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Do You Want to Improve Your LinkedIn Search Rankings?

Posted on September 19, 2023
Wayne Breitbarth

Have you ever wondered how LinkedIn determines the order of search results?

All LinkedIn will tell us is their algorithm is based on relevancy to the searcher—but if you read their explanation of relevancy to the searcher, you'll probably come away more confused than ever!

The bottom line is this is their secret sauce, and they're not about to share all the ingredients with their users.

However, because I spend 40+ hours each week helping people capitalize on LinkedIn, I've tested thousands of profiles, and I've figured out a few things that I'd like to share with you.

In my opinion, putting the right keywords in the right places on your LinkedIn profile is your ticket to getting closer to the top of the search results when people are searching for someone like you.

By the way, I'll be discussing the keyword optimization steps as well as lots of tips, tricks, and strategies for growing your brand and making more money at my virtual workshop Using LinkedIn to Generate a Steady Stream of Sales Prospects. The workshop will be on October 9, noon-2pm CT. No worries if you're busy, because all registrants will receive a recording of the session.
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What are your most important keywords?

Simply put, your keywords are the words you think someone would use to search for you online, regardless of whether it's a general internet search site like Google, a job search site like Career Builders or Indeed, or a professional networking site like LinkedIn.

Depending on your objective for using LinkedIn, it could include words that describe you professionally, categories or brand names of the products and services you and your company provide, specific skills you possess, the software you use proficiently, titles you have held, and so on.

If you're looking for a new job, these keywords can be found in the job postings that you're interested in.

My Keyword Worksheet (below) will help you identify the best words to include on your profile.
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Where should you put keywords on your LinkedIn profile?

The simple answer is everywhere you can—and the more times the better—but be sure your profile remains easy to read. Just listing a particular keyword over and over, with commas in between, will not only be hard to read but potentially confusing to the reader.

In addition, LinkedIn has warned that this type of  "keyword stuffing" will not be tolerated—and you sure don't want them to penalize you by moving you down the search results list.

From working extensively with my LinkedIn clients over many years, I've learned there are three spots on your profile where you definitely want to include your most important keywords—your Headline, Experience-Job Titles, and the Skills section.

To learn how to most effectively include keywords in these three sections, take a look at my client Ted Mailey's profile. He's president of APO Pumps & Compressors, a Cleveland area distributor of air compressors and related equipment.

Headline

Experience-Job Titles

Skills

Trust me on this one. Follow through on this critical strategy, and you'll come up significantly higher in the search results, just like my client Ted Mailey.

To identify your most important keywords, review or download my Keyword Worksheet below.

REMINDER:  Using LinkedIn to Generate a Steady Stream of Sales Prospects Workshop

If you'd like to learn more simple ways to not only improve your search ranking but to find and connect with more prospects, grow your brand, raise awareness of your nonprofit, and make more money with LinkedIn, register now for my upcoming two-hour workshop on October 9. Click here to get more details and register. And remember—if you aren't able to attend the live virtual event, your registration includes a link to the recording.

 

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How Good Are You at LinkedIn? Get Your FREE Score Now!

Posted on September 5, 2023
Wayne Breitbarth

Ever wonder if you are doing the right things on LinkedIn in order to get the most out of the site?

Well, LinkedIn has an awesome FREE grading system called the LinkedIn Social Selling Index (SSI). However, most people have not taken advantage of it.

And don't be turned off by the word "selling" just because you're not a salesperson. Let's face it—we're all selling something. If you're not selling products or services, you're selling yourself or your organization every day. And with the rise of social media, this has never been more true.

Get your score by simply clicking the Get your score button on this page: https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/social-selling/the-social-selling-index-ssi

By the way, I'll be discussing easy ways to improve your SSI score as well as lots of tips, tricks, and strategies for growing your brand and making more money at my virtual workshop Using LinkedIn to Generate a Steady Stream of Sales Prospects. The workshop will be on October 9, noon-2pm CT. No worries if you're busy, because all registrants will receive a recording of the session.


What's your score?

Yes, 100 is a perfect score, and I doubt anyone has achieved that score other than maybe Reid Hoffman (founder of LinkedIn) or Ryan Roslansky (current CEO of LinkedIn). But be sure to look past just the raw score and see how you rank in your industry and your network, both in total and in each of the four scoring categories (maximum of 25 points for each category). Also, take note of the trend line for your score. These spots are where the information gets particularly helpful for you personally.


What is SSI and why should you care?

LinkedIn came up with SSI to score sales professionals and their corporate teams and track improvement and results, thus proving the ROI from upgrading to their most expensive premium sales upgrade called Sales Navigator. So, of course, LinkedIn has a motive for spending time and effort to generate this information. They're hoping companies will upgrade all their salespeople to Sales Navigator.

However, now all users can learn and improve by tracking their Social Selling Index (SSI). It's easy to set goals after you receive your score from LinkedIn.

LinkedIn surveyed over 5,000 sales professionals, and they've shared the following fairly significant results that demonstrate the importance of becoming an SSI leader:
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  • SSI leaders create 45% more opportunities per quarter than SSI laggards
  • SSI leaders are 51% more likely to hit quota than SSI laggards
  • 78% of social sellers outsell peers who don't use social media


How does LinkedIn determine your SSI score?

Your SSI score is based on what LinkedIn refers to as "The Four Pillars of Social." Screen Shot 2015-08-10 at 7.06.14 AM

1. Establish your professional brand. Complete your profile with the customer in mind. Become a thought leader by publishing meaningful posts.

2. Find the right people. Identify better prospects in less time using efficient search and research tools.

3. Engage with insights. Discover and share conversation-worthy updates to create and grow relationships.

4. Build relationships. Strengthen your network by connecting and establishing trust with decision makers.

I'm in total agreement with LinkedIn that these are the four critical elements for getting results from all your social media channels—and not just for selling purposes but also for growing your brand, improving your business and personal marketing, and finding your next great job.

And just in case you're wondering, my SSI is currently 86, and I rank in the top 1% of my industry and network—but I won't be happy until I get to 100. I only scored 16.42 out of 25 in the "Engage with Insights" category, and I'm going to work on that.

So get busy and see how much you can improve your score and then reap the business and career benefits.
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REMINDER:  Using LinkedIn to Generate a Steady Stream of Sales Prospects Workshop

If you'd like to learn more simple ways to not only improve your SSI but to find and connect with more prospects, grow your brand, raise awareness of your nonprofit, and make more money with LinkedIn, register now for my upcoming two-hour workshop on October 9. Click here to get more details and register. And remember—if you aren't able to attend the live virtual event, your registration includes a link to the recording.

 

What Should You Do If Someone Views Your LinkedIn Profile?

Posted on August 26, 2023
Wayne Breitbarth

After someone looks at your LinkedIn profile, you'd probably like them to call you, email you, or send you a LinkedIn connection request, right?

But what if the reader is not quite ready to take that big step? What if (s)he needs more information about you, your company, or your products/services before (s)he picks up the phone or reaches out to you with an email?

This is where calls to action (CTAs) come in. What is a CTA? Wikipedia says this:

"A call to action, or CTA, is a term used to describe a banner, button, or some type of graphic or text...meant to prompt a user to click it and continue down a conversion funnel."

Hubspot, one of the world's leaders in designing websites that concentrate on lead generation and inbound marketing, says:

"Calls to action (CTAs) are one of the key lead generation elements, and they should be used in each and every one of your marketing tactics: emails, social media updates, press releases, trade shows..."

Note: I will be covering these strategies and so many more at my upcoming two-hour virtual advanced sales workshop "Using LinkedIn to Generate a Steady Stream of Sales Prospects" on October 9. Check out the details and register here.
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What actions might you call people to take?

There are lots of possibilities, depending on your business purpose, but here are a few examples:
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  • Download an informational document
  • Watch a video or listen to a podcast
  • Download your resume
  • Go to your website
  • Read your blog
  • Read a product review
  • Sign up for a discovery call
  • Request a quote
  • Email you
  • Pick up the phone and call you
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How can you incorporate calls to action into your LinkedIn profile?

Your LinkedIn profile needs to have several CTAs to help move your reader down the conversion funnel and closer to that all-important step of contacting you. And if you have a company page, you'll want to put CTAs there as well.

The best sections on your profile to include your CTAs are:
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  • Headline
  • About (previously referred to as your Summary)
  • Featured
  • Job Experience
  • Contact Info
  • Share a post
  • Projects
  • Publications
  • Long-form articles

Here are examples of CTAs I've included in the About and Featured sections of my profile. The Featured section is simply the very best CTA tool that LinkedIn has ever given us for our profiles.

Here is another example but this time from one of my Job Experience entries. I give people a couple easy ways to contact me or sign up for my virtual one-on-one LinkedIn consultation service.

Other great places to include CTAs on your profile include the Websites listing in your Contact Info section as well as the Publications and Projects sections. To see examples of these, check out my full LinkedIn profile.

Why not add some calls to action to your LinkedIn profile today, and hopefully your phone will start ringing just like mine.

A final reminder that I will be sharing a live LinkedIn demo of these strategies and more at my two-hour virtual advanced sales workshop on October 9. Here is the link to check out the details and register:  https://linkedinsalesoct2023.eventbrite.com

By the way, all registrants get a link to the recording, so you don't have to attend live to get the benefit of this workshop.

 

When you answer the door or the phone and aren't sure what the person wants, you undoubtedly say, "How can I help you?"

But why aren't you asking the same question when strangers ask you to join their LinkedIn networks?

Perhaps it's because you aren't really sure how to pose the question on LinkedIn or don't understand the benefit of asking how you can help.

Now, of course, some of the strangers are spammers or just want to sell you something you're pretty sure you don't need. With those folks, just hit the Ignore button.

But with other people who ask you to join their networks, don't be so quick to hit the Ignore button on your computer or X on your mobile app, because a new, productive relationship may be just a button click away.

Note: I will be covering the best corporate LinkedIn strategies on August 21 at my next virtual workshop, "Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Page & Effectively Market Your Business." Here is the link to check out the details and register: https://aug2023linkedincompanypage.eventbrite.com
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Simple ways to decide whether or not to reach out to strangers

Start by going to your Pending Invitations page. You'll find this page by clicking the My Network icon on your top toolbar. Choose See all (XX), and LinkedIn will then display all of your inbound invitations in the order you received them.

If someone includes a personal message with his/her invitation, you'll see the message in a message box both on your mobile app and on your computer. Personally, I always look at these invitations first because they may require a prompt response.

To improve your chances of receiving a favorable response when you ask someone how you can help him/her, follow these three simple steps:
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  • Check out the person's profile in detail, looking at his/her jobs, volunteer experience, education, and accomplishments.
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  • See who you have as mutual connections, and consider reaching out to one or more of those people to get more information about the person who's asked you to join his/her network.
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  • View the person's recent activity to see the type of information (s)he is sharing with his/her network.

Once you're confident you should ask the How can I help you? question, click Reply to [name] in the person's Pending Invitations box. You can then reply without accepting the person's invitation to connect.

You might say something like:

"Thanks for asking me to join your LinkedIn network. I typically don't accept people into my network until I have either met them or understand how we might be able to help each other. So let me know how we might be able to collaborate. I look forward to hearing from you."

This simple technique will scare away anyone who's simply in the spam business and will encourage the others to share what is on their minds. You may be surprised by how many people are truly interested in helping you—and some are probably requesting a connection because someone you know and trust referred them to you.

This technique has helped me and my consulting clients find many new, important relationships. And opportunity may be calling you on LinkedIn, too—so why not give it a try.

I will be sharing a live LinkedIn demo of my very best LinkedIn corporate marketing strategies and more at my upcoming two-hour virtual workshop on August 21, Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Page & Effectively Market Your Business.

Here is the link to check out the details and register:  https://aug2023linkedincompanypage.eventbrite.com

By the way, all registrants get a link to the recording, so you don't have to attend live to get the benefit of this workshop.

 

These LinkedIn Company Page Changes are Really Game-changers!

Posted on August 5, 2023
Wayne Breitbarth

LinkedIn just keeps the changes coming, and this article will focus on the exciting changes relating to your LinkedIn company page (LinkedIn now refers to this simply as your "page"). And more good news—they don't require any kind of premium account or paid advertising.

If you're not the person responsible for your company's LinkedIn page, be sure to share this article with that person—he or she will thank you later.

Note: I will be covering these and so many more LinkedIn company page strategies at my next virtual workshop on Monday, August 21, Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Page & Effectively Market Your Business. 
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Best recent LinkedIn changes/updates for your company page

Here are the four game-changing LinkedIn company page changes, along with the action you need to take to make sure your company gets the exposure you need to grow your business and attract new employees.

Detailed list of followers. This list was available back in the early days of LinkedIn, then it disappeared, and now it's back. I hope and pray it's here to stay, but—just in case it isn't—be sure to review this list ASAP.

So, what exactly are you looking for?

You're looking to see if there is anyone on the list who looks like a potential employee, customer, supplier, someone you could partner with on a new product or service, etc. These people have made the purposeful choice to follow your page, which means they have an interest in your company. Therefore, it's your job to reach out and inquire about what their interest may be.

The simplest tactic is to send an invitation to connect with a customized note that inquires about their interest in your company. Sure, there will be spammers or totally unrelated people who follow your page, but don't let that fact stop you from finding the gold in that list. Be diligent, and mark your calendar to periodically check out the new followers. They're listed in the order they started following your page, and the month and year they became followers is also listed.

To get to your list of followers, click the Analytics tab on your toolbar on the left of your company home page when you are in Admin mode. Then select Followers. Scroll down, and you'll see a list of all your followers. The most recent ones will be at the top of the list.

Easy way to invite 250 people to follow your page each month. Another real goodie here (and one that people have been asking for) is each month you can invite a selected group of your personal connections to follow your page—and it's simple, too. Just check the box next to each person's name.

More good news: For every person you've invited who doesn't decide to follow your page, you receive a credit you can use to invite someone else the following month.

These invitations show up in your connections' open invitations list, right along with their new invitations to connect. Therefore, there's a high probability that your notification will be seen, and that's a good thing.

To get started, click the Invite connections on the top right of your company's home page. Please note that you need to be viewing this page in Admin mode and not Member mode in order to access the admin tools. Once you select Invite connections, you can check off up to 250 of your connections and invite them to follow your company page.

LinkedIn company page activity notifications. I can't believe this took so long, but now you can see exactly who is engaging with any of your company page posts. Because notifications are shown with a bold red indicator, you won't miss any opportunities to engage with the folks who are engaging with your posts.

People engaging with your posts and then your engaging with them will really help the organic reach of your posts. Reaching out to these people will help you strengthen relationships and begin new ones, which should ultimately lead to new customers and talented new employees.

You can access your company page activity by clicking Activity on the left hand side of your company page toolbar.

Notify employees of LinkedIn company page posts. You can now notify a group of your employees that you've posted an update by simply clicking Notify Employees after you've clicked the three dots on the post you're interested in notifying your employees about. These notifications go to some of your employees. Who receives them is based on LinkedIn's secret algorithm for relevancy. Then hopefully your employees will engage with the post, and some people in their networks will see the post in their LinkedIn home feed. You can use this notification feature once a day.

Another way to get the word out to a group of employees is to either send an email to them saying you just made a post or tag them in the first comment box of the post.

Whether you use the new, easy-to-use Notify Employees feature, a more traditional method, or both, the goal is to spark engagement. The more comments or shares your post gets, the more company page followers who will see it in their activity feed.

These are by far the most helpful changes LinkedIn has designed for your company page in at least ten years. Take full advantage of them, and not only will you gain some new customers, but you'll undoubtedly discover some terrific new team members as well.
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SPECIAL OFFER

To learn about more terrific company page changes, address the mistakes you're making, and formulate a specific strategy for your company page, be sure to check out my August 21 virtual workshop Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Page & Effectively Market Your Business.

 

Over 62 million companies have LinkedIn company pages, and that's a great place to start, but you may not get the results you desire from your company page alone. The road to real corporate marketing success begins with company employees presenting a consistent branding message on their personal LinkedIn profiles.

But if you're company management, how can you help your employees share the responsibility for promoting your company's products or services?

It starts with creating LinkedIn best practices guidelines and sharing them with all employees. The guidelines should include profile standards as well as simple LinkedIn activities that will be helpful for the employees as well as the company.

A LinkedIn training session is a quick and easy way to share the guidelines with your employees—and they will be more likely to follow the guidelines if they understand the strategy behind them and see the personal value in addition to the corporate value.

Of course, I've provided LinkedIn training for hundreds of companies and would be happy to assist you and your company as well. Click here to check out the details and register for my upcoming virtual workshop on August 21: Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Page & Effectively Market Your Business.
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What to include in your company's LinkedIn best practices guidelines

The first six items below are typically one-time profile updates that all employees can quickly and easily perform. The last item includes activities employees should be encouraged to engage in on an ongoing basis.

1. Photo. Bring in a photographer and get professional headshots. You only get one chance to make a great first impression, and the photo is the first thing people see when they view someone’s profile.

2. Background photo. Design a standard company background image that all employees can put on their personal LinkedIn profiles. This could include your website address, physical address and phone number, photos of your products or facilities, etc.

3. Keywords. These are critical on LinkedIn, and if you expect your people to show up in a search, you have to give them a list of five to ten of the most searched-for terms for the company—these are usually your products, services, brands, etc.—and then encourage your employees to place them in the right spots on their profiles.

4. Standard company description paragraph(s). Share with them one succinct paragraph to be included in their About section and a more detailed two or three paragraphs to be included in their job description for their current job at your company.

5. Add media to Featured and current job experience entries. Give them videos, slide shows, photos of your best work or products, customer testimonials, etc. that they can display on their profiles by uploading a file or linking to the information.

6. Each employee’s job entry correctly attached to your company page. Make sure your company logo shows up on their job entry for your company. This is must-have branding. If it doesn’t show up, it means (1) they added this job entry prior to your business having a company page with a logo attached or (2) they selected the wrong company or no company when adding this entry to their profile.

7. Sharing, liking and/or commenting on company status updates. This is a bit hard to monitor because it is ongoing and not a one-time profile change. But the more it’s done, the more sets of eyes your company updates are seen by, and we can all agree that is a good thing.

For additional LinkedIn company branding ideas, be sure to check out my upcoming virtual workshop on August 21: Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Page & Effectively Market Your Business. And all registrants get a link to the recording, so you don't have to attend live to get the benefit of this workshop.

When Should You Drop Someone from Your LinkedIn Network?

Posted on July 25, 2023
Wayne Breitbarth

Your LinkedIn network is one of your most valuable business assets. Therefore, you should add people to your network very strategically. But people change and circumstances change, and occasionally you may find it necessary to remove someone from your network.
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Why should you drop someone from your network?

This list is certainly not exhaustive, but here are a few situations that might prompt you to take action:

  • Someone is filling your Inbox with spam on a consistent basis
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  • Without your permission, somebody is dropping your name in voicemails all over town in an effort to get the appointments (s)he's been trying to land for years with your friends
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  • One of your connections has become a direct competitor
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  • You can't keep up with the inordinate amount of LinkedIn introductions someone is asking you to make
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  • The day after you connect with someone, (s)he sends you a lengthy canned solicitation message that has no relevance to you and your business

I'm sure you get the picture. But don't lose sight of the fact that each and every first-level connection is actually helping you in the search ranking algorithm on LinkedIn. So think twice before you disconnect. For instance, the fact that you've never met a particular person in your network may not be reason enough to disconnect.
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How to drop someone from your network

There are several ways to disconnect with someone on LinkedIn, but one is preferable because the person won't be able to see that you looked at his/her profile before disconnecting. And don't worry—people do not receive a note from LinkedIn saying you dropped them.

1.  Click the My Network tab on the top toolbar, and then choose Connections in the left-hand column under Manage my network.

2.  Type the person's name in the Search by name box.

3.  Once the person's name shows up, click the three dots to the right of his/her name and select Remove connection.

After you disconnect, any recommendations or endorsements between you and that person will be eliminated. The person will not be able to re-invite you. However, if you have the person's email address, you can re-invite him/her anytime in the future.

And don't feel guilty if you choose to disconnect. It's your professional network, and you should be comfortable with who's in that network.
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SPECIAL OFFER

If you’d like help with developing a LinkedIn strategy that will catapult your business and career, take advantage of my limited time offer: a one-hour, one-on-one LinkedIn consultation for just $197. This offer also includes an in-depth critique of your profile.

I will share my computer screen with you during the call and send you a marked-up copy of your profile prior to the call.

There are limited spots available, so don't delay. Book your session today by clicking here.

 

There’s Still Time to Make 2023 Your Best Year Ever

Posted on July 17, 2023
Wayne Breitbarth

Are you frustrated with your results thus far in 2023—or have you had a great first half and want to keep rolling through year's end?

Well, I've got good news for you. If you follow these simple LinkedIn tips, 2023 just may be your best year ever.

And these suggestions are not just for salespeople and business owners. If you're looking for a new job, in need of volunteers or donors for your nonprofit, or interested in growing a strategic network to accomplish your professional goals, these tips are perfect for you, too.

And here's the really good news. You can do it all with a FREE LinkedIn account.

These are the "low hanging fruit," the strategies that will produce the most significant results in a short period of time. "Pick" a few and get started today.

Note: I will be covering the best corporate LinkedIn strategies on August 21 at my next virtual workshop. Here is the link to check out the details and register: https://aug2023linkedincompanypage.eventbrite.com 
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Five LinkedIn strategies that bring big results

After the broad comments, you'll find a link to an article with step-by-step details for executing each strategy.
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1.  Reach out to targeted members of your network

This strategy works well if you've done a good job of building a network that includes some people with whom you have a high level of trust and will thus be more likely to respond to your request.

Do a search of your first-level connections, and use filters like location, title, industry, current company, etc. Then you'll have a great list of people you can contact with a LinkedIn direct message or by email, phone, etc. and invite them to an event, share important industry news, let them know you'll be in their area, or ask for help with your job search.

I find that many people don't take advantage of this strategy because they don't know how to use LinkedIn's advanced search function. Learn how simple it is with this resource:

Additional Resource:  Your LinkedIn Network is a Gold Mine of Opportunity

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2.  Leverage the networks of your current clients or other referral sources

This is the ultimate referral strategy on LinkedIn. Once you see who knows whom, you can ask for an introduction.

Start by identifying your connections who are well networked and love connecting people with each other. Next, do filtered searches of their networks, and put together a list of six to twelve people you think could improve your chances of landing a new client or that new job. Then contact your connections and ask them to introduce you to the people you've discovered.

Additional Resource: Here is the Best Free LinkedIn Feature that Most People Haven’t Discovered Yet

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3.  Improve and expand your profile Headline to 220 characters

Headlines are meant to draw attention to the full article or in this case your full profile. Have you taken advantage of the recent 100-character expansion of this section? If not, get this done right away, including things like additional descriptions of your products and services, your job skills, or a specific call to action (more on that next).

Additional Resource: Is it Time for a LinkedIn Profile Headline Tune-Up?

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4.  Revise your profile to include specific calls to action

Most people's LinkedIn profiles look like resumes—and many times they aren't even good resumes. Don't be one of those people!

Start by thinking of your profile as your main online marketing tool or your weapon to win the professional battle. No matter what your current LinkedIn objective is, you should have several specific calls to action strategically placed in your profile to move readers from being interested to taking action—visiting your website, downloading resources or your resume, viewing video, listening to a podcast, etc.

Additional Resource: OK, You Viewed My LinkedIn Profile…Now What?

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5.  Engage directly with LinkedIn users who have viewed your profile or invited you to connect

You'd be surprised how many people do absolutely nothing when others attempt to engage with them on LinkedIn. Granted, there will be spammers who check out your profile or invite you to join their networks, but most people are legitimately interested in engaging with you.

If you're already connected to people who viewed your profile, you may want to send them a note to ask how you can help them.

If you notice that interesting people outside your network have viewed your profile, invite them to join your network and offer them something of value (free quote, white paper, informative video, etc.) or ask if they'd be interested in a phone call or meeting with you.

When you receive an invitation to connect from people you'd like to have in your network, accept their invitation, thank them for reaching out, and propose one of the next steps outlined in the above paragraph.

Additional Resource:  Why is it Important to Know Who's Viewing Your LinkedIn Profile?

Now that you know about the "low hanging fruit" on LinkedIn, get busy and put some of these strategies into practice. Then on New Year's Eve 2023, you just may be celebrating one of the best years you've ever had.

I will be sharing a live LinkedIn demo of my very best LinkedIn corporate marketing strategies and more at my upcoming two-hour virtual workshop on August 21. Here is the link to check out the details and register:  https://aug2023linkedincompanypage.eventbrite.com

By the way, all registrants get a link to the recording, so you don't have to attend live to get the benefit of this workshop.

 

Is it Time for a LinkedIn Profile Headline Tune-up?

Posted on July 3, 2023
Wayne Breitbarth

Everyone knows headlines are important, but what exactly is a headline?

 "Headline: [noun] a head of a newspaper story or article printed in large type and giving the gist of the story or article that follows"  (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

But if headlines are so important, then why do most LinkedIn profile headlines (maybe even yours) simply state a person's current title and current company name? Because the user hasn't updated his/her headline.

Until you craft a first-class, 220-character (increased last year from 120 characters) descriptor of who you are and what you do, LinkedIn puts your current title and company in your headline so you don't embarrass yourself by simply having the default headline.
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What goes into a great LinkedIn headline

Your LinkedIn headline should:
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  • Provide viewers of your profile with a short, concise statement of who you are and how you can help them
  • Include your most important keywords so you are at the top of the search results when people search for someone like you
  • Encourage people to look at your entire profile, where they can see your full story and find a reason to engage with you

So, how are you feeling about your LinkedIn headline?

If you're feeling great about it, stop reading and share this article with a friend who needs it.

If there's room for improvement, get busy and start crafting a killer headline.

To get you headed in the right direction, below is one of my most popular worksheets, The Definitive Worksheet to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile Headline. I have shared this worksheet with thousands of people over the last eight years. This three-page, downloadable worksheet is the newest version that has been updated for the recent changes on LinkedIn.

Also, if you'd like my personal feedback on your headline so you can start attracting people who need your products and services, sign up for one of my specially priced $197 one-on-one LinkedIn consultations. Get more info and book your session here.

I will share my computer screen with you during the call and send you a marked-up copy of your profile prior to the call.

Whether you’re using LinkedIn to find your next high-impact customer, raise your organization’s profile, or land the job of your dreams, this session is for you.

There are limited spots available, so don't delay. Book your session today by clicking here.

 

Download (PDF, 1.02MB)

During my upcoming virtual workshop Using LinkedIn to Recruit Top Talent Without a Premium Account on July 10, I'll show you eight ways to effectively use free LinkedIn to find and reach out to people who have the perfect experience for your open positions. You can check out the details of that workshop and register here.

Here is a preview of just one of the eight highly productive LinkedIn strategies I will be sharing during the workshop.

LinkedIn Alumni Tab on the University Page. Use the Alumni feature to find potential candidates who attended a specific school. Fellow alumni of the schools you attended is a good place to start.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. In the large search box on your top toolbar, type the name of the school you're interested in. When it shows up in the drop-down list, choose that entry—or you can just click the name of a school on anyone’s profile.

2. Once you're on the university's page, click the Alumni tab. This will take you to that school's Alumni page.

3. You can now filter the entire list by entering words in the Search alumni by title, keyword or company box, entering years in the Start year and End year boxes, or selecting or entering information into one or more of these six columnar filters:

      • Where they live
      • Where they work
      • What they do
      • What they studied
      • What they are skilled at
      • How you are connected

If you are looking for a person from a certain age group or years of experience, use the Start year or End year filters on the top right to find alumni who are probably in that age range. Granted, it isn’t exactly an age search because not everyone gets an undergrad degree at age 22, but it should still provide some valuable information.

4. Once you have selected your filters on the Alumni page by clicking the bars under your desired selections, LinkedIn displays a mini profile for everyone who meets your filtering criteria.

Without leaving the page, you can send a message to any first-degree connections or use a personalized message to invite anyone on the list to join your network. As part of your personalized invitation, you can begin a conversation about your job opening.

If you'd like to see this strategy demonstrated on live LinkedIn or learn about my other seven proven ways to find great employees with a free LinkedIn account, then join me on July 10—or at least register so you can get the recording after the event. The full 90-minute workshop is only $99 plus fees.

Here is the link to check out all the details and grab your seat:

https://linkedinrecruitingjuly2023.eventbrite.com