Using LinkedIn for business is a very effective way to find new customers, partners and connections. But, if you donít use it right and make these common LinkedIn profile mistakes, you may miss out on a lot of opportunities.
* Not Using a Professional Image – LinkedIn is a more buttoned-up version of social networks. You don't want to put an image of you with your children, or a picture of your cat or dogs. Leave that for Facebook. Use LinkedIn to get professional connections by presenting a professional image to the world.
* Not Using the Summary Area – To use the summary area properly, use good grammar, punctuation and symbols to separate the information you provide. Reading on a computer screen is difficult and requires a lot of white space and separation. The summary is a great area to explain either what you do, or what you want to do.
* Not Using the Headline Area Correctly – To best display that headline area, notice how many characters show and how the profile looks to others. Use the pipe symbol ì|î to separate words within the headline. Also notice that on the headline area near your picture, your current position as well as some of your past positions are listed. If these positions have nothing to do with what you want to do, change how it is seen.
* Not Filling Out Your Profile Completely – There may be some areas of the profile that you do not want to fill in. That's okay, but do fill it out as completely as possible with accurate information. There is no reason to hide who you are on LinkedIn. But, you should treat it like a resume. Build the resume for the job you want, not the job you have – unless you are content in that job and want to network with others on that basis.
* Not Asking Personally for Recommendations – You want to have recommendations that show up on your profile, but do not make the mistake of connecting to everyone and sending a mass message asking for recommendations. Take the time to personally invite each person to provide you a recommendation by reminding them of your skills and what you did for them.
* Not Editing for Grammar and Typos – The worst thing that can happen is to have a profile that has a lot of poor grammar and typos. Have someone else look at your profile to notice any imperfections. The best thing to do is ask at least three other people to look for you and report issues.
* Not Creating a Personalized URL – LinkedIn provides a link that is just a few random letters and numbers. It's important that you personalize it with your name, what you do, or your business name.
* Not Submitting Samples of Your Work – Your profile allows you to include samples of your work. If you have no samples right now, create some. If you say you're a speaker and presenter, upload a recorded sample.
Using your LinkedIn profile to attract potential connections, get more clients, and even find new jobs will work if you take it seriously, fill it out completely, use professional language, the right keywords and stay focused on what you want to do.
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