Can you help me with my LinkedIn profile?

PUBLISHED July 3, 2013 IN Growth, Online Marketing

WRITTEN BY Myah Shein

Can you help me with my LinkedIn profile? image

This week two people asked to hire me to help them with their LinkedIn profiles.  While the LinkedIn profiles of both professionals needed improvements, their mutual deeper need was a personal brand.

This week two people asked to hire me to help them with their LinkedIn profiles.  While the LinkedIn profiles of both professionals needed improvements, their mutual deeper need was a personal brand.

Essentially a personal brand answers the question “What do you want to be known for?”   Here are two examples:

Client 1

Perceived Problem:  A financial advisor asked for help updating her bio on the company website and her LinkedIn profile within the SEC social media rules.

Real Issue:  Hardly anyone knows this advisor was recently tapped for an influential and visible leadership position within her large investment firm employer and concurrently began to increase her efforts around networking, writing thought leadership, and public speaking.

Solution:  At a minimum, these efforts are appropriate updates for her bio and LinkedIn profile.  An even better plan is to tie the pieces together with cohesive message that reinforces her personal brand as a knowledgeable and personable advisor who looks at the “whole picture” for her clients who are likely to have unusually complicated circumstances.

Client 2:

Perceived Problem:  A VP has thrown his hat in the ring for a recently vacated leadership position for which the search for a replacement will garner national attention and attract hundreds of applicants.  He has seen the LinkedIn profile of his perceived competition and wants a profile at least as good.

Real Issue:  The top competitor has a well defined and well known personal brand but my client does not.

Solution:  Craft a message around why he wants the job and what he brings to the table that no one else can as the internal candidate.  Describe his academic and professional accomplishments in his LinkedIn profile and attract Endorsements and Recommendations to add qualitative third party reinforcement to his personal brand.

So, what do you want to be known for?   Call me if you need help.

If you’ve read this and are still thinking “No, really, I just need help with LinkedIn.” then perhaps this article is more your speed:  LinkedIn (How To and Why?)