5 Ways to Use Your LinkedIn Profile to Attract Clients

With so many opportunities available to grab attention and get noticed, are you making the most of your LinkedIn profile?

Put yourself in the shoes of that connection you made at a networking event. When they search your name on the Internet, what will they find?

Generally, they will discover your LinkedIn profile in the top three to five results. If you think about it, that gives you quite a bit of power to catch the eye of potential clients.

Here are 5 ways to use your Linkedin profile to your advantage….

Revamp your background photo.

One of the changes that LinkedIn has implemented is the ability to add a background photo to your profile. This makes the field wide open for opportunities to showcase your company’s branding. At the very least, you should take advantage of this chance to put up some sort of branding that displays your identity or your company.

A better step is to make the most of your background image by addressing a pain point or a desire of your target market. Basically, you put your foot in the door to reveal how you can solve their problems in the rest of your profile.

Make a great first impression with your profile photo.

As the saying goes, “you have only one chance to make a good first impression.” Keep these suggestions in mind as you consider revamping your profile picture:

Use a head shot that doesn’t come from another photo. Resist the urge to crop out that image and use it on your profile. Take a fresh picture
People need to see your face, so crop your photo from the elbows up.
Smile! You immediately show potential customers that you’re approachable.

Develop a headline that solves visitor’s problems.

LinkedIn automatically pulls content from your Experience section as a headline. That means your most recent job title and company will be displayed. Not a big deal – if you don’t mind missing out on opportunities.

When someone stops at your profile, they are not necessarily thinking about you. Instead, they really care more about themselves. Take this opportunity to spell out how the solutions you provide to prospective clients – rather than your most recent position.

You can easily edit this line so in a few seconds, you reveal to prospects how you fix their problems and satisfy their desires. Don’t forget that this line also shows up under your name in the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” list.

Make the most of your summary.

The “Summary” section provides you an opportunity to explain who you help, how you help, why they should work with you, and how they can get more information.

You have 2,000 characters available – so make good use of all of them!

Most importantly, make it easy for prospects to reach you by putting in your contact information.

Display recommendations from others.

It’s one thing for you to talk about what you do and how good you are at it. It’s better when someone else does the bragging for you!

One of the best places to get recommendations is from past clients, colleagues, and business associates. An easy way to receive recommendations is to reach out and give them.

Flattery does get you places – so include testimonials and endorsements.

Want more useful tips on leveraging your LinkedIn profile to grow a qualified pipeline of sales? Take a look at our 7 Step LinkedIn Funnel Checklist.

About Trevor Turnbull

Trevor Turnbull is an Online Reputation Specialist, Social Media Educator, Linkedin Trainer, Podcast Host and Speaker that has been quoted in numerous publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Globe & Mail and the Toronto Star discussing the value of networking and how social media is impacting the way people do business today.

Trevor is the founder of Linked Into Leads, a LinkedIn lead generation, training and consulting company that finds, qualifies and connects clients to their target audience using the #1 network for business professionals. He is also the co-founder of NetworkingInVan.com, the premier destination for business professionals, entrepreneurs and students to learn valuable networking tips and stay up to date on the top networking events in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

As the founder of Legacy After The Game, Trevor Turnbull provides empowering social media & leadership education to athletes, coaches and sports professionals so they can control their brand, build their career and shape their legacy after the game ends.

As the former COO of Sports Networker and the Sports Executives Association, he helped current and aspiring sports business professionals take their sports career to the next level and is responsible for growing the largest sports industry focused group on Linkedin (Sports Industry Network) that is currently at 196,000+ members and growing every day.

Trevor is also a past contributing writer on Entrepreneur.com where he provided entrepreneurs and small business owners with informative content on the topics of management, leadership, teamwork, innovation, growth, marketing and sales using lessons that can be learned from the world of sports and applying them to “real world” business challenges.

As a Linkedin Trainer and Social Media Speaker, Trevor has presented to a wide audience on the value of social media for both individuals and businesses. His diverse background and “non-techie” presentation style allows him to bridge the generational gap between the “traditional” and the “new media” opportunities in personal branding, networking, marketing, sales and sponsorship.

Trevor not only teaches others how to leverage the power of social media, he also practices what he preaches and has seen the benefits of strategically using Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to build his own personal brand, connect with influencers and grow his numerous businesses.

He is a lifelong sports fan that has competed at a high level of competitive sports including participation in the CIS University Cup as a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey program. He is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan – College of Commerce program with a major in Marketing.

Visit My Website