Are you eager to take over the world – or at least really boost your reputation and visibility? Good for you! That’s a big, hairy, audacious, and very admirable goal – and those kinds of goals are near and dear to my heart.
One place you’ll want to start is LinkedIn, of course. Because your awesome personality will only shine through partially on a digital page, let’s focus on some ways you and your profile can stand out on LinkedIn.
1. Publish visual content
You know how your LinkedIn news feed looks like Facebook, right? Well, yes, there are far fewer cat videos, but otherwise it looks the same. LinkedIn changed their news feed two years ago for a reason: People love visual content.
Therefore, everything you publish on LinkedIn has to either be visual (an infographic) or include a visual element (a photo or custom graphic – stock photos are perfectly fine, too). Don’t be lazy or cheap here – visual content will absolutely help you stand out in the news feed.
2. Take a stand
When you publish an article on LinkedIn, take a stand. Pour your heart into whatever issue or topic you care the most about. Really put yourself, your point of view, and your expertise out there. Those are the kinds of articles that go viral, start conversations, and are remembered.
3. “Show” your story
I actually started typing “tell” your story, but then I realized, no – you need to genuinely demonstrate who you are. Answer the following questions (or at least the ones that really resonate with you), and then weave your responses into a cohesive story that you publish under “Summary”:
- Why do you care so much about what you do?
- What do you love to do most of all? What are you best at?
- What do you do that’s original and different? Where do you get your inspiration from?
- When have you pursued something with focused determination?
- What have you accomplished? What results have you delivered?
- How do you go above and beyond?
- How have you transformed a company, team, or process?
4. Highlight your accomplishments
Note that two of the questions above focus on your accomplishments. You want to demonstrate with quantifiable information that you do what you say you do. Listing your skills, roles, or responsibilities just doesn’t cut it anymore.
5. Ask for very specific recommendations
What do you want to be known for? That’s what you ask people to write about in your recommendations. When you ask for a recommendation, provide them with the topic and an example of a recommendation you really like.
6. Join and start conversations
Whether you want to get on the radar of your general target market, industry influencers, or specific companies you’d like to work with, make it a habit to join and start conversations. Because people are busy and can’t be bothered leaving comments, the more active you are on LinkedIn, the more you stand out.
Go get ‘em – and good luck!
What are your tips and tricks for standing out on LinkedIn – or anywhere else?
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