People often turn to me and ask what are the most critical things to focus on in their Linkedin profile in order to stand out. I actually have a simple answer - put the focus on the top, on your "digital business card". Before you begin doing anything else you must perfect the "sacred Trinity" of Linkedin. These are three elements of your profile that are visible through all of your activities in Linkedin – whether you post, comment, like or show up in recruiters search results, and if these three are not wisely designed, can energy put in other things be a waste.
Think that recruiters and headhunters review hundreds of profiles daily, spending an average of just 5-8 seconds (!!!) on each one to determine if it's a good fit. So you have only a few seconds to make the first impact. Think of what Ryan Serhant stated, "The first impression is your last impression if you are not smart about it!".
So what are the three elements of this "sacred trinity" of Linkedin profile:
1) Your name. You might be surprised, but it is not always clear for people how to write their name on Linkedin. As a recruiter I have seen all kinds of experimentations with this profile element that seems so simple.
2) Your profile photo is the first thing people see when they see your activities through Linkedin or when they come to your profile. Choose a photo that is professional, high-quality, and shows your face clearly.
3) Your headline is the third element of the trinity. Keep it short, clear, and attention-grabbing. Use keywords that highlight your skills and experience, and make it clear what you do and what value you bring.
But let's get technical, here comes more precise guidelines:
Your Name
Writing your name on LinkedIn should be the simplest step, yet people often complicate it unnecessarily. Since LinkedIn is the best platform to promote your personal brand, your service or product, there are people who try to stand out by adding emojis, extra titles or keywords to their name field. It is not uncommon to see heels , rockets , unicorns , wizards and biceps in people’s name lines. People with high diplomas tend to add the academical abbreviations in the name field – Dr, PhD, MBA, CFA, CFP. Some people add their profession to their name: Real Estate Agent, Marketing guru, Sales pro. Also, I have seen people who don't want to show their identity and use abbreviations or modified name forms, such as El Na or Alex P.
However, your name field is meant for your name - nothing more. LinkedIn is about building your personal brand, and your name is a critical part of being found in searches. Adding unnecessary name elements can appear unprofessional or even annoying, which distracts from your profile’s purpose. In Linkedin user policy it is actually prohibited using pseudonyms, fake names, business names, associations, groups, email addresses, or special characters that do not reflect your real professional name.
Misspelled name can also cause a problem during the verification process. When you do the verification using your national ID, The name on your passport must match the name on your LinkedIn profile. If they don’t align, your verification may not be successfully added to your LinkedIn profile.
To maintain professionalism, improve visibility, and ensure a smooth verification process, keep your name field clean, professional, and simple - stick to your name only!
Your Profile Picture
Your profile picture is a crucial element of your LinkedIn profile! Alongside your name and headline, it appears wherever you are present throughout Linkedin. As humans, we naturally seek a sense of connection, often looking for a friendly expression or a welcoming smile to help us decide if we want to engage with someone or not. Think about the moment when being lost in a new city and you need to ask for directions - you instinctively look for friendly faces and read body language to ensure the person feels safe to approach. It is exactly the same in the digital world. Or even more important since the traffic on the web feed is more intense than on the city street.
Choose a photo that looks like you: this might sound like a weird recommendation, but recruiters know what I am talking about! When you expect a young guy with long fluffy hair to come to the interview and in reality it shows up a slightly chubby bald man… You can imagine the situation. Simply said – it is not right to create false expectations!
Face should be ca 60% of the picture: this ensures your profile is relevantly displayed compared to others. When you work with employer branding, try to ensure that all the people in your company homepage and Linkedin have pictures with even face size.
Be the only person in the picture! No cutouts or corners of a group picture. And no pets and children please!
Right face expression: suitable for business situations. Smile and look directly at the camera. You want to appear friendly, energetic and approachable (and ready to take a new job in case you are looking for one).
Get someone else to take the picture for you: avoid selfies and low quality pictures. Invest in a good photo session with a professional.
Simple, non-distracting background: Use a neutral background that is not distracting and allows you to stand out in the photo.
Not a passport or driver’s licence picture: No one looks good in the photobooth pictures. This does not represent you in the best angle.
Dress as you would for a business situation: avoid using too private/summery/party clothing. Dress as you would in the business meeting. If it is a suit, give it a go. If you work in a startup, then a hoodie is perfectly fine. Be wise using the right stylistics and colors. For example navy blue and gray spreads a professional and trustworthy vibe, while red expresses energy and leadership.
Don't forget to check the privacy setting of your profile picture. Many people have their profile picture set to only show their 1st level connections. My recommendation is to make your picture visible to the public. Why? Because a visible profile picture can be indexed by search engines, and also headhunters and recruiters. We tend to trust people who don't hide their face. You come out better in the search results and might not miss any good offers.
Headline – this is where the magic happens
By default, your LinkedIn headline is your current title and your current company. Simple and safe, but unfortunately doesn’t help you to stand out - it is not telling the story of you nor displaying your personal brand, strengths and uniqueness. Test it - next time you browse LinkedIn for new connections, take a moment and think about how much influence a person’s headline has on your decision to view their profile. You will quickly notice the difference between those with traditional, "safe" headlines and those that stand out as unique and attractive.
A good headline should showcase:
Whom you help and how: Your headline should tell what is your expertise, and whom you can help with it. If you're looking to attract a specific audience, such as recruiters or potential clients, include that in your headline. For example, "Helping tech companies grow through digital marketing"
Highlight your USP and UVP: Your headline is a great place to showcase your unique value proposition, selling point or mission statement. This can help differentiate you from others in your field. Try to keep a good balance between facts and creativity.
Significant accomplishments: If you've received any notable awards or recognition, you can include them in your headline. It is not wrong to use numeric data if this illustrates your achievements/abilities best.
Read it through the hiring manager's / business partner's / client’s eyes: does it showcase your value proposal and is it clearly understandable?
Expertise, Experience, Achievements, Interests: This is a great place to highlight the things you're good at and want to be known for. Use keywords that are relevant to your industry or profession.
Avoid spelling mistakes: Show your quality by fine tuning your texts and fixing any mistakes. This is the place to build trust, don’t spoil this opportunity!
A headline has 220 characters, use them wisely! And keep in mind that only 69 first characters are visible in desktop view when you comment or engage, and only 46 are visible in mobile view. So the first 69/46 characters are most crucial - make sure your most important message is there!
My special tip - use an emoji: To stand out, find an emoji that speaks for your service/product/personality and add it on the first line of your headline. It is very catchy! When reading texts, people tend to catch pictures and numbers before the text, use the tiny picture that brings you attention and brings people to your profile.
Focus on your future, not on your past!
When building your LinkedIn profile, it’s important to focus on your future instead of your past. Your profile should show where you’re going and what you want to achieve. It is like a rule of attraction - you will attract into your life whatever you focus on. Whatever you give your energy and attention to is what will come back to you. While your past experiences are important, they mainly show what you’ve already done. Focusing on your goals and plans helps people see your potential and how you can bring value in the future. It shows that you’re growing and looking ahead, which makes you more appealing to employers and connections. A forward-looking profile helps you stand out as someone ready for new opportunities and challenges. Think about it when you design your headline, you can design it in accordance to tell the recruiter's and future business partners where your focus is heading.
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