Complete Guide to Perfect LinkedIn Profiles

The Complete Guide to LinkedIn Profiles
Written by
September 2015
GNGRMarketing Ltd Social Company 1
Web:www.gngr.co.uk Facebook Company No: 9166539
Email:hello@gngr.co.uk Twitter
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

Table of Contents
1 Introduction
Why use LinkedIn at all?
2 Do Your Research
Keyword Research
3 Profile Image
4 Cover Image
5 Basic Details
Name
Title
Location & Industry
Contact Information
Custom URL & Profile Visibility
6 Additional Languages
7 Connections
8 Your Background
Summary
Experience
Skills & Endorsements
Courses
Education
Volunteer
9 Personalising Your Profile
10 Mobile friendly?
11 Beyond Your Profile
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

1 Introduction
Why use LinkedIn at all?
Many people still see LinkedIn as a useful tool only when looking for a new job - and of
course, it is - but it goes way beyond job hunting. Here’s some stats that really
underline the value LinkedIn can bring to you as an individual andthe company you
work for or run.
● 300 MILLION users worldwide
● Each user logs in AT LEAST once a month
● Over 200 countries represented
The majority of these users are business professionals. In other words, LinkedIn gives
you access to exactlythe type of people you will want to connect to to further your
career and the success of your business.
Furthermore, because LinkedIn is a professional social media network, there is very
little in the way of personal updates you would find on the likes of Facebook, for
example.
It’s business people, talking business, in a positive way.
LinkedIn is not a useful tool for you to use - it is vital.
Because of this, it is essential your personal profile is not only as complete as possible,
not only as professional as possible, but as well optimised as it can be to achieve your
goals.
This guide will tell you exactly how to prepare your LinkedIn profile to get the most
from the platform.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

2 Do Your Research
Keyword Research
Before you begin to edit your profile, you will find it extremely useful to create a list of
keywords relevant to you, your career and your company. These are words and phrases
you think potential connections and leads will use to search for the kind of services
you offer.
Aim to create and prioritise a list of around 10 keywords which you will add to your
LinkedIn profile to make it as findable as possible.
It will also be useful to test them out - try searching on LinkedIn using those keywords
and see who comes up - if it looks relevant, that’s a good keyword to use. If, on the other
hand, the search results are unrelated to your goals, discard it and try another.
When you have your finalised, prioritised list, you’re ready to start editing your profile.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

3 Profile Image
This may seem obvious, but it’s surprising how few people make the effort with their
profile image.
You want your image to be as recent as possible - we suggest updating it once a year -
and as professional as possible. NO photos of you drunk at a party!
Remember, every time you post, comment or act on LinkedIn your profile image will
show up. You will become associated with that image - so what impression do you
want to portray of yourself?
That doesn’t mean your profile image can’t have a bit of fun about it. LinkedIn have
themselves created a fantastic guide to creating the right profile image.
You can view it here: http://www.slideshare.net/linkedin/guide-to-workselfie
And remember this fact - profiles with an up to date, professional image can get 14
times as many views as those without.
Your image will be SQUARE and display at 200x200 (resized) - so ensure you upload a
square image to begin with.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

4 Cover Image
A cover image gives you the opportunity to say a little more about yourself than your
profile image.
It sits at the top of and behind your main profile content and can be used to enhance
your personal ‘brand’.
Again, it should be professional - no drunken party photos, remember! - but you can
have a little fun with it.
Due to the peculiarities of how LinkedIn displays this image depending on what page
you are on, we recommend not using words in your image and instead just focus on the
content. In a lot of cases much of the image is cut off by your own profile information
and other widgets.
The ideal dimensions of your image are 1400x425px and a maximum file size of 4MB.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

5 Basic Details
Name
Always use your full name, correctly capitalised, and DO NOT add nicknames or other
superfluous information - “John ‘Mad Dog’ Doe” just isn’t going to cut it on LinkedIn!
If you have any professional qualifications you CAN add these to the end of your name -
ie, John Doe PhD would be perfectly acceptable.
Remember, check your spelling too - incorrectly spelling your own name for lack of
care is going to hurt you!
Title
This is your job title and is the second most important bit of text in your LinkedIn
profile. Use it in full. Do not abbreviate. Use one of your keywords if it fits.
For example, if you’re the CEO put Chief Executive Officer, not CEO. If you have more
than one job title or role, put both separated by commas (ie, “Chief Executive Officer,
Chief Information Officer”) - but bear in mind there is a limit of 120 characters, so be
succinct without losing the impact.
Location & Industry
It is important you indicate where you are based in your profile. So when editing your
profile, make sure you are specific about your location - this will help people decide
whether or not you’re the person they want to speak to. If you have no location or the
wrong one, you’re going to miss out on potential leads.
Finally, within your profile you need to set your industry. This is selected from a
dropdown menu when editing. Choose the absolute best fit for you.
Adding your industry can lead to up to 15 times more profile
views.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

Contact Information
You should provide full contact information for people viewing your profile. The full list
is as follows. Those in bold are the bare minimum you should include in your profile:
● Email
● Telephone
● Address (Work)
● Website 1 (Company Homepage)
● Website 2
● Website 3
● Twitter
● IM (Instant Messenger - ie, Skype)
If you have other related websites feel free to add those too, though we recommend
steering away from personal blogs and the like unless they’re related to your career or
job.
Custom URL & Profile Visibility
You should, where possible, create your own custom URL for your profile and it should
be your name (or as close as you can to it based on what is available.
The final format will be: http://www.linkedin.com/in/yourname
You can edit your custom URL by going to:
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings
On the right you will be able to edit it, along with how visible your profile is and what
information you can display.
We recommend making your profile visible to everyone and ensuring ALL your profile
information is included.
6 Additional Languages
If you’re able to speak more than one language, it is a really good idea to add them to
your profile - it can open up significant new areas of business.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

To do this, view your profile as yourself and hover over the arrow to the right of the
“View Profile As” button. Choose the “Create profile in another language” option and
follow the instructions.
This should just involve choosing the appropriate language from the dropdown list,
adding your professional headline (job title) again and clicking “Create Profile”, though
you will want to edit it afterwards, as there is no automatic translation.
TIP: Each language profile can be different to your English one, so if you have
information relevant to your audience in that language only, be sure to add it to the
relevant language profile. It won’t change your original English profile.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

7 Connections
Connections are the lifeblood of LinkedIn. You should check your connections at least
once a month, ensuring you add anyone you may have spoken to or emailed in relation
to your work recently.
It is a good idea to regularly review who has requested a connection from you as well.
Continually expanding your connections will ensure you make the most of your
LinkedIn profile and will almost certainly lead to new business opportunities over time.
Hover over the Connections menu item at the top of the LinkedIn page and choose Add
Connections - you can search for people, or allow LinkedIn to scan your email contact
list. It will give you everyone you aren’t currently connected to and you can choose
which ones you’d like to connect with.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

8 Your Background
Your background consists of the following:
● Summary (up to 2,000 words)
● Experience (previous roles)
● Skills & Endorsements
● Courses
● Education
● Volunteer Work
● Additional Info
Summary
This is where your list of keywords comes into play.
Your summary should sell you and what you do. It should tell your audience how you
help people, how you provide solutions, how you can help them.
It should not be a dry summary about you and your career. It shouldn’t list your skills
and shouldn’t read like a resumé. You’re not trying to get hired, you’re trying to make
connections and generate business.
Write your summary as if you’re actually talking to the person reading, telling them
what you do, why you do it and how it’s going to help them. And include your top
priority keywords in a sensible manner.
Don’t try to force your keywords into the content, they should appear naturally as you
write within your 2,000 word limit - and do use your full word count.
At the end of your summary, by all means include a list of specific services or topics,
especially where you can include any remaining keywords that didn’t come up in your
initial summary.
At the end of your summary you have the option to include various types of media:
● Document
● Photo
● Link
● Video
● Presentation
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

If you have any of these that you were involved in and is relevant to what you’ve
written in your summary, include them. You can add up to 10, though only five are
displayed initially, so put your best ones first.
Remember: Include your keywords here, this is how you will be found on LinkedIn by
people searching for what you do.
Experience
This is where you add your previous roles, including with your current company and
previous companies. You should complete this section giving as much detail as you’re
allowed as it helps reinforce your skills and image.
Skills & Endorsements
Consider this:
Those who use Skills & Endorsements get up to 13 times more
profile views than those who don’t.
Edit this section and ensure you allow people to endorse you. Add all the skills you feel
you want people to know about.
You should also endorse other people on LinkedIn that you have dealt with for their
skills where you feel they are particularly strong. LinkedIn will suggest these for you on
a regular basis when you log in, though you can also visit a profile and do it there too.
Courses
If you have undertaken any courses related to your job then add those here. Again, it
reinforces your skills and image, as well increasing your chances of showing up in
search results.
Education
Not an essential part of your profile but every little helps! Edit this section to include
the schools, colleges and universities you attended and what courses you took,
especially if they are relevant to the work you do now.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

Volunteer
This always looks good on a profile, even if not not relevant to the role/skills/services
you’re offering (and even better if it does!). It can also provide a way of getting those
keywords into your profile - though again, don’t force them in.
If you’ve carried out volunteer work do feel free to add it.
Additional Info
Not in the least bit essential, but if you have something to add to your profile that will
addto your profile and hasn’t been covered elsewhere, this would be the place to do it.
It could include your interests (sports etc), hobbies and the like - but don’t put anything
unprofessional. Nobody wants to know you like “socialising”!
NOTE: There are other sections such as Publications, Projects, Awards and Patents. If
these fit with your particular situation, complete these areas too.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

9 Personalising Your Profile
While many of the elements of your profile are positioned by LinkedIn, you can move
around the elements in your background.
This allows you to personalise your profile a little bit more and bring the most relevant
sections nearer the top. Feel free to play around with the location of each Background
element until you’re happy they’re in the order that best presents you and what you
have to offer.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

10 Mobile friendly?
Nearly half of LinkedIn members use the platform on their smartphones so it’s worth
taking the time to view your own profile on your phone via the LinkedIn mobile site
AND app.
Does it look ok? Is all the pertinent information clearly visible? Does your profile image
render at a high enough quality?
If the answer is no to any of these questions or there are other issues you spot, go back
and edit your profile until it looks just right on mobile anddesktop.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

11 Beyond Your Profile
Now that your profile is 100% complete and as professional and visible as it can be,
there are actions you should regularly take on LinkedIn to maximise both your
visibility and the platform’s potential for driving business. These include:
● Joining relevant groups
● Following relevant companies (including customers and suppliers)
● Asking for and giving recommendations
● Publishing updates
● Sharing and commenting on others’ interesting, relevant updates
● Publishing relevant, interesting and informative posts
We recommend liking and / or sharing a post or update from those you’re connected
with at least once a week, if not more.
Finally, make sure you share, comment on and like the posts made by yourcompany!
Follow these guidelines to your own profile and your activity on LinkedIn and you
should soon be reaping the benefits of a thriving, professional social media platform.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

LinkedIn Marketing
At GNGRMarketing Ltdwe have a wealth of experience in marketing companies on
LinkedIn. If you’d like to discuss how we can help your company (or even just yourself)
gain exposure on the premier business social media platform, please get in touch.
Tel: +44 (0)7979 604364 Google+

Complete Guide to Perfect LinkedIn Profiles

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (12)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (8)

Similar to Complete Guide to Perfect LinkedIn Profiles

Similar to Complete Guide to Perfect LinkedIn Profiles (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Complete Guide to Perfect LinkedIn Profiles