Your LinkedIn profile may be the single most important factor in whether or not you’re attracting leads on LinkedIn.
Last week, I shared how LinkedIn is by far the best way I’ve gotten clients. I gave you a peek behind the curtain at the 4 best practices that help me grow my blog traffic and brand awareness on LinkedIn.
You may remember I showed you how to increase your connections, how often you should post, how to publish LinkedIn articles, and how to expand your posts’ reach. (Click here to read that post.)
Pretty good stuff, I’ve got to say!
But even if you follow all 4 of those best practices to a T, you still won’t see the traction you want unless you optimize your LinkedIn profile.
The reason why is pretty simple. When people come across your content on their LinkedIn feed and are intrigued, the very next thing they do is click on your name to view your LinkedIn profile.
The content they find on there determines whether or not they reach out to you, browse your blog, or sign up for your lead magnet.
So you’ve got to make your LinkedIn profile as enticing as possible!
The problem is that many entrepreneurs don’t know how to optimize their LinkedIn profile. So they stuff their About section with distracting details and write a headline that sounds unique but doesn’t really communicate how they help.
Not a great way to start.
What You’ll Learn About Your LinkedIn Profile
In this article, I’m walking you through how to optimize your LinkedIn profile so you can garner as many leads as possible. I’ll teach you best practices for your:
- Headline
- Profile picture
- Cover image
- Contact info
- About section
- Featured section
- Business listing
- And more
Are you excited to get more leads? Let’s dive in!
Your Headline Is the Most Important Aspect of Your LinkedIn Profile
Hands down, this is what you should focus on first when optimizing your LinkedIn profile. Your headline is the title that appears right under your name:
Your name and your headline are what people see when they come across your post in their feed. If your headline is compelling enough, it will get them to click.
So what makes a compelling headline?
Some say to be as unique as possible. But in my experience, this can quickly devolve into simply confusing people. For instance…
“Brand-Focused Growth Hacker for Purpose-Driven Adventurers | Empowering people to change their lives.”
I’m sorry… I still don’t understand what you do or how you can help. Let’s try that again with plain language.
“Marketing Consultant for Christian Entrepreneurs | Helping you grow your business with proven strategies.”
Simple yet effective. After seeing a headline like that, Christian entrepreneurs who need help with their marketing will want to know more.
Some final tips:
- Use plain language
- Use keywords that your ideal client is searching for
- Show immediately how you can help
Update Your Profile Picture
Make sure your profile picture is clear and on brand. I recommend choosing a more professional photo than you would for Facebook or Instagram. This is because most people on LinkedIn are professionals, and when they’re using the platform, they’re thinking with a business mindset.
When choosing a profile picture, also consider your brand colors. It’s a good idea to incorporate your brand colors into both your profile picture and your cover image so that they look good together.
Your Cover Image Should Match Your Branding
Speaking of your cover image, do you even have one? Many people don’t! For a while, I didn’t even know how to change my cover image. I thought the blue placeholder was all that was available.
So wrong. This is simply one example of how tech-challenged I can be!
To change your cover image, just click on the pencil icon on the cover image. Upload a photo that’s 1400 x 425 pixels. You can easily create a compelling cover image in Canva.
Your Contact Info on Your LinkedIn Profile
Make sure your contact info is filled out with at least your business email and business website. If you have other applicable social media to add there, go ahead and include those as well.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to check out someone’s website but couldn’t find it anywhere on their LinkedIn profile!
What to Do With Your About Section
All right… this is the section most people have major questions about. The About section can be a little intimidating for people because they know what a big deal it is.
Your About section is basically your LinkedIn elevator pitch/warm welcome.
Above all else, I recommend that you open your About section with how you help your ideal clients.
Beyond that client-focused opening, you truly do have some creative flexibility here! Here are some ways to get your creative juices flowing:
- Showcase some of your top products or services.
- Share about the values that drive your business. Perhaps what inspired you to start your business in the first place.
- Add a short and sweet testimonial from one of your star clients.
- Talk about how your blog helps your readers.
- End with a strong call to action. What’s the next step you want them to take?
To see how I did my About section, check out my LinkedIn profile.
Feature Your Lead Magnet or Best Content
If you have a lead magnet to get people to sign up for your email list, your Featured section is the perfect place to highlight it!
Pro Tip: Create a landing page for your lead magnet and use a promotional image as the page’s featured image. That way, when you add the link to your lead magnet’s landing page to the Featured section, it will automatically show the promotional image.
Here’s an example of how I did it:
Don’t see a Featured section on your profile? Simply add that section by clicking “Add profile section” at the top of your profile page.
Optimize Your Business Listing Under the Experience Section
Make sure your business is the latest job visible under your Experience section. Use the description of your job to show people once again how you can help your ideal client.
You can also highlight your lead magnet again by adding your landing page’s link in the job description. (The more times you can promote your lead magnet, the better!)
Add Relevant Info to Your LinkedIn Profile
As long as you have these key points in place, you’re good to go!
But perhaps you want to season your LinkedIn profile with more compelling content. If so, consider adding any of the following that are relevant to you:
- Education
- Certifications relevant to your business
- Awards
- Volunteer positions that have grown your expertise
- Leadership positions in other organizations/chambers/clubs
Are you ready to start optimizing your LinkedIn profile and generate more leads? Make it easier on yourself and use this blog as a reference as you go through your profile piece by piece.
Still need some more help with optimizing your LinkedIn profile? I’d be happy to coach you through how to turn your profile into a lead-generation machine! Set up a free clarity call with me to get started.
Jenny Rose is a freelance copywriter and content marketer specializing in B2B marketing, real estate, and accounting. She's written for clients like AAA, Edward Jones, Flyhomes, Guild Education, and more. Her writing has also appeared in publications like Business Insider and GOBankingRates.
