LinkedIn can be a very helpful tool for your business and professional career. While it may not be as fun and exciting as other social media sites, you can put in a little work to gain great professional benefits. Taking a few minutes to make sure your LinkedIn profile is not only up to date but also as engaging as possible can help you grow your professional network and reach new potential clients. Here are a few essential tips from Attorney at Work.
- First impression first. Your profile photo is the first part of your first impression. Make sure you are using a professional photo that is a close-up of your face while still featuring your neck and shoulders. Ensure you have a high-quality image with a clean background, a professional setting, and do not include photos with family, friends, pets, holding any items, etc. Another big part of your first impression is your header photo. Use a quality image that is relevant to your work – your firm’s logo, your city skyline, a courthouse in your area, or an image associated with your niche practice area.
- Profile basics. Your headline tells people what you do and what makes you different. A very basic headline could read, “Senior Trial Attorney at Smith Jones Law Firm,” but this doesn’t really give much information. Attorney at Work suggests a tagline that shares your values and details what you do, for example, “Attorney helping families plan for their futures, prevent conflict, and protect their assets so they can preserve their legacies.”
- Contact information. Make sure your contact information is up to date and include your phone number and email so potential clients know how to reach you. You should make it as easy as possible to get in contact with you so they don’t move on to someone else.
- Tell Your Story. The About section, similar to your headline, gives you the opportunity to tell your story and share anything you want with your audience. Why should potential clients choose you over your competitors? Write in the first person and use complete sentences. Think about what you might say if you were asked at a networking event, “What do you do?” Share what makes you different or stand out – such as any special training or certifications you have, honors and distinctions you’ve received, the number of years you have worked in your specialty, or the number of cases you’ve tried.
- Highlight your skills and experience. Don’t just list all the previous jobs that you’ve had. Give more detail about what you did in your role, the contributions you made during your time in that position, and the responsibilities you had. Next: skills. Again, don’t just jot down all the basic buzzwords that everyone else has – who isn’t going to say they are hard-working? Think of traits and skills that are unique to you that others in your field don’t always possess. Always focus on things that give you a competitive edge.
LinkedIn is more than a social media site, it is a way to connect professionally with colleagues, grow your network, and reach new potential clients. This is a free resource you can use to grow your personal and professional brand. It just takes a little time to make it a more effective resource for you. Check out the full article from Attorney at Work here.
