In 2020, during the meetings’ industry’s largest crisis to date, LinkedIn saw a massive spike in new users, and content creation on LinkedIn rose 60 per cent. This social and professional media platform is not only growing in popularity for job seekers, but it’s become one of the best platforms for you to project your personal brand and share your thought leadership.
If you are a corporate meeting professional, there’s no better social media platform than LinkedIn to connect with your delegates, forge relationships with your suppliers, and elevate your brand as a strategic part of your organization’s team.
LinkedIn is a great place to connect with individuals you want to influence with your personal brand, and your LinkedIn profile will be one of the first features that your partners, colleagues and leadership examine to learn more about you and how you contribute to the organization.
Here are some of the best places on your LinkedIn profile to tidy up before you start connecting, growing your network and elevating your personal brand.
Five LinkedIn Profile Tips
- Ensure you’re using a professional profile picture – LinkedIn is seen as the business social media platform, and your profile picture should reflect that image. The more casual pictures can be left for the social channels like Facebook and Instagram. When you work for a larger organization, you are representing both your organization, and your own brand. Put your best foot forward starting right at the top of your profile. Looking to create a headshot quickly without spending a lot of money? Use the “portrait” setting (it creates a blurred background) on your phone in natural light to take a great photo.
- Capitalize on your background photo – there is a lot of great social media real estate in your background photo section. If your organization has not provided you with a template, you can capitalize on this space by creating an engaging photo (you can find a number of templates on the free tool Canva). Speak directly to your target audience with your visuals and your call-to-action on your background photo.
- Include your ideal client in your headline – The headline that appears right below your name is not reserved for your job title, but rather, you can use this section to outline how it is you serve your ideal community. Stuck for what to say? Use this template – “I help…… do this….. by providing……” Don’t worry, your job title will still come up in search results as it appears in your Work Experience section
- Include keywords in your About section – Similar to your headline, ensure your About section includes all of your audiences, and the keywords that they would use. Do you work with your organization’s colleagues and stakeholders on their events? Mention this in your About Section. Looking to influence leadership? Speak to what they would be looking for in someone who can progress in the organization. Remember to include a call-to-action in this section, so your audience knows exactly the next step they should take to further the relationship with you.
- Complete your current Work Experience role – the Work Experience section is another place for you to highlight how your work helps your internal clients achieve their objectives. While this section can resemble your resume, there is so much more room and potential to highlight how you help others achieve their goals. Take the focus off the day-to-day tasks, and highlight the larger objectives and outcomes.
BONUS TIP! Add some of your best work in your Featured Section. Highlight any public-facing events or any LinkedIn posts that speak to your thought leadership and expertise.
Being active and present on LinkedIn is one of the best ways to keep your brand and your expertise visible to all who interact with you. Take a few moments this week to update your LinkedIn profile, and start to level up your LinkedIn game.
Leanne Calderwood, CMP, believes developing a personal brand is the key to setting yourself apart in the hospitality industry. She serves her community through her blog, videos, online courses and consulting services around LinkedIn and personal branding.
