Is Your LinkedIn Profile Looking Smart?

Your LinkedIn profile should be front and center for your 2023 social media strategy. With close to 600 million active users, LinkedIn is a big player in unlocking career opportunities and business growth.

A strategic LinkedIn profile will set you up to:

• Increase your network of referrals and increase lead volume
• Recruit industry partners to help build your business
• Boost your local Google search rankings and SEO
• Become a thought leader in your industry

Let's start with the best practices for your LinkedIn profile page.

Your LinkedIn profile is a chance to present your best professional self to attract customers and connect with industry partners. Here's an example of a 'before and after' profile revamp. 

Check out these 6 major areas for your LinkedIn Revamp:

1. Put Your Best Selfie First

Everyone wants to make a good impression so make sure your profile picture is current and professional. This is your chance to let people know there's a real human behind your online profile! It's also important to note that LinkedIn profiles with photos receive 21 more profile reviews and 9 more connection requests than a profile without a picture.

Quick tip: Make sure your image is square (about 400x400 pixels) for easy uploading to LinkedIn!

2. Bold Cover Image

An image says a thousand words, so make your image count. A great cover image can really help you stand out from the crowd. Choose a background photo that doesn't take away from the profile picture you just uploaded. Don't clutter your cover image with words and always have your current company's logo present. 

Quick tip: Your background image should be sized for 1584x396 pixels.

3. Tell Your Story with Keywords

People are drawn to others by personal stories. So, what makes a good story? Sit down and organize your thoughts before saving anything in your profile. This is a place to let people know who you are, but not an area to give too many life details. Bottom line – make sure your story has a point and keep it professional. Don't forget to tie in some keywords (words and phrases that someone might search in Google to get information) as you write. 

Here's a few ideas to help get you started as you write your story: provide some context for people on how you got into the real estate business and why you love it, talk about something that professionals can relate to (finding work-life balance, for example).

4. Don't Hide Your Title and Contact Information 

You want people to be able to connect with you from LinkedIn! So, make sure you keep your contact information (name, phone number, email and website) up-to-date and super clear. Your title is also very important. Keep in mind that LinkedIn is a search engine for professionals so your professional title matters! If you want to be known for a specific niche now's your time to make it happen!

Example: Betty Smith - Realtor®/Sellers' Agent - Selling Homes in 30 Days or Less 

5. Highlight Your Skills and Get Endorsed

Don't be the jack of all trades, master of none! Find your niche and highlight your skills. This is an area for you to set yourself apart and speak directly to your potential partners and clients about what makes you a great Realtor®.

Example: If you are a master negotiator, highlight that! Can you stage a home like no other, let people know!

6. Engage! Share Videos and Articles Specific to Your Industry

Engagement is key on any social channel and LinkedIn is no different. LinkedIn now allows videos and animated gifs to be uploaded and shared within the network, so both are quickly becoming a huge part of social sharing. This is a great way to speak directly to your audience about who you are and what makes you different. Ongoing activity is a must with LinkedIn so set reminders to post a few times a week or schedule content to go out on a regular basis – this way you'll stay at the top your connections' minds!

Quick tip: share industry-specific articles that will educate, uplift and involve your network.

Put Yourself and Your Business Out There! 

Now, keeping these tips in mind, get out there and create your LinkedIn profile! Don't be afraid to be yourself and share things that are important to you. Also, be sure to engage with your connections - like, comment on, and share relevant posts from like-minded agents, industry leaders, and more to help boost your feed and engagement.