LinkedIn has become a social media powerhouse among professional and business people. The days of it being merely a place to dump your resume are long over, as LinkedIn now drives four times as many visitors to your home page as Facebook and Twitter combined. Not just that, newer initiatives on the site like the ability to post content and the new ad platform bode well for the future prospects of the platform as it pertains to business.
Unfortunately, many of us are tight on time and already burdened with far too many tasks, fail to take the time to optimize our LinkedIn in order to receive the full benefit it offers. Let’s attempt to help you change that right this moment.
7 Mistakes to avoid making with LinkedIn
- Poor or inappropriate picture – Make certain that any photo you use is something that would benefit you in a business setting. Posting that fun picture from the cruise in Puerto Vallarta (that you don’t remember) may send the wrong message.
- Blowing the headline – This is your chance to tell the LinkedIn world what you do, in 120 characters or less. Don’t be bland and just list “Doctor”. Make your headline compelling, truthful and inviting, all at the same time.
- Not Utilizing the Summary Section – With 2000 characters to work with, this is your opportunity to tell your story in a way that invites connection. Make this a min-pitch of your services and talents, and make the reader want to know all there is they can about you.
- Not completing your profile – This says a lot about your business in general, that you wouldn’t take the necessary time to complete your profile. This is easy to fix, so do it!
- Not including key links – You want to make sure you include links to your websites, social media, IM and any other ways you’d like to be contacted with. Don’t make them go anywhere else to determine how to get hold of you quickly and easily.
- Sending spam – LinkedIn is not a place to spam contacts with promotional offers and sales material. Everybody knows what spam looks like. Don’t do it.
- Not coming around – If you update your account once in a blue moon, people will view you as someone not serious about this platform, and consequently, of little interest to them. Don’t be that guy! Update frequently.