4 Tips for Writing a Compelling LinkedIn Profile

Marketing
Marketing • Posted on Jan 21, 2015

This post was authored by Charlie Van Derven of Social Advisors. Charlie will be joining Advisor Websites for an educational webinar on Leveraging the Power of LinkedIn to Grow Your Business, on Tuesday, January 27, 2015.

Facebook and Twitter are popular social media platforms, but when it comes to promoting your credentials as a financial advisor and connecting with prospects, it is hard to beat LinkedIn. The network data contained within LinkedIn is a great way to discover how you are connected to your most sought after target prospects. This data can be used to gather valuable information about your prospect. Most importantly, LinkedIn will show you how you can receive the all important personal introduction.

Referrals and personal introductions continue to drive the growth of most financial services practices. In our digital world, it is a safe bet that each new prospect is going to do their diligence with a quick Google search before they engage you professionally.

Your LinkedIn profile is very “searchable” and will likely be one of the websites that your prospect uses to vet you and grow their confidence in your services. What do prospects see when they Google you? Here are four tips to creating a compelling LinkedIn profile to ensure you are well represented when others do their diligence.

1. Upload a professional headshot - One of the most important factors in building trust amongst prospects and others visiting your profile is to include a professional photo. While LinkedIn may seem a bit more casual environment than your website, err on the side of professional when it comes to adding your headshot. If you don’t have a recent professional headshot, have one done. Please, no photos taken of you standing in front of your office door in bad lighting, no photos of you at the company holiday party with drink in hand, no photos of you with another person, though you cropped the other person out of the photo. Be professional and ensure that a poorly taken photo doesn’t hurt your chances of working with the prospect.
LinkedIn profile

2. Write a compelling headline - Your LinkedIn headline is automatically generated from the job experience section of your profile. You have the ability to modify your headline to be a description of the professional services your offer, instead of your title. Be descriptive and speak to your audience. How do you want to be perceived, as a VP, a President, a Financial Advisor? Or, would you prefer to be perceived as a Financial Coach, a Financial Planner? Tell your audience what you do, not what your title is.
LinkedIn profile 2

3. Understand and speak directly to your audience - The most important factor to keep in mind as you create or update your LinkedIn profile is the audience that will be reading your LinkedIn summary. As you sit down and contemplate the content that should be included in your profile, you need to take a few moments and answer some questions in your head:

  • Who do you want to reach?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • What do you want them to learn?
  • How should it make them feel?

When you answer these questions, it will be easier for you to gather the information and put together content that is relevant to the audience you hope will be reading your LinkedIn summary.

4. Write an Engaging Story - Now that you know the content you want to use and the audience you want to speak to, you have to make your summary worth reading. There are millions of users on LinkedIn. Take this opportunity to impress your referrals by writing an engaging narrative about you as a person and a professional. To give your profiles an informal feel, write in a first- person voice to keep the tone conversational and lively. Include credibility factors such as experience, designations and accomplishments. Also give the reader information they can connect with, like your activity within the community and your profession, your hobbies and family information.

Armed with these tips, you are prepared to write a compelling LinkedIn profile that accurately reflects your personal flair and your professional accomplishments as a financial advisor. A strong summary, good headshot and a descriptive headline will help you put your best foot forward as referrals and others do their diligence online.

This post was authored by Charlie Van Derven of Social Advisors. Charlie will be joining Advisor Websites for an educational webinar on Leveraging the Power of LinkedIn to Grow Your Business, on Tuesday, January 27, 2015.

CEO-Graham

About Advisor Websites, A Snappy Kraken Company

Founded in 2012, we specialize in helping financial advisors stand out and grow their business online with conversion-friendly, personalized websites and targeted digital marketing solutions, all of which follow FINRA and SEC guidelines.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is for informational purposes only. If you are planning to implement a new marketing practice and are unsure what the regulations are, always contact your compliance department first.

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