10 ways you can improve your LinkedIn profile to generate more leads
Why is LinkedIn important for pipeline-building success?
I'm sure you already know that LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network, with over 850 million members in more than 200 countries. It's the perfect platform for professionals of all levels to connect with potential clients, collaborators, and partners.
LinkedIn has become an essential tool for pipeline building success because it allows you to:
Connect with potential clients and customers (authentically)
Find and research potential leads (build ideal personas)
Develop relationships with key influencers (authority)
Stay up-to-date on industry news and trends (credibility)
#TOOLTIP: There are some really awesome LinkedIn-driven sales engagement/lead generation platforms out there! In fact, there are so many now, all offering a slight nuance upon a niche; more will emerge such is our quest to find and build authentic relationships with our potential customers in an increasingly noisy world.
Apollo.io is my current recommendation. Drop me a mail - happy to walk you through the why.
So, let's talk about the 10x essential ways you can improve your LinkedIn profile to generate more leads 👌
The absolutely most important thing here is Mindset. Trash the LinkedIn resume mindset - buyer behavior has changed since the 5th of May 2003 - no surprises! Yes, LinkedIn is almost 20 years old! Put yourself in your ideal customer's shoes. What do they want, how you can help them get what they want, and how can you prove this to be authentic and true? Consistently convey throughout, (1) what it is that you do, (2) the problems your solve, and (3) the outcomes your customers can expect from working with you. (1, 2, 3)
Use a professional headshot. Your headshot is one of the first things people will see when they view your profile, so make sure it's professional and high quality.
Eye contact
an open smile
head and shoulders are great - not the shampoo...
A clean background so as not to distract
If you have a cool header image, you could also look up to the left towards it - directing viewer eyeballs👀
Write a compelling summary. Your summary is your opportunity to sell yourself and your work to potential clients and customers. Make sure it's catchy and interesting! Take a look at how I've structured my header - citing the 2 or 3 key points you'll build on throughout the rest of your profile. (Remember the 1, 2, 3)
List your skills and expertise. Listing your skills and expertise is a great way to show potential clients what you're capable of. It also helps them understand what areas you're knowledgeable in. You can associate up to 50 skills with your experiences - but keep it focused on a few key skills related to your past experience, while also building your current credibility within your chosen expertise. Ps. No one really cares what you did 20 years ago, they want to know what you can do for them today. I know you're proud of your first job in the local supermarket, but try to keep your experience on topic and current :)
Try to point people to the articles, presentations, and other lead magnet content in the Featured Section. Adding articles, video shorts, presentations, and other content to your LinkedIn profile is a great way to get engagement and build your authority - show off your expertise and knowledge. It also helps potential clients learn more about what you do.
Connect with key people in your industry. Reduce the degrees of separation within your sector, and build your influence. LinkedIn allows you to connect with key people in your industry, which can help you develop relationships with potential clients or collaborators. Just as it is in the 'real' world, outside the 'matrix', it's much easier if you share some good connections.
Know thyself. Follow relevant companies and groups. Following relevant companies and groups on LinkedIn is a great way to stay up-to-date on industry news and trends. This approach is especially effective when targeting strategic accounts are concerned, and signals of buyer intent (new hires, etc).
Use keywords in your profile description. Using keywords in your profile description is a great way to make yourself more visible to potential leads online. Apply this principle to your posts (another article to follow) - research your tags, and use them consistently to get your content in front of your target audience.
Utilize the power of LinkedIn endorsements, and reviews. LinkedIn endorsements (and reviews) are a great way to show off the skills and expertise of your connections. They can also help potential clients learn more about what you're capable of doing. Again, keep it current, and a drum beat of 'Social Proof' is more authentic than a big bang 2 years ago. And, remember to focus the recommendations, and reviews on your 1, 2, 3's - consistency is key.
The About section is a 2000+ character piece of powerful real estate - the perfect place to further showcase what you do, the problems you solve, and the outcomes. Oh, and remember a strong CTA, too.
Bonus #TIP - be authentic, not spammy. If you wouldn't say something out loud in the real world, then you probably shouldn't post it on LinkedIn.
There we go, 10 quick and by no means exhaustive ways to improve and further optimize your LinkedIn profile for improved lead generation. 👍
Coming soon:
Connecting notes and after connection
12x Profile Pro-Tips
Hashtags and lead magnet campaigns
