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You want your LinkedIn profile to wow – to attract your ideal opportunities and connections and achieve your professional goals. To paint a picture of your brilliance. But without defining these three key elements first, your profile will fall flat.
1. Reflect on What Makes You, YOU
Do you really know yourself, your talents, your purpose? Truly understanding these core drivers is step 1.
Sadly, many of us don’t spend a lot of time becoming self-aware. We’re often focused on external things like attending meetings or taking action on our to-do list activities. But being self-aware is the foundation of most of the skills you need to be successful in the new world of work. It’s critical to being an authentic leader. And it’s the first step in being able to create a truly authentic and really interesting LinkedIn profile. Focus on:
- Your passions: What energizes you? What do you geek out on?
- Your values: What matters most? What guiding principles shape your choices?
- Your superpowers: What unique strengths do you bring to the table?
- Your purpose: Why do you do what you do? What impact do you want to make?
This self-reflection lays the foundation for an authentic profile. It lets you share what inspires you, not just your job title.
Of course, focused self-reflection is important, but it comes with one potential flaw: How do you know if your own view of you is accurate? People typically believe they are the best judges of their own personality, but external perspectives will reveal blind spots and help validate superpowers to help you refine your thinking. Validate your self-perceptions by asking trusted colleagues, friends and mentors for feedback.
Armed with self-knowledge and insights from others, you can craft a genuine, engaging profile.
2. Identify the People You Seek to Impact, Influence and Impress
You couldn’t possibly create a LinkedIn profile that would excite all of LinkedIn’s nearly one billion members. And the good news is that you don’t need to. Your profile must be relevant and compelling to just the people in your brand community. These might include:
- Current colleagues, managers, employees
- Prospective employers, employees or clients
- Industry thought leaders
- University alumni
- Former coworkers
Focus your profile with this lens to captivate the people with whom you want to connect and build relationships. Solicit their input as you draft your content for your LinkedIn About and Experience sections to make sure it hits the target.
With your audience identified, ensure your profile speaks directly to what matters to them. Ask selected members of your target community to review your draft content. Does it resonate? Does it highlight what’s most relevant? Make edits based on their feedback.
3. Clarify What Makes You Different
Odds are, you’re not the only marketing manager or inside salesperson out there. You need to stand out.
What’s your personal brand differentiation? How do you approach your work differently? What unique perspective or experience do you offer? Maybe it’s:
- Your fresh take on common industry challenges
- How you connect with clients on a human level
- Your combination of both creative and analytical skills
Also, think about your niche thought leadership. Get ultra-focused on your specific message and POV. This will shape the content you share (when it’s time to do so, after you’ve created the perfect profile).
Defining your differentiators gives you an edge so you don’t blend into the crowd. It’s like your own secret sauce.
Whether you’re creating your LinkedIn profile for the first time or you’re giving it a much needed overhaul, get clear on what makes you YOU, who your people are, and what sets you apart before putting finger to key.
With this clarity, your LinkedIn profile will be a magnet for exciting opportunities and connections.
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and creator of the 360Reach Personal Brand Survey that helps you get candid, meaningful feedback from people who know you.
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