Your business’s LinkedIn profile can be a first impression in the professional world, so it’s important that it is always up-to-date and represents your small business both personally and professionally. Whether it’s using a picture to show your creative side or constructing a headline that perfectly illustrates your image, your LinkedIn can show off your company’s brand personality.
It has the potential to set you up for success and can be the difference between showcasing your business brand, connecting with the right people or obtaining a potential client. All it takes is a few minutes to get your profile to “All-Star” level. Here are 10 easy tips and tricks to get started:
1. Customize your LinkedIn URL
Customizing your LinkedIn URL can make it easier for people to find your profile while they search online. Ideally you should make your URL your company’s name instead of just a random combination of letters and numbers that add no value for your company’s brand. Putting time into customizing your profile shows that you actually care and have good attention to detail.
To do this, navigate to your profile by clicking View Profile. Click Edit public profile & URL on the right rail and change your URL by clicking the Edit icon. It’ll be an address that looks like www.LinkedIn.com/in/yourcompanyname. Type the last part of your new custom URL in the text box, save it, and voilà your new and improved custom URL.
2. Be personal
Your LinkedIn profile shouldn’t just be a list of jobs or products/services you provide. It should be warm and welcoming. Keep in mind that LinkedIn is designed for interactions. What are you trying to communicate to other companies or customers?
Your profile is not just a description of your business so write as if you are having a conversation with someone. Let them know what you are passionate about, what projects you have dedicated yourself to or even what you are interested in. Let your brand personality shine through!
3. Update your photo
It’s important to choose a photo that is clean, clear, and recognizably you or your company logo. Having a great photo can lead “up to 21 times more profile views on LinkedIn”. Make sure to choose a photo that represents who you are and makes sense for the customers or future employees you are trying to attract.
Pro tip: You don’t have to have a professionally taken photo to make it look good! Take a photo in good lighting with a simple background. You can also add filters right within LinkedIn. Use this is an opportunity to let people know you are approachable and welcoming!
4. Add a background photo to your profile
Still think your profile is average or boring? Give your LinkedIn profile a personal touch by adding your own background photo. You can showcase the city that your company is located, a graphic design that correlates with your company brand or maybe show off your products! The possibilities are endless when you start to think about what will set you apart from the crowd. LinkedIn recommends using a background photo size of 1584 x 396 pixels. Keep in mind that the photo does have to be a JPG, PNG, or GIF file under 8MB.
5. Make a headline that stands out
Don’t just make your headline a company description, your location or store hours. You want a headline that grabs people’s attention and makes them remember you. Showcase yourself and inject your personality into your headline! The more specific you can get about what sets you apart, the better. You can also add relevant keywords to your profile to improve the chances of appearing for relevant searches in LinkedIn.
For example, P&G’s headline is “We believe in finding small but meaningful ways to improve lives – now and for generations to come.” This is a perfect example of showcasing what their company stands for while still describes their overall company goal.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for a referral
If someone lets you know that you did great on a project or gives your company a compliment on a specific job you accomplished, ask them for a recommendation. You can also request recommendations from current and past customers. Let them know that it doesn’t have to be a long and tedious referral but it can be a quick, brief recommendation talking about your success. Make sure you specify what you would like the recommendation to be about. This can be a great addition to brighten up your profile.
7. Connect with someone by scanning their QR code
If you are having a great conversation with someone you just met and want to continue the connection, add them on LinkedIn by scanning their QR code. This makes it so much easier to look up and add someone on the spot. You can avoid the couple of minutes it takes to ask for their name or how to spell their company’s name by simply scanning their QR code. It will have their profile pulled up and ready to go in seconds. Whether you are using iOS or Android, LinkedIn made it easy to learn how to scan QR codes.
8. Get started with LinkedIn ads
LinkedIn is the number one platform for B2B lead generation, rated by marketers. With that being said, creating ads on LinkedIn gives you 2x the buying power of average web audiences. By creating ads, you can boost your content across all devices. You are able to promote your company updates to targeted audiences on desktop, mobile, and tablet. Your company can also deliver personalized ads to the LinkedIn inbox. This can create more conversations than email. With LinkedIn ads, you will be able to target your content including job listings, articles, and posts to different audiences by industry, location, demographics, and more, to increase the odds they see and engage with it.
9. Add content
So, now that you have done all of this work to your profile, you want people to stay on your page longer than just a quick glance. By adding real-life examples to your media section on your profile, you are making customers and companies spend a little extra time viewing your profile. For example, add a link to a blog post you wrote, a short clip you made for a big client, photos of company culture or a video of one of your employees speaking at an event. This will instantly enhance your profile and make you look more professional.
Make sure you are posting often. It’s important to also post content that shows your company is a thought-leader in your industry. Here are a couple stats that will help you boost engagement: Post with links receive up to 45% more engagement, images see an 98% increase in engagement and post that have relevant “best-of” lists get almost 40% more amplification.
10. Brand your company
Sometimes all of this information can seem a little cluttered. Try to always keep in mind your company’s brand. Keep your brand message in line with all of your other professional marketing tools. Consistency is key!
Updating all of these features can ensure that you are showing off your business to make you stand out! Your LinkedIn company profile may take some work but the more you put into it, the more you will get in return. Show off your business brand, grow your influence and make your business look amazing! It all starts with a killer profile.
