One of the reasons people create a LinkedIn profile is to generate leads, get more customers, get more meetings, get more business, and for some, to position themselves as experts in their field. Increasing your reach and visibility is one of the things speakers keep in mind when opening a LinkedIn account; their main goal is to be recognized on this platform.
In this article, we'll introduce to you a speaker's LinkedIn checklist in order to help you get more speaking engagement and build credibility.
Firstly, how can we position ourselves? What should we do to ensure we're positioning ourselves the right way so we can be in touch with someone ready to pay us to speak to their organization, team, or company? Let's dive in.
PROFILE OPTIMIZATION
Add a professional profile picture
Adding a professional picture to your LinkedIn profile is one way to improve your authority. Make a good impression with your visual media; your headshot and background banner photo must be top-tier and have a high contrast between your picture and the background. You want these images to be professional, crisp, clear, and accurately represent who you are as a speaker. Use the same profile picture on your social profiles to strengthen your brand's identity, recognition, and trust.
Create an engaging headline
Make your headline eye-catching, memorable, and conversation-starting, and it should also be attention-grabbing and to the point. Remember that your headline is not your summary; it is what you use to entice people to read your summary. It summarizes who you are, what you do, and what you can do for others.
At SpeakrBrand, we believe you should ask yourself, "Would I want to connect with me if I was on my profile?" "Is my profile welcoming and professional?" Keep tinkering until the answer is YES! Your headline should explain why you are an expert speaker.
Create an interesting bio with a story
When creating an interesting LinkedIn bio as a speaker, try to be brief; people don't have time to read a long story in your bio. Your connections want a clear, entertaining, and exciting storyline. Details should include a positive narrative about bigger things you've done, and a larger picture of your skill set and experience fit into what's happening. Don't include all of your information because you want people to question you.
Attach relevant media
What kind of media should you include on your LinkedIn profile to distinguish yourself from other speakers? Your media can include images, videos, a link to a website or video, a PowerPoint presentation, PDF documents, and so on. The primary purpose of this is to verify some of the things you said in your summary or a specific section of your experience because it's one thing to be able to say it, but it's quite another to see or demonstrate that you did it.
You can include certificates, examples of your success, completed courses, volunteer work, and awards. As a result, it's a simple way to distinguish yourself while providing evidence for what you claim in your profile.
Build out your experience section
Keep your description as brief as possible, with one to three lines explaining what you did as a speaker. Then, in three to five bullet points, describe your key or measurable achievement within the role. It is essential because you want to demonstrate that you were able to add value to your previous work experience.
You also have the opportunity to sell yourself and provide additional information about your previous work experience in a one-to-three-line description. When an employer reads through your work experience section, they should be able to make an informed decision based on the information provided.
BEING SOCIAL
Develop a documented daily routine
Documenting your daily routine on LinkedIn lets you track your progress and challenges. It enables you to determine what works and what does not, which days are more productive and which are not. It aids in time management as well as the completion of the task for the day. It helps you stay organized and focused on your goals and projects, making you more productive.
Like/comment on 5-10posts per day
When you like or comment on feeds or posts daily, it appears in the feeds of people you are connected to. It is critical to always comment positively or in a meaningful way that can add value to your connections.
By commenting, you're propelling it forward and letting people know what you think about certain issues. What you also like or comment on must be strategic and match your value as a speaker.
Post weekly (ideally an article post)
Posting valuable, exciting, and engaging content on LinkedIn with relevant hashtags will help new connections find your profile and may also be the tipping point for some of your current connections to contact you, book a meeting, and become a customer.
The more content you post, the more chances your connections will have to engage with it, the more likely they'll share that content with their connections, and the more likely someone who lands on your profile will be willing to connect with you.
Find and engage new/trending content
On LinkedIn, there are so many new topics and trends every day. Content that supports your point of view or message as a speaker. When you engage meaningfully in new or trending content regularly, it helps increase your brand awareness.
It also attracts people and keeps them coming back for more. When people see your name on headlines or comments in content, they see you as a credible source of information.
Join Relevant LinkedIn groups
Joining and actively participating in LinkedIn groups is one way to broaden your network and expand your reach. Join groups that share your skills, experience, and goals. The more active you are in the LinkedIn group, the more you will advance.
Additionally, you will receive more engagement through LinkedIn groups when you share your content on LinkedIn.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
Connections
You need to have as many connections as possible to get your message out on LinkedIn, whether for your next job or client. You can get connections by adding your email address; when you do this, it automatically populates everyone in your contact list on your email and displays all of their names; from there, you can add your connections. You can add connections from previous companies, schools, or organizations you've attended and future companies you'd like to work with.
Send each new connection a personalized LinkedIn message
First impressions are important; you want to send a welcoming message to your connections and tell them about the services you provide so that they can keep you in mind when they need a speaker.
A personalized message instills confidence and helps you build relationships with your new connections. Personalized messages can help initiate meaningful conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Ask the last few people who engaged with you for endorsements (and endorse them)
Please don't wait for the connection to come to you; connect with a friend, family member, or colleague who can vouch for your work and ask them for a recommendation or skill endorsement to make your profile stand out. Including these recommendations on your profile showcases your work and gives the person viewing your profile a professional sense of who you are as a speaker.
See, it’s not difficult to optimize your LinkedIn profile as a speaker. Working through these concepts above, one by one, will show you that you can make significant progress even if you only have a few minutes to spare during your lunch break or weekends. When you fully utilize the benefits of your LinkedIn profile, you'll be amazed at how much of a difference it can make for you and your brand.
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