The 3 LinkedIn Profile Types and How to Optimize Them
So you’re on LinkedIn and you’ve viewed a few people’s profiles. After all, one of the first things a person does when considering a professional connection is to view their LinkedIn profile. Right now, I’m going to help you, no matter what your professional level, improve your profile and make LinkedIn a much stronger networking tool.
Basically there are only three types of LinkedIn profiles. Your LinkedIn profile should be designed to either:
A: Get a Job
B: Keep a Job
C: Promote your personal brand for future opportunities
Let’s start with A.
A: The Get a Job Profile. LinkedIn is your digital resume. Key word is “digital”. Old school paper resume tactics, are just that “old-school” and out dated. With your LinkedIn profile you have the opportunity to not just tell about your skills, but show them. With video, with case studies that you contributed to, publications, and most importantly ARTICLES! Articles that you create truly show your thoughtfulness, experience, and communication skills — a key skill in the digital age.
Next up…
B: The Keep A Job profile. Whether you are selling a product or just maintaining your relevance within a large organization, as you interact with other professionals, they are going to look up your LinkedIn profile. They are going to make a value judgement on you. Are you professional enough for their time. Do you provide value. Can they see you as someone that can help them solve their problem or assist them in any way. This is where you need to make sure that your profile is not just an online resume. Of course it should show where you have been and what you have done, but at this stage, your profile should first and foremost show that you are an established professional that is in the position to be an asset to anyone that connects with you. Just like the “get a job” profile, your “keep a job” profile should be kept up to date with recent posts, multimedia examples of your work, and again… articles. If you can’t write them, share them. Share valuable content from within your industry and become a trusted source of quality information. Do whatever you can to keep your value up to those you want to connect to. Side note: Writing is much more valuable. Because it shows the authentic you, allows you to share thoughts, experiences, and your talent at communication.
Now for those who aren’t so worried about the next job, but more so the next opportunity.
C: The Building a Personal Brand Profile.
If your are an entrepreneur, well established in your career, or a high level executive it’s time to look at yourself as a business. And like a business — your brand matters. Providing value is crucial at this stage simply because either those around you already perceive that you have value to give (as in the business leader) or because the value that you give translates to the value of your business (the entrepreneur). For the business leader, you’ll gain trust and confidence from those that you lead. They will find value in knowing that they work for an expert. And even experts have higher goals right? Well, an expert with a strong personal brand is an expert who’s phone rings with new opportunities.
For the entrepreneur, your personal brand is a pillar that supports your business. People want to know who they are doing business with, and having a value driven personal brand is critical in a world were information and transparency is expected. Your linked in profile stands to benefit the most from Thought Leadership articles, sharing valuable, and if you’re up to it, video. Video of you in action, video of you speaking to audiences, video of you speaking on your area of expertise. Even at this level, giving value to your connections will serve you well in the long run.
Question of the day: What are some key elements that you suggest should be in these types of LinkedIn profiles?
Comment below and please provide value to someone today by hitting the share button!
