How do I optimize my LinkedIn profile?

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On LinkedIn, there are a lot of people! 😵 To stand out, you need to have an optimized and original profile. Especially if you plan on prospecting on LinkedIn, you need to have a quality LinkedIn profile first and foremost. 💯

A social media profile that looks like you, that helps to understand in which subject you are an expert, that’s what we’ll see together in this article. 👇

What is a perfect LinkedIn profile? The guide to standing out and LinkedIn presentation

Your LinkedIn profile should represent you. At a glance, people should understand who you are and especially what you do, kind of like your LinkedIn resume. 😜

To have an effective LinkedIn profile that stands out there are several elements to consider. What I’m proposing is that we’ll take my profile and analyze it together step by step. 👌

profil-amandine

Step 1: LinkedIn creation to have a colorful profile

At first glance, you’ll notice that I’ve standardized the colors on my profile. No rainbows (even though I love those). 🌈

What for? To create a mood. To not lose my visitor. There is already so much information on my profile, I want him to identify with my graphic design. 😅

Also, in his feed, I want him to be able to recognize that it’s me. Kind of like blue = Waalaxy, on LinkedIn. 🌚

post-amandine

exemple-couleur-benoit

Choose a color that matches what you sell too. If your site is red, then even out your tones to match. 👌

 

Step 2: The LinkedIn profile picture

This is clearly what will make you stand out. 📸

The LinkedIn profile picture is your chance to show who you are, to stand out from the crowd, to be visible in a feed that scrolls endlessly. ♾️

That’s why you need to understand how LinkedIn’s algorithm works too! 👈

To get your LinkedIn profile picture right you need:

  • A precise color,
  • A neutral background,
  • An accessory (cap, boxing glove for example),
  • A professional quality photo (no need to choose a pixelated photo).
  • A photo made for the occasion! (We forget the photos out of straw hut this summer 🙄).

Some profile examples of flashy pictures:

10/10 ⭐️ for Valentine Sauda. Her photo is impactful, not too much color but enough that you know it’s her personal brand colors. And in addition all this tuned to her cover photo, recalling her emoji: 🥊.

In short a great lesson in “personal branding!

 

Sober and effective at Nina Ramen. A clear message, with emoji reminders as a call to action. 🍓

A common fashion is to surround your profile picture with a colored circle, with a simple edit, to make the picture stand out, for example, we use Canva, here is a url to a training. ✨

Think about it, a welcoming and pro profile picture = 36 times more likely to be contacted privately! 😉

 

Step 3: LinkedIn profile example with a good cover photo

Here is the perfect opportunity for you to choose THE message you want to spread, and target your ideal prospects. You can use this to make a call to action, entice people to visit your website, or draw attention to your profile photo that you’ve worked on carefully. 😜

A perfect example is Laurine Sauvaitre. 👌

 

You can also play it sober to double the message with your LinkedIn job title. A perfect example is Léa Gueniffet. ⚡

 

At Waalaxy, we chose that the messages on our LinkedIn covers = our current offer on our product. 👽 A great way to keep users up to date with your latest news, and offer visibility to our tool.

 

But you can also make the choice to use your LinkedIn cover photo to describe what you do in a few words. 👇

If you want to know: how to create one easily, check out our training right here. 💥

This banner should visually explain what you do. Your value proposition. Be creative. 🦄

Like the profile picture, don’t overlook the impact of this banner and find out how to create a good LinkedIn portfolio! 💫

 

Step 4: Your LinkedIn Title

Your LinkedIn title is ESSENTIAL. This is what will make you stand out in the LinkedIn feed when you post, comment. 🗣️

 

When you post a comment on LinkedIn, they see very little contact-information about you. 🙈 Your profile picture, your name, and your title. So much for getting attention in a few seconds if you don’t want to get lost in that content stream! 🔥

 

A little tip, add an emoji in your title. Describe what you do in a relevant way, that’s the general rule. Also take the opportunity to talk about your offers, it works pretty well in our house. 😇

And if you’re wondering how important this is, ask yourself if you’d be more likely to click on those headlines (with relevant keywords)? 🤔

Or rather, these headlines? 😑

(Sorry Vincent & Edouard, but we’re going to have to work a little bit 😜).

The headline, along with the profile picture, is the very first impression that pops up on LinkedIn, without even having to go to your profile. 😨

 

Step Five: The emoji in your LinkedIn name

Underrated skill: choosing the right emoji on LinkedIn. 🥳

It’s like choosing the right gif to send to your favorite co-worker or former colleagues to bicker with, it takes dexterity. 😂

I’m not a good example, I chose the most terrifying emoji from LinkedIn. But, at least it’s attractive and in the end, it’s what you’re looking for. 😜

Here are some examples

:

 

The emoji you are going to choose should serve several purposes:

  • Reinforce your message,
  • Help the millions of LinkedIn users recognize you,
  • Illustrate your tagline, your value proposition.

For example, if you have an “eco” approach 🌱 or if you’re known for your hat in your profile picture…🧢.

 

Step 6: Favorite topics on LinkedIn

Preferred topics are there to reinforce the message you want to get across. They help you rank on LinkedIn hashtags in your industry. 👌

Choose them carefully based on the topics you want to be pushed on! The goal being to get a message across to those who will visit your professional profile in a few words, but also to the LinkedIn algo. 😉

 

Nothing is more annoying than arriving at a profile without a description, or worse a description worthy of a cover letter that ends with “my most distinguished regards”… 🙄

Instead, consider highlighting your qualifications and LinkedIn recommendations! 🚀

I think you’ll get it, but in your LinkedIn description, be yourself. Share what you want people to read about you, what your prospects want to know. 👂

We did a whole article on how to write a LinkedIn summary without yawning, using the right keywords. 😇
Unimpressed Sea GIF by SpongeBob SquarePants

 

From experience, we don’t look at LinkedIn summary examples often enough. Already because the overview is only two lines long, which doesn’t really encourage action. 🥱 The format is quite small and not very visual compared to the rest of the profile (hence the importance of the other parts). But this is the place where you can put a clickable link, so choose your call to action well! 🧨

This is a part that you can write longer. Focus on storytelling. Tell your story. A story that brings you credibility. 🎻

While staying focused on your call to action. Also, avoid the “strong from my 10 years of “work experience” and all that stuff found in standardized online cover letters and resumes. 🤨

Unless your goal is to look like other personal profiles obviously. 😬

Some sample LinkedIn descriptions:

In short be relevant, be impactful. 🥊

Bonus: consider standing out with a Custom profile URL, it will make your account even more memorable! ⏰

 

Step 8: Highlight what you want with the selection

Recently LinkedIn allows you to create a profile with an “Our selection” profile section. This allows you to highlight certain content. 🤩

 

While before you had to put them in your profile summary with keywords and outbound links were only accessible in 3 clicks, now they are in one. 😜

Give the visitor material: your best blog posts, your own site, your testimonials from new clients or even your best LinkedIn posts. But above all, choose the first 2-3 well: they’re the most visible, and that’s what your potential customers will see first. 👀

If we summarize, to have an original LinkedIn profile you need:

  • A quality profile photo,
  • A cover photo that says more about you,
  • A color code for your media profile,
  • A punchy title that describes what you do 🥊
  • Preferred topics in your industry,
  • Emojis because they catch the eye 😜,
  • A description that sounds like you,
  • A section with your best LinkedIn posts.

 

Conclusion: some tips for your LinkedIn Profile

the end win GIF

 

Tips 1 : Work-experience and training. Be accurate, be real

Unless your employer recruited you on a fake resume profile, 1st tip: Be real. 🌈

Then, it all depends on your objective with your profile. In our case, we’re less interested in recruiters, but more interested in a social profile intended to canvass and have a strong profile and communication activity on LinkedIn. 🎯

For candidates who are looking for a job, present all your pro and volunteer experience. 🤲 Give details to be easily found by a recruiter during your job-search.

On the other hand, if your goal is to maximize “conversion rates” (by this we mean getting in touch with you or going to a site url or increasing your brand awareness), you are encouraged to stay concise in the number of experiences, but specific in their descriptions. 🧲

Highlight the experiences that reinforce your expertise, support your speech, tell a story. Don’t make a resume or cover letter that describes all the job listings you’ve ever done. Create a story, sell your expertise and your job. Be original. 🥇

Workshop Post It GIF by weSpark

 

Tips 2: Add center of interest on LinkedIn

The interests section on LinkedIn contributes to your storytelling, and it’s a great way to reveal yourself to your target audience. 🎯

Here are some do’s and don’ts:

🟢 For example, if you are in a leadership position, you can add interests that revolve around things like soccer coach, a fishing club, etc. 🎣 it shows that you have hobbies too. And, it makes you more approachable, it might be a commonality with people who might visit your profile who also practice these competitive sports. 🏆

Always keep your targets in mind, when choosing your interests! 🏹

 

🛑 On the other hand, if you sell biodegradable products, it would be contradictory to follow oil companies, mining companies or other lobbies that endorse this kind of polluting activity! Instead, you should be interested in non-profits that clean the ocean, eco-friendly brands and so on… 🌱

Remember, quality over quantity! 🏆

You don’t have to add ALL of your real interests, if they are not relevant to your industry on LinkedIn. 🤐

How to add interests on LinkedIn:

  • Search for the topic in the main LinkedIn search engines,

search <strong>LinkedIn</strong>

 

  • You can follow the LinkedIn page directly from the results, or open the page and also click the “Follow” button :

follow interest LinkedIn

 

  • You can also go to the interests of your connections, and click on “See All”,

see all interests LinkedIn

 

  • From there, you can see the interests you are already “Subscribed” to or those you can follow as well:

follow interests on LinkedIn

 

As simple as that! 💥

Now they will appear in the Interests section of your LinkedIn profile page. 👌

Here’s how to edit LinkedIn interest center:

We just saw that adding interests to your personal profile is very simple and helps complete your profile in general. 🙏

However, removing interests can be a bit more complicated! 😬

The interest categories are:

  • Influencers,
  • Companies,
  • Groups,
  • Schools.

Influencers, Companies and Schools can be removed at any time, like this:

  • Simply go to your interests and open “See All” again,

see all interests LinkedIn

 

  • From there, simply click on “node no longer follow” in the pages or people that are no longer relevant.

follow interests on LinkedIn

 

Beware, this is different for LinkedIn groups! ⚠️

  • To delete “Groups”, you must enter the page directly:

interests on LinkedIn

 

  • From there, click on the 3 dots and “Update your preferences” :

update LinkedIn group settings

 

  • Then a preference page for the group will open and you will need to say “No” in the display section.

LinkedIn group settings

I know, I know… it’s not very user friendly, but it’s the only way to go for now! 😳

 

Tips 3: Think about translation to optimize your LinkedIn profile

It is also possible to translate your LinkedIn profile. You will appear more easily in some search results if you choose this option. Having a profile in English is a minimum if your industry is international. 🌎

The brain retains original information better, information that is different. So be creative. Stand out from the crowd. Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Stick to some basic principles while trying to stand out! 😁

Optimizing your LinkedIn profile for your b2b prospecting, to have a better visibility or to enrich your professional social networks… It’s all a subtle art. 🎨
And if you are lazy to read and are more of a video training…. 👇

 

FAQs from the LinkedIn profile article

How do you optimize your LinkedIn account?

Optimize your LinkedIn profile in 8 steps:

  1. Your cover image that says more about you,
  2. A color code for your profile,
  3. A punchy title that describes what you do 🥊
  4. Preferred topics in your industry,
  5. Emojis because they catch the eye 😜,
  6. A description that sounds like you,
  7. A section with your best LinkedIn posts.
  8. Translate your online profile into multiple languages.

Language Of Love Josh Freydkis GIF by GIPHY Dating

 

What is LinkedIn for? To gain visibility of course!

Publish regular content around your favorite topics. It’s no more complicated than that. 🤗

And here’s one of our content to get LinkedIn post ideas! 👈

 

Creative mode or not on LinkedIn?

That’s kind of the question of the moment. It all depends on what your goal is. 🎯

🛑 If you want to grow your professional social-networking: no.

🛑 If you rarely post on LinkedIn: No.

🟢 If you’re interested in growing your following: that’s a big YES!

🟢 If you post very regularly on LinkedIn: YES!

 

How to make a good LinkedIn?

  • Optimize your LinkedIn profile,
  • Post at least once a day,
  • Exchange with others,
  • Comment on posts from your LinkedIn network

. You need to have an optimized profile on LinkedIn. Share valuable content around your expertise, and most importantly be active on the LinkedIn social network. In short, you must be considered among the active users of this professional social network. 😍

For example, you can create LinkedIn carousels to share your expertise! ✅

But being visible isn’t just about posting. It’s about interacting with others. So comment without moderation on other content creators‘ posts. Comment Das Schaffst Du Nie GIF by funk

 

How to create a LinkedIn professional account?

  • Focus on a specific area. For example, if you specialize in web traffic, be even more specific (e.g. SEO).
  • Post daily on relevant topics that address your theme.
  • Activate LinkedIn’s creator mode to increase your number of subscribers.
  • Create a newsletter on LinkedIn to build your niche.
  • Comment on LinkedIn posts several times a day to build a professional network.
  • Share your webinars, podcasts through your different LinkedIn posts.

If you publish quality content, others will perceive you as the reference in that particular field and will think of you immediately. Then, some will be influenced by your good practices. 😜

How do I know who has viewed my profile on LinkedIn?

Did you receive a notification that someone views your profile but you don’t know how to access this feature? 😎

Don’t panic, this feature shows visitors to your profile over the last 90 days.

To access it:

  • Click on the You icon in the top left of your LinkedIn homepage,
  • Click on view profile,

  • Click on [number] profile views.

There now you know everything about your LinkedIn profile, see you soon for more quality articles! 🦦

 

Amandine

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