This document outlines the importance of LinkedIn for professional branding, emphasizing the creation of a compelling profile that highlights one's value, qualifications, and networking abilities. It covers essential elements of a LinkedIn profile, including headlines, photos, summaries, experience, skills, endorsements, and recommendations, while also providing etiquette guidelines for interactions on the platform. Finally, it offers next steps and resources for optimizing LinkedIn usage.

1. Getting Started on LinkedIn
Dr. Don Roy
Professor of Marketing
September 26, 2017

2. What We’ll Cover
1. Why LinkedIn is important to your
professional brand
2. Building out the most important marketing
asset: Your profile
3. General LinkedIn etiquette

3. LinkedIn: More than
“Facebook for Business”
• More than 500 million users
• More than 250 million monthly active users
• 40% of users log in to LinkedIn daily
• 1 out every 20 profiles belongs to someone in
a recruiting role in their organization
• Removes geographical barriers to networking

4. Social Networks Timeline
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20122002 2009 2010 2011

5. What Do People Do on LinkedIn?
• Learn
• Create
• Search for jobs (or search for employees)
• Sell
• Network

6. Networking?
• What does the
term “networking”
mean to you?
Networking = Building Better Relationships

7. Your Self-Marketing Brochure
• Profile section is
where you “sell” you
(value, qualifications,
experience, interests)
Profile: Part résumé, part biography, all you!

8. Anatomy of a LinkedIn Profile
• Headline
• Photo
• Summary
• Experience
• Honors and Awards
• Skills
• Endorsements
• Recommendations

9. Headline
• 120 characters maximum
• Writing an effective headline:
Avoid “fluff” words (“guru” or “expert”)
Don’t be boring (Avoid “Student” or simple job
title)
Don’t sound desperate (even if you are!)
• 10 headline examples that break the mold

10. Photo
• Minimum size = 200 x 200 pixels
• Maximum size = 500 x 500 pixels
• Dress in attire appropriate for your industry
• Use a professional-looking headshot
• Use a photo of you… and only you

11. Profile Photo Worst Practices
Source: Scritto da Giorgio Minguzzi (2015, March 5), “The 10 Worst LinkedIn Profile Pictures Ever,”
Retrieved from http://www.merita.biz/10-worst-linkedin-profile-pictures-ever/.

12. The Least Interesting Man (or Woman)
in the World
• Users are 11 times
more likely to view a
profile that includes a
photo.
Source: Craig Smith (2015, January 16), “By the Numbers: 100+ Amazing
LinkedIn Statistics,” Retrieved from
http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/by-the-numbers-a-few-
important-linkedin-stats/.

13. Summary
• 2,000 characters
maximum
• Your
autobiography-
Communicate the
value you have to
offer
• 3 Questions to Ask:
 What do I want to
communicate (to what
audience, what should they
learn about me, how should
they feel)
 What content will tell story
of my values,
accomplishments?
 What multimedia content
could enhance visual quality
(video, photos, documents)

14. Experience
• Tell your story using the PARS method:
P – What is a problem you addressed?
A – What actions did you take to solve problem?
R – What were the results?
S – What skills did you develop or strengthen to solve
problem?
• Include relevant work and volunteer experience in
your list

15. Skills
• You can list up to 50, but start with a “top 10
list”
• List should match your capabilities (greatest
strength listed first)
• Employers review Skills list to screen
prospective candidates for match
• Can be validated by others via endorsement

16. Endorsements
• Acknowledgement of your skills by others
• “Give” to increase chances that you will “get”
• Not obligated to keep endorsements received
on profile
• Viewed skeptically by many because of low
effort level required to endorse

17. Recommendations
• “Permanent” references provided by others
• Quality more important than quantity
• Only ask connections who know you well to
write recommendation on your behalf
• Give to get

18. LinkedIn Etiquette
1. Do not send a connection request without
tailoring the request
2. Do not connect with people you do not know
3. Do not request a recommendation without
tailoring the request
4. Sharing, liking, and commenting on others’
content are ways to build influence

19. The Next Steps
• How to Customize Your LinkedIn Public Profile
URL
• 12 Resources to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile
• How to Write a LinkedIn Summary
• 7 Tips for Writing a Great LinkedIn Invitation
• Requesting an Introduction

20. Questions?
• Email (Don.Roy@mtsu.edu)
• Phone (615-904-8564)
• LinkedIn
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/donroy)
• Slide Share (Search “Don Roy”)