15 Nov LinkedIn As A Business Generator
People think of LinkedIn as just social media, but it’s not. LinkedIn can help you grow your mortgage business if you use it wisely. You have only a few seconds to make a good impression with your LinkedIn profile. Here’s how to create a profile that immediately captivates your audience.
Be consistent with your name, suggests Quill. “Match your LinkedIn account name with the name you use on your business cards, email signature, and resume.”
Also, add a professional photo. “Your photo should reflect your current age and should be a head-on picture of mostly just your face without a very distracting background,” states Quill.
Moreover, use simple language and avoid buzzwords. Don’t describe yourself as a ninja, wizard, or guru. Good words to use include “organizational,” “motivated,” “dynamic,” and “extensive experience.”
Forbes advises that you join groups that will let you connect with people who are in your target audience but are not contacts. Being part of the group gives you permission to reach out to them and invite them to join your network. You don’t need to upgrade to Premium to do so.
In order to be successful on LinkedIn you have to know the top five strengths for which you want to be recognized and use them in your profile – repeatedly. If your top skill is project management, describe your project management proficiency in your summary as well as in multiple experience descriptions. This will help the right audience find you.
How do you create this content? Reuse and repurpose the content you already have available. This amplifies your message and delivers brand consistency. Communicating different forms of the same content in distinctive ways helps reinforce your messages within your brand community. Convert your Blog posts into activity updates and embed whitepapers and articles in your profile.
Also, ignore LinkedIn’s advice to only accept connection requests from people you know. That helps sell Premium, but it doesn’t help you get found. LinkedIn’s search algorithm favors those who are in your network. That means when people are looking for what you have to offer, the results of their searches are displayed with 1st level connections first, then 2ndlevel connections and so on.
You also need to integrate your point of view (POV) into your summary and experience where appropriate. Join groups where you can share your POV as it relates to your area of expertise. It’s a great way to distinguish yourself from competitors.
Think of it this way: Your profile is not a resume or CV. Write as if you are having a conversation with someone. Inject your personality. Let people know your values and passions. In your summary, discuss what you do outside of work. You want people to want to know you.
And don’t be afraid to ask your contacts to endorse you for your top skills. Having the highest number of endorsements for your signature strengths will influence those who are looking at your profile. Have the courage to delete or reject the endorsements that aren’t central to how you want to be known.
On the same topic, only give recommendations and endorsements to those whom you genuinely admire. When you recommend other people, their reputation is seen an extension of your values.
So, use LinkedIn to the fullest to grow your business.