In the past few years, LinkedIn has changed dramatically from a “jobseeker” platform to a powerful online networking platform helping people connect to their dream business opportunities— whether you’re looking for a new job, clients, PR opportunities, speaking engagements or more.
“Over the last 18 to 24 months it’s been remarkable how much opportunity there is on LinkedIn.” – Gary Vaynerchuk
Even for small businesses, there is a lot of opportunity hidden in this powerful online network. But, with so many people active on the platform, it might be difficult to differentiate yourself from competitors and stand out from the crowd.
In this blog post, I’m sharing 3 personal branding tips on LinkedIn for small business owners so you can attract your dream clients and business opportunities:
1. Create a complete, well-optimised LinkedIn profile.
First, have a look at your personal LinkedIn profile. Did you know that complete profiles earn up to 21x more profile views, 36x more messages, and 9x more connection requests? These are all potential business opportunities!
Spend some time to create a complete, well-optimised profile with your target audience in mind. Who is your ideal profile visitor? Add a catchy headline, write an engaging summary and use relevant keywords to increase your chances of appearing in search results. You can download my free LinkedIn profile checklist here.
2. Build and nurture your network.
LinkedIn is a relationships-driven platform. Build and grow your network by connecting with relevant people and invest 10 – 15 minutes every day to build your relationships by scrolling through your LinkedIn Newsfeed (your “homepage”) and engaging with relevant content within your network.
You can even opt in to receive notifications about birthday’s, news mentions and work anniversaries in your network so you can send a quick personalised note to build know, like and trust with your network and stay on top-of-mind. Guess who people will reach out to when they need help related to your products or services? 😉
3. Increase your visibility to get noticed.
Finally, to build your personal brand on LinkedIn you need to increase your visibility to get noticed. Share valuable, high-quality content such as status updates and long-form articles including a photo, video, PDF file or a link to an article to establish yourself as a thought leader in your area of expertise.
Think of industry insights, news mentions, career accomplishments, client success stories, company culture and behind-the-scenes, product launches, and any tips or advice regarding topics related to your personal brand, and, keep in mind your target audience whenever publishing content on LinkedIn.
Remember, people buy from people. Invest time in building your personal brand on LinkedIn so you can stand out from the crowd and attract your dream clients and business opportunities!
Do you want to take your LinkedIn presence to the next level? Download my free LinkedIn profile checklist to create a complete, well-optimized profile and create a killer first impression with your target audience.
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LinkedIn™ Profile Checklist
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