I write this with two hats on. Journalist and EA. As a journalist you learn to work under pressure, around many distractions and to tight deadlines. All also very great tools to have in your kit as an Executive Assistant to a very, very busy CEO. And there is another essential common craft both roles share – research skills. People research! Enter LinkedIn. Where else are you going to find such massive sample groups of professionals that want to share their information? As such, it is no surprise the professional social platform now holds claim to more than 575 million registered members. But how many of them have had tailored LinkedIn training?
Now get this – 40% of monthly LinkedIn users access it on a daily basis!
But – here is the crucial part – LinkedIn is used scantly, in baby bursts you could say, with users only spending an average of just 17 minutes on the platform per MONTH!
So, what does that mean?
It means you have little, very very little, time to make a huge impact, so you want to get it right the first time. You will be researched, believe me, it is a given. When your name is typed in a search engine, what will people find?
TAILORED LINKEDIN TRAINING WORKSHOPS
You have been referred by a customer, your number has been passed on by a colleague, you were the topic of a Saturday arvo BBQ – it doesn’t matter, your name will be searched. And when your LinkedIn profile pops up, what will people see? (please tell me it will pop up at least, you do have a LinkedIn profile in this professional day and age?)
I research people daily. And so too does the entire team. None more so than HBB Group CEO Garret Norris. I know when he is, I hear the all too familiar pained cry of “oh no, look at their picture?” (sometimes with another word before the word ‘picture’)
As Leaders, what image is your team’s individual LinkedIn profile saying about your brand? What does your shopfront look like?
As the old adage goes, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. So what does your LinkedIn profile say about you and your company?
It is known LinkedIn is especially helpful when it comes to landing higher-paying jobs via what is called “informal recruitment”.
LI is a sales tool, not just a recruitment tool to help get another job. So, whether you’re hunting for a new occupation, making the most of the one you have or just looking to learn about professional possibilities, your LinkedIn Profile needs to be top shelf.
WHAT TO DO
The HBB Group is currently running TAILORED LINKEDIN TRAINING – that is training for your entire team but CUSTOMISED to your Company’s Value Proposition, focusing on:
- LinkedIn Profile Setup
- LinkedIn Profile Management
- What Your Profile Says About You
- Dangers of a Poor Profile
- Successes of a Powerful Profile
- Employee Profiles and Company Image
- Unified Team Profiles
- Company Profiles
- Creating a LinkedIn Lead Generation Funnel
- Critical Sales Prospecting on LinkedIn
- LinkedIn and the Client Buying Factor
TAILORED LINKEDIN TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Let us now get you started on your first step to a strong LinkedIn profile.
NO PHOTO NO TRUST
The first thing your eye will go to when researching someone on LinkedIn is their photo. Why? To make sure they are real! Once a visual trust has been established, your viewer will definitely continue to read on. You are seven times more likely to have your profile viewed if you have a picture of yourself.
NO
YES
THE ‘WHAT IS THAT?!’ PHOTO
Pets, children, and partners are no go zones. This is a professional platform. While we all love our families and fur friends, would you take them into work everyday, or put pictures of them on your CV?
Also, the party pose – not as cool as you think, well, at least not on LinkedIn.
STRONG STATUS UPDATES
Simply signing up for an account, quickly filling in the blanks and then letting your profile remain dormant won’t do you any good. Of the many key factors that make up a strong profile, two of the most important ones are your professional headline and “about” section. Together, they make up what’s known as your LinkedIn Profile Summary, and it’s one of the first things people see when they visit your page. Your professional headline is especially important because it’s the text that gets displayed in search results for both Google and LinkedIn.
PROFESSIONAL HEADLINE SECTION
“ABOUT” SECTION
STRONG STATUS UPDATES
Regularly sharing status updates or posting on LinkedIn is another way to gain exposure and have more people look at your LinkedIn profile. But what is regularly? It depends on your goals. If you are actively job seeking, then once a day is recommended. If it’s less urgent, to stay in touch with your network then try for once a week or once every two weeks should still keep you top of mind.
TAILORED LINKEDIN TRAINING WORKSHOPS
PERSONALISE YOUR CONNECTION REQUESTS
LinkedIn is NOT Facebook or Twitter – it is not about quantity over quality. Ultimately, you are building valuable professional relationships to leverage your career opportunities. Even if you’re reaching out to someone you’ve never met, the right move is to do a little research on that person, and tailor your connection request.
REMEMBER THE PRIVACY SETTINGS
Many people don’t realise that LinkedIn does have privacy setting, and for a good reason. When you’re out looking for a new job, and are actively engaged in your current job, you want to be professional and respectful to your current employer. Also, a sure-fire giveaway to your employer that you’re leaving is that you makeover your profile, connect with recruiters and have a torrent of new connections. The privacy settings are easy to find: Just sign in, and then select “settings” from the drop-down menu, where your name appears in the upper right-hand corner.
Upskill your team today, get the professional look for your brand. Our TAILORED LINKEDIN TRAINING WORKSHOPS are now running for group sessions in person and online. We can help you and your team, and ultimately see profitable results.
Call Healthy Business Builder 1300 833 574 or email info@healthybusinessbuilder.com.au for a confidential conversation.
