In today's hyper-connected business landscape, LinkedIn optimization is critical for every business and every executive. Enhancing your profile no longer automatically means that you’re only looking for a job.
LinkedIn is a dynamic space to create opportunities for both you and your company. It’s a highly visible part of your personal brand, a place to foster relationships and establish thought leadership.
In this article, we detail why LinkedIn optimization is important for executives, and the risks associated with a weak profile.
Many executives avoid or minimize social media use. Because they may not spend a lot of time on social media personally, they equate LinkedIn with personal activity on other platforms such as Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. LinkedIn is different, however. Here are some of the reasons why:
Most serious job seekers know that having a strong LinkedIn profile matters a great deal to recruiters and potential employers. But what about executives who are already established in their careers? It might surprise you to know that an optimized profile is just as important, if not more important for leaders.
LinkedIn is the ideal platform to communicate your professional narrative. You control everything that people see. Ask yourself:
By putting effort into your LinkedIn profile, you can strengthen your personal brand.
Your LinkedIn presence not only affects your image and credibility, but it also strongly impacts that of your company. People look to the leadership team as representatives of the brand and its values.
The message that employees receive when executives slack is, “If the leadership doesn’t pay attention to their profiles, why should anybody else?”
Then the effect is multiplied, resulting in an entire team that looks weak to prospects, customers and potential talent. When 141 million people use LinkedIn every day, you and your company can’t afford to look bad.
Without an optimized LinkedIn profile, you face these risks:
LinkedIn profile views are often the first impression others have of you.
For example:
If your profile is not optimized with current and complete information, it makes a weak impression. That prospect or investor may get the wrong idea about you and opt out of a conversation.
Having an outdated profile makes it less likely you will come up in LinkedIn or Google search. If someone is searching for an event speaker in your industry, they would be less likely to discover you. That could be a missed opportunity to put you in front of prospects.
Something as simple as optimizing your LinkedIn headline could make the difference in being discoverable or overlooked.
If your company is actively recruiting, candidates typically look up the leadership team on LinkedIn. This is especially true for more senior-level roles. If potential hires can’t get a good sense of the team, this can discourage them from applying.
LinkedIn profile optimization and LinkedIn company page optimization lead to better recruitment of top talent.
If your profile is outdated, incomplete or contains minimal information, you can miss out on great job and board opportunities. If you don’t come up in search or someone doesn’t see your relevant expertise and experience – they may pass over you.
Your current role and education are a start but include all experience that is relevant to your career and business goals. Go beyond a summary that’s just a few lines and not unique. The finer points can mean all the difference in developing a relationship. This could include:
Don’t be afraid to showcase yourself with pride but be mindful not to sound too self-promotional. Many shy away from connecting with people who come across like that. Your LinkedIn profile is part of your personal brand. The best part is that you control the message!
Your LinkedIn headline is prime real estate and, along with your headshot, part of that first quick impression. Most people don’t spend enough time considering what should be included in it. People may not scroll past it if it’s uninformative or outdated. It also heavily impacts visibility via SEO.
For example, if you’re an attorney, you’d want to go beyond “General Counsel at ABC Company” or “Partner at XYZ Firm.” Specify your M&A or biotech expertise or global experience. It’s important to select keywords for your headline strategically so people can easily discover you.
Executives are often too busy to take the time to research best practices and update their profiles. It can be a time-consuming task. That’s why Point Road Group offers LinkedIn profile optimization as part of our executive branding services.
We help executives prepare for a job or board search with a comprehensive approach that includes executive coaching, resume writing, LinkedIn profile optimization and more.
You control the professional impressions people have of you from your LinkedIn presence. Unlike other social media platforms, LinkedIn has a greater impact on business and career opportunities.
By optimizing key sections of your profile, you’ll make better impressions and resonate with the people you want to reach. And as a company leader, your presence on LinkedIn acts as a model for the team – which can impact business.
