How to make your LinkedIn profile stand out?

Here’s something you probably already know: LinkedIn is a powerful tool in job search. It’s also the place where you can build your personal brand and show the world what you know.

But if you want people to notice you, you need to know how can you make your LinkedIn profile stand out!

What is LinkedIn?

So, let’s start from the very beginning. LinkedIn is a social media platform for professionals. That would be the very short definition. It is a platform used for professional networking.

Therefore, just like any other social media platform, it is full of profiles, posts, articles, videos. It is easy to drown in the sea of information. If you are thinking of creating a LinkedIn profile, or you already have one but it doesn’t stand out, keep on reading.

Making your LinkedIn profile stand out is not hard, but many details need to be addressed.

Complete your profile fully

Many people skip filling out all information on their profile. It seems boring and useless, but in reality, it makes a huge difference. There is something called the LinkedIn algorithm that gives the advantage to fully completed profiles, but more on that later.

If you want to make your LinkedIn profile stand out, you better fill out everything that’s asked of you.

Is my LinkedIn profile the same thing as my CV?

Keep in mind that a LinkedIn profile shouldn’t be equated to your resume or CV. When we talk about LinkedIn, there is much more to describe than skills and work experience. Make sure to write about those, but also your education, endorsements, interests, and even personality traits.

By filling out your profile information, you achieve All-Star status. Such profiles are favored by the algorithm and get more attention from other users. For us users, it might seem random, but there’s a highly developed programming tool behind it and all we can do is learn about it and use it to our advantage.

What about my profile photo?

Ah, yes, you mustn’t forget your profile photo! You need to have one – which is completely the opposite of what we advise our clients to do when it comes to CVs.

Not only so other users can recognize you, but also people like to make judgments in the first few seconds when they land on your profile. Therefore, a good profile photo is an essential part of your profile page.

Profiles with the user’s face as a profile photo make the LinkedIn profile and all your activities there look more credible. You don’t have to invest in a professional headshot in a photo studio, but you do need to look professional.

This means that you shouldn’t have a blurry photo as your profile photo, or a photo with your spouse, children, pets, or even a photo where you are just a tiny object in nature. You might like the photo, but it’s not professional. Keep those kinds of photos for other social media platforms.

And what about other sections on my LinkedIn profile?

If you don’t have anything to write about in some of the sections, that means you should get more active. Enroll in online courses and seminars or volunteer in your local community. Include all your personal and professional achievements.

Consult the dictionary and look for synonyms for the most common words that everybody uses. You cannot expect to stand out by using words such as creative, focused, or expert. Instead of those, look for less-used variants, such as inventive, engaged, or virtuoso.

What is LinkedIn algorithm?

Now, let’s go back to the LinkedIn algorithm before we continue with the next step how to make your LinkedIn profile stand out. The LinkedIn algorithm has four major filters.

• Quality
  The software takes care of deleting unwanted content as much as possible, but many times, people do it as well.
• Engagement
  To stand out in the vast number of profiles, you need engagement from your audience. Likes, comments and, sharing numbers are good indicators of engagement. To get them, you have to give them, but we will cover that soon.
• Credibility
  Posting just for the sake of posting is not the best idea. Always have in mind what your posts contain and how the message is delivered, to whom it serves, and what your goal is. Try to be consistent and post regularly in even intervals. That will help the algorithm recognize your profile and feature it more often.
• Editors
  Of course, the software can do only so much. LinkedIn employers also take care that everything goes smoothly and without a problem.

Remember to post…

Once you’ve set up your LinkedIn profile and you have completed all the sections, it’s time you start posting! Share your thoughts on the industry, working from home, challenges you’re facing, and achievements your company has accomplished.

You need to choose what is going to be the focal point of your posts. Will it be marketing, professional development, job ads… will it be entertainment, informative content, or personal advice – it’s completely up to you. Pick a theme that suits your idea and the purpose of your account.

You can write about news within your industry, you can share knowledge about your industry, give advice, tell personal stories and anecdotes, inspire others, etc. Once you know what your focus is, pay attention to the quality of your content and that you post regularly.

A few extra tips for better results: use statistics in your posts if at all possible, do not write too long posts, use photos, and have catchy titles like “How to…”, “Learn…”, “Why you should…”, etc. The important thing is to also follow trends and check what hashtags are good to use for your topic.

…and use your LinkedIn profile to engage with others!

Now, maybe you did all that but you still don’t get the attention you believe you deserve. If that’s the case, make sure you are engaged enough. In other words, invest your time in other people’s accounts and they will give it back. It is really that easy. Here are a few things you can do right now.

• Like other posts – it is easy and costs nothing but shows you care and recognize someone’s effort or quality of their content
• Leave a comment – congratulate, write your opinion about the content, and support. You can add to the content by providing additional information, links for further research, and so on
• Share – an ultimate sign of appreciating someone’s content. People do not forget those who share their posts, and they will return the favor

One very important thing to mention here is that you shouldn’t just do these things for the sake of doing them. You need to provide value with every comment and post. Otherwise, people will see right through it and you won’t get the good kind of attention.

Use LinkedIn to connect with other professionals in the field.

Don’t forget to reach out and connect with other users. If at all possible, do it within the first 24 hours of meeting them and send them a private message now and then. It may seem impossible to communicate with hundreds of people at once, but a simple message or comment on their post once a month is enough to stay in touch.

Use these tips to have a LinkedIn profile that stands out! In short, you need a profile with lots of information, lots of connections, you need to engage with other people’s content, and you need to produce content yourself. Step out of the shadows and get the attention you deserve! We’re sure you can do it.

Need professional assistance?

If all of the above seems too much for you and you simply don’t have the time – we get it! That is why we are here. We offer a LinkedIn profile optimization service and we’ll do our best to make your LinkedIn profile stand out. Feel free to get in touch using the form below and start using full potential of this powerful platform.