Personal Brand using Linkedin – Part 1, The Basics

Social Media is by definition, social. Three main platforms have taken centre stage – Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. If we were to compare these platforms to life in the real-world, Twitter would be a cocktail party, Facebook would be a backyard BBQ, and Linkedin would be the boardroom*. This makes Linkedin the platform of choice to create a personal brand for professionals & business people and will be the focus of the discussion on this series of posts.

Think of your Linkedin profile as an asset to your company and as a portrait of the professional that your customers would want to do business with. Include all details of your experience and include words that your prospects may use in their searches (put yourself in their shoes as you write). There are 8 main activities to cover when you start with Linkedin:

1. Create a custom URL and enable your public profile
2. Use a headline that is not your current position but rather something that describes what you do
3. Create a robust summary that covers your experience and distinctions
4. Think of keywords that your prospects will use to find you in your headline, status posts and descriptions
5. Use applications and widgets to link to other social media platforms such as blogs and document repositories
6. Include website links to your company, personal, and other sites
7. Get recommended by your peers and customers as much as possible
8. Develop your network by including colleagues, peers, and customers

This is only the first phase of creating a solid personal brand online using Linkedin. The next posts will cover how you can gain credibility, become a trusted adviser and reach new customers that you never thought possible.

(*adapted from Debbie Collins)