The 1 Sentence That Will Make (or Break) Your LinkedIn Profile
Here's the first step needed to create a
client-attracting, lead-generating LinkedIn profile.
There are
still so many misconceptions on how LinkedIn can be used, especially when it
comes to winning new business
for yourself on
the platform.
Case
in point: Did you realize that LinkedIn is actually one of the most powerful,
B2B-themed search engines on the planet?
With
nearly 500 million professionals in 200 countries, and with two new members
joining every second, you have a whole lot of potential clients and customers
under the same digital roof.
Because
LinkedIn is a searchable database, similar to Google, users can type in
keywords and phrases to find certain types of professionals to connect with or
services they want provided.
Along with using LinkedIn to find your ideal prospects and clients, you can also get
"found" on the world's largest social media platform for
professionals.
And
it all starts with a single sentence.
Your LinkedIn Profile
Headline = Sales Gold
To
begin, consider the small section of your LinkedIn profile that appears right
below your name at the top of your LinkedIn profile page.
This
is your professional headline, and it follows you everywhere you go on the
platform.
When it comes to selling on LinkedIn, getting your professional headline right is
key to not only getting "found" on the platform, but also to enticing
potential clients and customers to want to learn more about you.
The Big Mistake in Most
LinkedIn Profiles
If
you're like most people on LinkedIn, you likely set your profile up as a
virtual résumé, and thus your professional headline only features your job
title.
The problem with a LinkedIn profile headline
and Summary section that are essentially a third-person rendering of your job
duties, your role at your company, awards you've won, etc., is that nobody cares.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but nobody
really cares about what you want.
Rather, people care about what they want,
and are only going to be interested in you if you can show them how
you'll help them reach their goals or solve their problems.
As a result, you need to make your LinkedIn
profile what I call "client facing." It needs to be all about the
audiences you serve, the goals they attain when they partner
with you, and the products or services you provide these audiences to
achieve their goals and desired outcomes.
When
it comes to your LinkedIn profile's professional headline, you need to be both
client-facing and SEO conscious.
Consider
the keywords and phrases that your clients would use to search for you on
Google. How do you want to be discovered? What would people type in?
Would
they type in "Business Coach?" or "Revenue Consultant?"
Would they type in "Keynote Speaker" or "Minneapolis Pest
Control Services?"
They would not type in
something like, "CEO, Company X" or "Marketing Director",
which is what far too many LinkedIn headlines read like right now.
1 Simple Sentence That Will
Win You New Business on LinkedIn
LinkedIn
gives you 120 characters (or around 18-20 words) for your professional headline,
and it's the perfect opportunity to add in your ideal keywords and phrases.
This, in turn, will help your profile have a better chance of getting
"found" when users are searching LinkedIn for someone who provides
your specific products or services.
In
addition, your LinkedIn headline should answer these three questions:
1.
What
would others call me? (Business Coach, Finance Consultant, etc.)
2.
What
service or product do I provide? (Business Coaching, Financial Consulting,
etc.)
3.
What
audiences do I serve? (Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, etc.)
So a
sample LinkedIn headline for a Business Coach could be as follows:
"Business
Coach | Business Coaching Services | Serving Small Business Owners and
Entrepreneurs"
You've
included common keyword phrases (Business Coach, Business Coaching) people
might type in when searching LinkedIn, and you've identified some niche
audiences (Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners) that you serve.
See
how this works?
The
key is making it clear, simple and fast for people to decipher who you are, who
you serve and what you provide.
This
approach starts with your LinkedIn professional headline, and should flow
through the rest of your profile, with your Summary area, testimonials and so
on.
Getting your professional headline right will
lay the foundation for a killer LinkedIn profile and move you toward
generating more warm, inbound leads on the platform as a result.
By John Nemo
http://www.inc.com/john-nemo/the-1-sentence-that-will-make-or-break-your-linkedin-profile.html
No comments:
Post a Comment