevant keywords WILL be different to what your buyers
search on or are looking for.
5. Profile Summary Multi-Media
Expectation: Use multi-media such as YouTube clips, images, SlideShare presentations etc
within the profile summary
Common Mistake: Most users don’t realise they can add a variety of multi-media to their
profile summary. Multi-media such as YouTube clips, SlideShare presentations, or even
images add a visual layer to a text-based interface.
6. Web Links
Expectations: Within the contact info tab is the option to include up to 3 web links. Many
LinkedIn users fail to realise this and often simply list a homepage link
Further Comment: There is a separate field for Twitter accounts – don’t use one of the three
as a Twitter link. Also use the ‘Other’ option for the type of link. This allows you to customise
the display text – i.e. My Creative Portfolio is better than Company Website.
7. Specialities and Skills
Reality: This is being improved but has been an annoying feature. For our tech team, focus
on getting endorsed for specific tech skills.
Expectations: Anything listed should be aligned to the users role and experience
8. Company Listed Correctly
Expectations: The user has correctly linked their current role to their employer’s LinkedIn
company page
If in doubt: Remove what’s there and click on add role. When you start typing the company
name you’ll be prompted to select your employer.
9. Company Statement
Expectations: Like the profile statement users can customise the text that appears under
their employment listing – both the role AND the text under the company name.
Common Mistake: Most LinkedIn users don't know this. Use this space to again deliver a
value proposition or sales message.
10. Company Multi Media
6. 6
Expectations: Like your profile summary, you can now include multi-media content such as
YouTube clips, images, SlideShare presentations etc within the company listing of your
work history.
What You Should Do: Break up the monotonous text with rich-media content. Please!
11. Activity
What Does Activity Mean? Refers to publishing updates, long-form blog posts, and activity
within group discussions.
Expectation: Go back and re-read page 2 – find where you are comfortable and execute
12. Membership of Groups
Expectations: The user is a member of Groups – at least 4-5
Reality: Groups are hard work given the prevalence of spam and noise – persevere, find at
least a half dozen well run and relevant groups and then get involved
13. Other Social Media Footprint
Expectations: Have obvious links to other social media channels that the user is actively
using
14. Other Profile Sections
What’s Available: LinkedIn provides a wide range of additional profile modules that a user
can add and use as required. These modules include:
• Publications
• Additional Languages
• Patents
• Awards
• Philanthropy
• Projects
7. 7
FAQ’s
1. What connection requests should I accept?
Whilst this is really down to personal choice a good rule to follow is you should know the
person or know of the person before accepting a request to connect. There is a
phenomenon on LinkedIn called “LION” – LinkedIn Open Networker – in reality LION’s are
connection whore’s and will quickly spam you relentlessly…Be careful
2. What’s an ideal profile summary length?
5-7 paragraphs, 200-250 words is a good length
3. Profile summary – written in 1st
person or 3rd
person?
It’s really down to your personal preference – just be consistent
4. Profile visibility?
As a general rule your profile photo, current role, and summary should be visible to users
outside your network. You can customise what information is displayed to users as they get
closer to you (i.e. 3rd
and 2nd
degree connections)
5. Endorsing others?
Use sparingly. Always read the prompt text carefully so you don’t blanket endorse multiple
people for multiple skills.
6. Giving recommendations?
Don’t write generic recommendations – if you are asked to give someone a
recommendation focus on a specific skill, project, or role where you know they excelled.
7. Paid or free account?
There are three primary benefits of paid accounts:
1. Deeper search – a paid account allows you to search deeper into the LinkedIn
database – beyond your 3rd
degree network
2. InMail – allows you to contact a user via their primary email account even though
you mightn’t have their contact details
3. Save to Contacts – this little used feature allows you to save a user to your contact
list and apply tags and other information – it’s not a connection request; it’s like a
pre-connection shortlist
LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator account is also a useful tool for finding and managing top of
funnel sales leads.
8. Sending a connection request?
Always personalise the request, make it relevant and meaningful
8. 8
Cheat Sheet – Publish a Post
Publish a Post give most LinkedIn users the opportunity to publish long form content to a
global audience.
1. Preparation
Publishing a long form post is not something you do on a whim. The questions you need
to answer include:
• Who do I want to engage in a conversation?
• Do I have something meaningful to say and/or contribute?
• What is my call to action – my challenge?
2. Document and/or Brain Dump Content
Write out your post – brain dump content and then start to rework the ideas into a flow that
is digestible.
It doesn't need to be war and peace – it could be as simple as sharing a link to an article
with your opinion of the content or your perspective.
3. Is it relevant to my network, or me?
If no, stop now
4. Is it a generic inspirational quote from a celebrity/leader like Branson or Musk
If yes, stop now
5. Draft #1 – Write Your Headline and First Paragraph
Now apply the 15-second rule – does your headline and first 3-4 lines make YOU want to
read on? Re-work this until you believe you in what you are publishing
6. Post Basics
1. Post banner image – this is a visual that will sit above your profile name and
thumbnail and above the post title. A strong visual image will encourage readers to
your post.
2. Title – see point #5
3. Post – you can copy/paste from Word or your favourite collaboration tool directly
into the editor. Add links to other web content; include images or multi-media if
appropriate.
4. Use tags – this increases the reach of your post
7. Comments
If a LinkedIn user leaves a comment on your post – acknowledge it or respond to it.
