Linkedin-Profile-Optimization_clone

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BUILDING AN INFLUENTIAL LINKEDIN PROFILE IN 2019 TAKING YOU STEP BY STEP THROUGH EACH SECTION OF YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE TO BUILD A PROFILE THAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT FROM YOUR COMPETITORS. BY MELANIE GOODMAN WINNER OF CITYWEALTH BRAND MANAGEMENT&REPUTATION AWARD 2019 

LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 1

Table of Contents Chapter 1: The LinkedIn Profile .......................................................................................................... 4 What is a LinkedIn profile?............................................................................................................. 4 Difference between personal pages and company profile............................................................... 4 Which should you select............................................................................................................. 4 Benefits of a company page........................................................................................................ 5 The advantages of a LinkedIn profile over a company page...................................................... 5 Chapter 2: Getting Started – Profile Set-up ......................................................................................... 7 What is profile optimization? .......................................................................................................... 7 Why it is important ..................................................................................................................... 7 Steps of signing-up to LinkedIn ...................................................................................................... 8 Which name is most effective on your profile - company or personal name? ................................ 9 How you can use account and privacy setting ................................................................................ 9 Chapter 3: Creating Compelling Content........................................................................................... 11 Headline ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 11 Contact information....................................................................................................................... 12 Experience ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Personal interests........................................................................................................................... 14 Statuses.......................................................................................................................................... 15 Creating dynamic content.............................................................................................................. 15 Chapter 4: Picture Perfect: Handling Photos, Media & More ........................................................... 18 Profile photo .................................................................................................................................. 18 Helpful tips on how you can select your best profile photo ..................................................... 18 Is using filters, background, and lighting a good idea? ............................................................ 19 Should you use your company logo as your profile photo? ..................................................... 19 Types of media content to optimise your profile ...................................................................... 20 Using videos to optimise your profile ...................................................................................... 20 Using slides to improve profile & how clipping slides help .................................................... 21 Editing your audience for each media post ................................................................................... 22 Chapter 5: Promotion Masterclass ..................................................................................................... 23 Keyword optimization................................................................................................................... 23 1) Your headline is important ................................................................................................... 24 2) Add keywords in your job title............................................................................................. 24 3) Incorporate keywords into your about section ..................................................................... 25 4) Use projects and extra sections ............................................................................................ 25 5) Adding keywords in Skills and Endorsements..................................................................... 25 URL customization........................................................................................................................ 25 Choosing your URL.................................................................................................................. 26 What can the URL include?...................................................................................................... 26 Steps to change your LinkedIn URL ........................................................................................ 27 Managing Recommendations & Endorsements ............................................................................ 28 Recommendations .................................................................................................................... 28 Endorsements............................................................................................................................ 30 Which is better? ........................................................................................................................ 30 Chapter 6: Setting Up Strong Groups for Profile Success ................................................................. 31 How groups are essential for profile optimization ........................................................................ 31 How to create groups..................................................................................................................... 31 How groups can be utilised for profile marketing......................................................................... 33 LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 2

Chapter 7: Why LinkedIn Profile Optimization is Important ............................................................ 34 References .......................................................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 1: The LinkedIn Profile What is a LinkedIn profile? LinkedIn is a social networking platform created for global corporate and business communities. Your LinkedIn profile is your personal landing page where you can publicise professional information about yourself, including your education, employment history, skills, and achievements. It’s an exceptional way for you to give both potential clients and employers who view your profile, an insight into who you are, what it is you do and what your past accomplishments are. Difference between personal pages and company profiles Personal pages are powerful tools with which you can make a personal connection with people. On the other hand, if you own a business, then the Company profile page acts as an advertising mechanism whereby you can broadcast information about your company in order to enhance its visibility. While different people in your business can handle your Company Page and corporate profiles have followers, your personal profile has connections and is managed by you. So which is better? Which should you select In the case where you own a business, the benefits of having both a Personal Profile and a LinkedIn Company Page cannot be discounted. While the former helps you make that personal connection, LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 3

the latter will help people learn more about your brand and what solutions you can provide to meet their specific needs and requirements. Benefits of a company page ✓ Enhances your company’s credibility and marketing efforts by incorporating logos, images, links, and share videos. ✓ The showcase page is where you can emphasise your brand and services. ✓ Announce updates, which team members can broadcast through their personal networks while also including a link to the company's page to improve your brand’s exposure. ✓ Increases your company's visibility on search engine results and draws in competitive talent by making it easier for prospective employees through job postings. ✓ Driving more traffic through your virtual doorstep, by linking your company page to your business website by including a follow button on the latter, while a follow button on the former can help your audience connect with other media as well. ✓ Expand your reach by drawing in your target demographic through advertising on LinkedIn, which though more expensive compared to other social media networks, might prove more effective with influencers, C-suite executive, and decision-makers. The advantages of a LinkedIn profile over a company page ✓ Adds that humanising element and helps you foster invaluable relationships ✓ You can proactively connect with your target audience including clients, referral partners, influencers and prospects ✓ Private messaging allows to continuously network ✓ Publishing dynamic content through LinkedIn Publisher allows you to grow your credibility LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 4

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Chapter 2: Getting Started – Profile Set-up What is profile optimisation? Profile optimisation is how you can make a strong first impression, thereby enhancing your visibility and reach on the professional social media platform. So whether you are looking to engage the right recruiters or strengthen your resume to augment your job search, your profile has to be customised to the specific job you seek and include search engine optimised profile sections. Why it is important Were you aware that while approximately 94% of recruiters use LinkedIn to vet potential candidates, about 87% headhunters employ the network to find suitable candidates for the job? And with about 44,000 applications submitted through LinkedIn every day, your profile has to stand apart in order to make an impact. An optimised profile: ➢ Ranks about three times higher in searches carried out by hiring managers while it also improves your LinkedIn Profile views by a staggering 132%. ➢ Flies past filters that recruiters use to separate the chaff from the wheat. They use dynamic search tools that pinpoint candidates based on certain keywords and algorithms. ➢ Is simply more attractive and more efficient. It will help you achieve better results by enhancing your “brand’s” identity in a professional way that will appeal better to recruiters you are keen on impressing. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 6

Steps of signing-up to LinkedIn Creating an account on LinkedIn isn’t difficult at all. Here is a simple guideline on how you can go about signing in. • Creating An Account – Go to the LinkedIn Sign Up Page • Type your personal information in the field provided, which will include o First Name o Last Name o Email – your preferred email address which you would like LinkedIn to use to get in touch with you o Password – personal password for your LinkedIn account • Click the ‘Join Now’ button, which is the yellow button just under the above fields • Next, you will need to choose your country of residence and your ZIP code • Check the box asking whether you are a student. If yes, you will need to enter your current educational institution name, the year when you commenced studying there, and the year you intend graduating • Enter details of your current job – the company name, your job title, and the industry • Click the ‘Next’ button • On the next screen, you will be invited to customise your LinkedIn information, which will be viewed in your landing page LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 7

Which name is most effective on your profile - company or personal name? Regardless of whether you own a small business or company, expert digital marketers highly recommend that people should still use their personal name as the name for their LinkedIn Profile. Business names create barriers. And people are interested in connecting with the face behind the business. Since it is a social network of people as opposed to companies, using your personal name will add that personal touch and increase your transparency considerably. It will make you accessible. Of course, it is natural you would want to advertise your business, but the best way to do that is to include information in your profile, open up a company page and employ the Group Discussion Boards and/or Q&A to enhance your creditability and grow awareness of your brand. How you can use account and privacy setting While you build your professional network, it is also vital that you protect your individual privacy. Since LinkedIn’s Account and Privacy Settings by default share certain information that you might want to be kept private, here's how you can employ settings effectively to share only that information that you choose. To improve your security: ➢ Determine if you want to broadcast new mentions ➢ Turn off Share Profile Edits LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 8

➢ Select which viewers see your Activity Feed ➢ Choose who can view your profile ➢ Limit who can view your connections ➢ Determine who can access your phone number ➢ Edit Your Public Profile ➢ Switch off data sharing with third-party applications ➢ Decide which apps can access your profile and information ➢ Review your account Enhance your visibility ➢ Edit your default public URL to your name. ➢ Change your public profile settings to better reflect your work experience and skills. ➢ Streamline your profile by stressing on certain keywords, matching your title with your profile, previous job descriptions, and key competencies ➢ Change your profile photo and visibility. ➢ Decide if you want LinkedIn Premium, which is a paid service for accessing people who are not your connects while enabling you to carry out advanced searches and enhance your network visibility. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 9

Chapter 3: Creating Compelling Content Headline Your LinkedIn Headline is a brief section at the top of your LinkedIn profile. It consists of 1 to 3 lines or 120 characters including spaces, which appears just below your name. ➢ It should express not just who you are and what you do but include content that will captivate anyone viewing your profile so that they understand why your services will be advantageous to them. ➢ Employ buzzwords that will pop out and entice the reader to learn more about your background and experience. State your value proposition. ➢ Avoid using symbols or short forms as they might come across as being unprofessional. ➢ Avoid hyperbole. Words such as best, proactive, and expert will diminish your credibility. ➢ Do not use all capital letters and don’t add personal information like your email address, phone numbers, URL as it isn’t designed for that purpose. ➢ Don’t let LinkedIn choose your headline. Personalise it so that you give hiring managers and recruiters a compelling reason to view your profile. Summary Your summary is yet another opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from the extensive competition out there. Whether you want to talk in brief about your achievements or life motivations, it is one of the first few sections viewers read, so it forms an essential component of your business marketing. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 10

➢ Creates an impression - Though small in size at just 300 to 350 words or 2000 characters of available space, it extends you large scope to optimise your profile with spirited content that drives home a point and makes an impact. ➢ Allows you to introduce some personality into your profile, thereby enhancing it significantly. ➢ Summaries show in search results – Though LinkedIn doesn't give the summary equal weight as your headline, job title, and description, it still boosts your visibility, putting you ahead of your competition. So use keywords instead of buzzwords here to ensure your profile fares well in the search results. Contact information As the name suggests, this part of your profile exhibits your personal and contact information such as your primary email address, birthday, phone number, website, instant messenger accounts, and other data. While certain details may be visible only to your connects, others might be viewed by LinkedIn members in general. So integral to the success of your profile is to keep your contact information updated. And tweaking your settings so that you stay visible when it's important while including a Call-To-Action (CTA) to galvanise readers into wanting to learn more about your experience, will help you to: ➢ Attract your target demographic ➢ Describe how you can help fix their problems ➢ Explain how your services will better their efforts and strategy LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 11

Experience The experience section constitutes your online CV, which includes details of your educational qualifications, and past and present work employment and industry details. It is vital that the information corresponds with details in your LinkedIn profile while it tells recruiters and hiring managers something different because it makes for a refreshing change than just a simple copy paste job. ➢ Does not have to be as detailed as your resume but used mainly to highlight your achievements. ➢ Summarise each of your designations or positions you’ve held. ➢ While bullet points are excellent for a CV because they include many more details, paragraphs that only include a few bullet points are great for the experience section as they explain things at a glance. ➢ Employ this section to display your skills to the reader and why your services will be a good fit in their organization. Personal interests In early 2017, LinkedIn did away with the interests section, but that doesn't mean you can't include it in other parts of your profile. Irrespective of whether you showcase your interest as part of the Volunteer Experience, Skill & Endorsements or Achievements sections, it is important, as recruiters look at your interests to try and gauge your personality and how they can connect with you. When they can relate to you, they will be more inclined to want to meet you face-to-face. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 12

➢ According to a LinkedIn survey, including any volunteer experience or special causes you have worked for will give you an upper edge when recruiters view your profile. About 41% of hiring managers consider volunteer work equally important as paid work. For example, developing an advertising strategy for an NPO. ➢ Also crucial to the success of your profile is that you include any job-related interests you may have, that represent your key skills. For example, your creative ability – writing articles on the side, project management skills – leading charitable efforts outside work or marketing skills – helping a friend design his or her digital marketing campaign. ➢ Highlight interests that you think recruiters and hiring managers are looking for, especially if you have your sights set on a particular company. Researching their LinkedIn profiles for Group memberships, and noticing what they post on other social media platforms, will give you an idea if you share any common interests. Emphasizing these will help your profile stand apart and will also help you build rapport with the right connects. But remember that lying about any accomplishments will only be apparent and counterproductive. Statuses Similar to other social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn allows you to post status updates, which show up in the news feed sections on the homepages of contacts in your network. When writing an update on the Share an Update box of your homepage, you can also attach a link to an online video, web page or blog post as well. And you can set a privacy level if you only want to share it with some contacts or send it as a tweet on Twitter for the world to see. ➢ Updates give recruiters an insight into your personality and your likes or expertise. So they serve as a powerful tool to strengthen the professional information on your profile. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 13

➢ The more you update your status, the more you will be on others' radars. For example, a weekly update of any professional events you are attending or comments on other activities will keep you current. ➢ It is an effective advertising tool with which you can market your skills and capture the interests of colleagues and recruiters alike. Even updating just once about a particular project, will keep your viewers informed about what you are up to or where your special competencies lie like an analysis of trends or an assessment of new methodologies. Creating dynamic content Though LinkedIn isn't the largest social networking site, it is the most profitable one. Reason being that it is a robust site where professionals conduct serious business. Did you know that CEOs around the world use LinkedIn more than any other social network, and about 41% of millionaires use it as well? We mere mortals only dream of making connections with people their caliber, and with LinkedIn's content marketing tools, the process of creating extraordinary content isn't a far fetched possibility anymore. It's imperative you have great content because: ➢ Today, there are close to half a billion members on the social network compared with the measly 37 million that made up its user base a decade ago. And out of that massive number, an amazing 40% log in every day to check for new content and profiles. ➢ When savvy business professionals see something they like, they take the time to read in- depth. With more than 3 million long-form posts on LinkedIn and about 130,000+ being added every week, what will give you content its cutting edge is when it adds value, provides tips to the readers and includes actionable steps. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 14

Ensure your content: ➢ Is pertinent, appropriate and well-timed as it is one of the best ways to build rapport ➢ Is Inspirational as everyone loves posts that stimulate a healthy discussion related to a specific industry or business space. ➢ Includes professional accomplishments and changes in your trajectory on the ladder of success even if it is a lateral movement, as recruiters feel more comfortable with potential candidates they have a little personal information about. Equally essential as creating content is to avoid certain posts altogether: ➢ Controversial topics, including content that is negative or unprofessional that will hurt your brand or discredit your professional identity. Polarizing topics might place you in the limelight temporarily but will hamper your popularity. ➢ Stay away from religious and political posts for the same reason. ➢ LinkedIn is an exceptional tool to create rapport and build relationships. Only using the social site to improve sales will be counterproductive, as clients will most likely brush aside stimuli that don't bring value. ➢ Be careful not to over post and post appropriate content. Especially when it comes to personal information, social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter are better suited. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 15

Chapter 4: Picture Perfect: Handling Photos, Media & More Profile photo Studies have proved that headhunters or recruiters are 40% more likely to click into LinkedIn profiles that include a headshot or a photo. But, it is vital to select your best photo that will impress rather than detract from the impression you are trying to create. Helpful tips on how you can select your best profile photo ➢ Go with a high-resolution photo - Since December 2017, LinkedIn’s profile picture size was updated from 200 x 200 pixels to 400 x 400 pixels. While it's alright to upload a larger size image, it must be square, not bigger than 8 MB in file size and should not be over 20,000 pixels in width or height. Uploading a photo smaller than 400 x 400 pixels might make it appear small, indistinct or unclear. ➢ It must have only your image - Choose a photo that includes only you, not your family or your pet. Don’t crop out group pictures because these rarely come out perfectly and look extremely unprofessional when they don’t. ➢ Don’t use an old photo - Use a current photo of yourself, which accurately portrays how you look now. Misleading employers into thinking you look different will only have negative consequences. ➢ The perfect profile shot - At least 60% of the image should be focused on your face and select a picture that has the right expression with you wearing the right attire. Remember, dress for the job you want. Not for the job you have. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 16

Is using filters, background and lighting a good idea? Subtle changes to your photo are okay, as long as the person looks like you. For example, you can alter the lighting or tone of the imag, and use filters to remove marks you are conscious of. However, don't use bad lighting shots, where shadows hide your features. If your mobile device doesn't have good filtering features, you might want to try the FaceTune app. When it comes to the background, yes, though you can use one that relates to your work, ensure that your face is the focal point of the image and that the setting doesn't detract from your headshot. For background shots, the ideal resolution to go with is 1584 x 396 pixels. And to get an idea of what a good profile pic looks like you can take a look at Pixabay and Shutterstock. Should you use your company logo as your profile photo? If you are a small business owner, entrepreneur or freelancer and if you have a company logo, it is advisable you upload the logo onto the summary section of your profile. Or, better still, link it to your LinkedIn company page. But on your LinkedIn profile, upload your image, because people want to see the face behind the brand. They want to connect with you. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 17

Types of media content to optimise your profile LinkedIn's professional gallery permits you to add multimedia to your profile. So if you are contemplating using media to enhance your profile, then you are on the right track as it can drive home a point as long as it is professionally done. Media revitalizes LinkedIn profiles by making them more interesting, and here’s how you can make your profile stand out: ➢ Incorporate YouTube or other videos ➢ Utilise images – Canva and Paint are easy apps with which you can create great images ➢ Published content like magazines, journals, or newspaper articles you have authored and for which you have a digital version that can be linked from a public URL such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box.net. If not, just simply click a photo of the publication and add it to your profile. ➢ Blogs posts that are relevant to your industry and specialization ➢ Presentation slides ➢ Provide links to samples of your work ➢ Audio clips when well done, also make a statement Using videos to optimise your profile According to studies conducted by Cisco, approximately 76% of executives watch business videos at least once a week and 40% do so every day, so it is a great multimedia tool, which can make a big impact. In case you have the latest LinkedIn version that was released in July 2017, you can record native videos directly onto the social media platform. But if you don't, there are 50+ video providers LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 18

such as Hulu, Vimeo, and YouTube, where you can upload live videos and post them on to your LinkedIn profile. Regardless of which app you use, videos deliver the following benefits: ✓ They break the monotony of written content by making your page that much more interesting ✓ Information relevant to your industry, for instance, a discussion relating to a new tech topic if that is your area of specialization, will capture the viewers' attention and entice them to peruse your profile in-depth. Using slides to improve profile & how clipping slides help In 2012, LinkedIn bought over SlideShare, which is a program people can use to design and upload videos, PDF files, webinars, infographics, presentations, and documents onto their profile. With over 15 million posts on how to use SlideShare, learning the program isn’t difficult. Adding a presentation onto your profile ➢ Use SlideShare content or import your PowerPoint or Keynote slides ➢ Copy your SlideShare URL ➢ Click on edit your profile in LinkedIn ➢ Paste your slides in whichever section you choose such as the summary or work experience, and you’re done LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 19

With the Clipping feature on SlideShare, you can choose individual slides from presentations and add them to your own collection. It enables you to collect slides that you would like to refer to or use in the future. And it's very easy to do. Just run your mouse over the upper right-hand corner of the specific slide you want to clip and click the ‘Clip slide' button. An intimation pops up confirming that the slide has been added to your default clipboard ‘My Clips.' It's that simple. Editing your audience for each media post Whenever you want to share a post with a limited group of your contacts, you can control who can view the content and here’s how: ➢ Click the Share box button at the top of your LinkedIn landing page ➢ Start typing, and you will notice a list of options pop up o Anyone – will display the post to every one of your LinkedIn connects, including all those in your extended network o Connections – Only your 1st-degree connections will be able to view your posts o Anyone + Twitter – Your posts will be displayed on both Twitter and LinkedIn. Twitter settings can be tweaked from the Setting & Privacy page on your Profile section o Group Name - By selecting the group you want the post to go to, only those contacts will be able to view it. If you are a member of several groups, just click on ‘Show all options' and choose which groups you want to share the content with. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 20

Chapter 5: Promotion Masterclass With close to 500 million users on LinkedIn, the best way to ensure your profile stands out from the expansive user base and is visible to recruiters, hiring managers and business executives is to adopt keywords, personalise your URL and know how to manage your endorsements and recommendations. Keyword optimisation Unquestionably utilizing effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques to spruce up your profile will bring more traffic to your virtual doorstep. And keyword optimization forms a big part in increasing the visibility of your profile significantly. LinkedIn is a massive database of professional profiles that employs certain key fields to index the entire collection of user data. Because the social media network’s income is mainly garnered from recruiters looking to find that perfect candidate for the role, LinkedIn is very aware of the best keywords for SEO. By understanding the indexing method they use, you will be able to adopt a good few keywords into specific sections of your profile and thus fare better in the search results. So here are a few guidelines that will help you create effective LinkedIn SEO and thus generate more views. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 21

1) Your headline is important Though small in size, the headline is the most highly rated field in the index probably because it is one of the most eye-catching components of the profile. So if you include keywords in the Headline field, it will better your ranking compared to other users who don't employ them at all. For example, if you currently have - “Wealth manager at XYZ Partnership.” Change it to - “Senior wealth manager @ XYZ Partnership | Pension specialist | Expert investment adviser | Assisting executives grow and protect their assets” Find the best way you can utilise all 120 characters to shout out your skill sets, which will drive more recruiters through your door. 2) Add keywords in your job title Like the Employer name field, the job title field is also a highly indexed part. When adding content to your title, you must avoid changing your title but just use keywords to enhance it. For example, if you currently have – “Vice President” Change it to “Vice President – Global Vendor Management, Risk & Compliance” In addition to the second job title explicitly describing your exact role to the reader, it also includes keywords that will put your profile above your competitors’. As of now, LinkedIn permits 100 spaces for the job title, and utilizing all that precious space is a smart move. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 22

3) Incorporate keywords into your about section Previously referred to as the summary, the About field should also constitute dynamic content with a high percentage of keywords. Though it isn't a highly indexed field, incorporating keywords relevant to your industry and branch of specialization will motivate the reader into going through further sections of your profile. 4) Use projects and extra sections Profiles that are jammed packed with interesting, keyword-intense information fare much better than their counterparts so use the optional fields to include more content that you think will help capture the reader's interest. 5) Adding keywords in Skills and Endorsements When you add keywords to the Skills & Expertise section of your profile, and you are endorsed for them, you profile fares better in search results. A good point to keep in mind here is that employers are more likely interested in specific skills such as “Vendor Management” as opposed to character traits like “Leadership.” URL customization One of the most effective marketing ploys to get your profile noticed by recruiters and hiring managers is to personalise your web address. And LinkedIn encourages members to create their LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 23

own custom URLs, though it doesn't stress on how essential it is, which is why probably most users don't have a personalised public profile URL on the platform. So having one will help you promote your brand that much better. Choosing your URL When you initially set up your LinkedIn profile, you are assigned a random alphanumeric name that doesn’t do anything to make your brand stand apart. For example – www.linkedin.com/in/sally-smith-423619ab387 However, when you design your own URL, in addition to you being able to use it as your email signature, on other networking platforms, on your business cards, and for any personal marketing, you will also accelerate your networking ability. By far, a URL like this – www.linkedin.com/in/sallysmithfinancialplanner, is infinitely more professional looking and memorable as well as ranking better in searches. What can the URL include? ➢ Since you are given 3 to 100 letters or numbers space, which you can utilise in the last section of your URL, you can include more than just your name. But marketing gurus believe that it's more impactful to keep it short and simple – your first and last name. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 24

➢ If you have a common name and the URL is already being used by someone else, you can add a number after your name. Or better still, to create a strong impression, your URL can reflect your accomplishment, dedication, or quality work. For example – www.linkedin.com/in/sallysmith writing is my thing. ➢ A URL isn't case sensitive, so regardless of which alphabets you type in capitals, they will all show up in lower case. ➢ Plus, you cannot include numbers or symbols, which is just as well. Keep it simple and create a URL that pops, and one that is easy to remember and share. Steps to change your LinkedIn URL Step 1 Click ‘Profile Photo’ in the navigation bar or on your image in the ‘Home’ tab page. You will be directed to your profile view. Step 2 On the right-hand side of your profile view page, select ‘Edit your public profile & URL’ words/link. Though these words aren’t an obvious link, you can click them. Step 3 Once the ‘Public Profile’ page is displayed, on its right will be a panel with the words ‘Edit URL.’ Here, you will need to select the pencil icon. By doing so, a field will be displayed in which you can edit your URL. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 25

Step 4 In case, someone else has already taken up the URL you wanted, tweak it just a bit to see whether it will be accepted, while still keeping your personal brand intact. Step 5 When your URL is accepted, remember to click on ‘Save.’ A green window will pop up at the top with a message stating that you’ve updated your settings and that LinkedIn doesn't have control over how long it will take to refresh. Step 6 In order to check your URL, simply click on ‘Back to LinkedIn.com’, which is on the top right- hand side of the page. This will take you back to your Home page and from the ‘Me’ dropdown venue, click ‘View My Profile.’ Your brand spanking new branding tool will appear at the top of the page. And now you can employ it effectively to advance your career trajectory. Just make sure when using it in print, for example on your business card, that you make it case sensitive and include all those capitals which you couldn’t use on your LinkedIn profile because it will make it even more memorable. Managing Recommendations & Endorsements Recommendations LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 26

Recommendations are integral to the success of your career growth. So garnering past and present references from employers and colleagues alike will go a long way in cementing the value add you bring. Being able to view your skills from a third party’s viewpoint will enhance your credibility and will better the prospective employer's perception of you significantly. What is critical to the success of your recommendations is that you choose the most appropriate people to write them. And here are a few helpful tips that will give you an insight into how to make your recommendations effective. ➢ Who to ask – Besides receiving a reference from your boss, you might want to consider including recommendations from a colleague, one of your direct reports and a client as well. Having other people voice their opinions on how well you work will give your potential employer a more rounded view of how everyone perceives your abilities, as opposed to just how your boss feels. ➢ The number of recommendations – Phil Rosenberg, President of reCareered, which is a well know career consultancy, says that people should not use over ten recommendations on their profile as it is a bit of an over-kill. Ideally, limit the number to two, maximum three per job. ➢ Don’t feel inhibited about setting expectations – Sometimes, it is good to give the person a general idea as to which elements of your experience you would prefer highlighted. Having said that, don't tell him or her exactly what to say because that would be unethical. And do not stipulate too many points because that may detract from quality feedback you could receive. ➢ The optimum length – Time is always of the essence, so recommendations should be short and to the point. When they ramble on, you run the risk of losing the reader's interest. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 27

Limiting the length to just one paragraph that highlights one or two strengths is ideal. Remember quality tops quantity by far. Endorsements Third party advocacies are critical. And LinkedIn recognises this in spades, which is why profiles include a special feature called Endorsements. It enables a member to publicly endorse expertise or skills in just one click on the person' profile. All you have to do is navigate to the specific section you are looking to endorse and select the appropriate button in order to complete the endorsement. It's that simple, which is probably why it isn't given much weight when compared to detailed recommendations. Endorsements though, are an exceptional way to attract new traffic and the more people that endorse you, the more recruiters and employers will be stimulated into finding out why. Which is better? Both endorsements and recommendations have their pros and cons. While the former is much easier to get, people don’t put much stock into them unless you have garnered a substantial amount. And if you do, you most likely will be expected to do return the favor. On the flip side, you have to be careful to include only quality recommendations in your profile because people attach more value to them. Suffice it to say that a few high-quality recommendations trump a load of endorsements any day. Undeniably though, when both are done well, it enhances your credibility dramatically. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 28

Chapter 6: Setting Up Strong Groups for Profile Success Groups are by far one of the most influential aspects of LinkedIn. Job seekers use groups to make invaluable connections, gain insights and leads, and advance their career prospects. How groups are essential for profile optimisation ✓ Builds a healthy environment and helps you grow strategic alliances and/or enhances your chances of collaborating with your target audience. ✓ Increases your credibility and allows you to come across as an authority in your professional community, especially if you start up a niche, focused group that attracts the right kind of people. ✓ By expanding your professional network, you will not only increase your knowledge of the industry you’re in, but it will also help you grow your personal brand. For business to business (B2B) companies, groups work exceptionally well to increase awareness through discussions and building engagement. How to create groups ➢ Group name – Simplicity is best and incorporate keywords into your group name, which will attract your target demographic. ➢ Customise the logo – Adding on a logo will nail home the legitimacy of your group and will make it that much more attractive for prospective members. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 29

➢ Optimise the summary – You have 300 characters of space for the group summary, and the best way to utilise that space is to entice people to join with dynamic content that includes keywords. It will rank higher in the search results. ➢ Group description – After selecting your group from the search results, people will read a description of it before they are asked whether they want to join. Here, you are given space for 2,000 characters, so ensure you include engaging and keyword-intensive content that will motivate the reader into joining. ➢ Create rules – LinkedIn groups haven't had the best reputation because they are susceptible to spam and self-promotion. At the outset, if you lay down ground rules regarding both, it will stimulate quality posts that will keep readers engaged and bolster the authenticity of your group. ➢ Pre-approval from admin – Either you can permit people to join straight away, or you can require them to get admin approval before they do. The latter is highly recommended as it helps to sustain the quality and hence the credibility of your group. ➢ Open vs. members only – While a small, niche group is ideal if you want to restrict the size of the group, allowing it to be open will mean it will be indexed by Google and is an effective way to promote your brand. ➢ Posting permission – Here, you will need to decide if you want members to get admin approval prior to posting or if you are fine with them posting without permission. ➢ Welcome message – In your group profile, select ‘Manage,’ and then click ‘Templates.' This will allow you to choose a default message that will welcome new recruits. ➢ Promote your group –the advantages of joining your group and ensure you invite experts of other groups as these distinguished members will increase the credibility and visibility of your group and attract more people, besides the followers they bring with them. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 30

How groups can be utilised for profile marketing By maintaining the intrinsic quality of your group by staying true to the purpose it was designed for, you will be able to exploit it for what it's worth. • Add members on regularly –It will help you grow your contacts and open up your marketing prospects. • Lead generation – Sending customised messages to your group members will better your connections with them. Plus, ensure they know you are open to new business opportunities. • Staying current - The community management feature on LinkedIn is unique to this social media platform alone. For instance, LinkedIn sends a daily or weekly digest that pertains to all the group activities so that members are kept engaged and updated. The more consistently you follow through with this, the more memorable your profile will be. • Grow your brand as a thought leader - Establish yourself as a helpful authority by answering queries and offering advice whenever you can. By building trust, you will market your brand successfully. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 31

Chapter 7: Why LinkedIn Profile Optimisation is Important As of today, LinkedIn has well over half a billion members. It is the most powerful social networking platform for professionals and is the quintessential tool for growing your connections and advancing your career prospects significantly. However, just having a LinkedIn account doesn't cut the mustard. Integral to the success of your profile is that you optimise it to enhance your chances of securing new and exciting opportunities. In a nutshell, here is a quick recap on how you can optimise your profile and why it's essential that you do. ✓ Increases visibility – From optimizing your headline, summary, personal interests, statuses, and your profile photo to customizing your URL and tweaking your account and privacy settings, you will better your profile ranking in the search results and position yourself miles above your competition. ✓ Enhances credibility – When you know how to manage your endorsements and recommendations effectively, it will boost your profile strength considerably. Remember, for recruiters and hiring managers, quality trumps quantity any day. ✓ Grow your brand – LinkedIn Groups are an invaluable component that isn't offered on any other social networking site. Creating groups will help you expand your network, build solid connections, increase engagement levels, and bolster your brand identity. For starters, aim to have a 100% complete profile and gradually over time, optimise your profile because it is the face of your brand. With LinkedIn attracting new members at the rate of over 2 per LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 32

second, profile optimization will help you showcase your professional prowess, keep you ahead of your competition and advance your trajectory to success. LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 33

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• https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/431/selecting-the-visibility-of-posts-and-links-you-share?lang=en • https://www.job-hunt.org/linkedin-job-search/linkedin-keywords.shtml • https://growingsocialbiz.com/simple-steps-creating-your-customised-linkedin-url/ • https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2015/06/09/how-to-create-your-custom-linkedin-profile-url-and-how-to-use-it/#63e47b2a73c5 • https://learn.g2.com/how-to-change-linkedin-url • https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UrrM2jGGzgQJ:https://topdogsocialmedia.com/linkedin-endorsements-vs- recommendations/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in • https://www.cio.com/article/2430649/linkedin-recommendations--five-ways-to-make-the-most-of-them.html • https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-9y0UKU7BDUJ:https://topdogsocialmedia.com/linkedin-groups- infographic/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in • https://www.workitdaily.com/optimise-linkedin-groups • https://blog.hootsuite.com/linkedin-groups/ • https://buffer.com/library/linkedin-groups • https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilpatel/2015/08/20/how-to-optimise-your-brands-presence-on-linkedin/#7dce1b505e8a LinkedIn Profile Optimization – The Ultimate Guide to an Influential Profile in 2019 35