The document provides 10 tips for making a LinkedIn profile more effective: include a current photo, use a keyword-rich professional headline, personalize and fully utilize the 3 website links, gather recommendations from past clients, write a short keyword-rich summary, showcase skills using relevant keywords, connect with colleagues and classmates, add all email addresses to prevent duplicate accounts, customize the public profile URL, and join relevant industry groups. The tips are intended to help optimize a LinkedIn profile and build business connections.

1. 10 Tips to Make Your
LinkedIn Profile Work
for You
LinkedIn: The Know, Like & Trust of the Sales Equation
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

2. Making Edits to Your Profile
• Name
• Professional Headline
• Photo
• Websites
• Twitter
• Public Profile
• Summary
• Skills
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

3. Tip 1: Upload a current photo
If a picture is worth a thousand words…
…what is it worth if you have no photo on your
profile?
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

4. Tip 2: Make your ‘Professional
Headline’ keyword rich
• This headline travels with you around LinkedIn
• Make it descriptive
• What do you want people to know most about you?
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

5. Tip 3: Personalize and use all 3
website links
• Tell viewers where you are taking them when they click
• Include a call to action
• Newsletter Sign-up
• Consultation Request
• Download a Whitepaper
• Make an Appointment
• Register for a Class
• Take a Survey
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

6. Tip 4: Gather up some
recommendations
Give and thy shall receive…
 People will generally reciprocate in providing a referral for you when you
provide one for them.
 Request a recommendation after successfully completing a project for a
connection.
 Aim to get 2 or 3 recommendations for each position that you list
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

7. Tip 5: Summarize your summary
with keywords
 Think of this as your “elevator speech”
 Keep it short, but keyword rich
 Quick overview of talents and
specialties
 Tell what you can do for them
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

8. Free Resource:
The Key is in the Keywords
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

9. Tip 6: Show off your skill set
• Think keywords…what search term might someone use
• List specific skills that someone may be looking to hire
• Search keywords already populated in the Skills section
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

10. Tip 7: Make connections
• Import your personal and business email contacts
• Search for Colleagues and Classmates
• Browse through People You May Know
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

11. Tip 8: Add in ALL of your email
addresses
 This will prevent duplicate LinkedIn
accounts from getting opened.
 Keep old email addresses list, just don’t
use them as a primary email.
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

12. Tip 9: Customize your profile link
 Customize it to your branding
 Promote it in printed marketing
materials, email signatures, and your
website
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

13. Tip 10: Join a few groups
 Join the LinkedIn groups of your offline
groups
 Join industry/trade groups
 Join groups where your target market is
hanging out
 Participate in the discussions
 Initiate new discussions
 Don’t sell here…this is an area to build
relationships
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

14. For more help…
LinkedIn Strategies for
Virtual Assistants
Available at www.bit.ly/LIS4VAS
This e-book will help you: Use discount code: VAVS4
•Develop a focused LinkedIn strategy
• Efficiently manage the amount of time you spend on LinkedIn
• Learn best practices for building a solid network
• Gain ideas for ways to engage your network
• Learn how to effectively use groups, introductions and recommendations to build
your online reputation
• Implement LinkedIn Applications to showcase your portfolio
• Develop your “expert status”
Written specifically for the Virtual Assistant industry. Learn how other VAs are
using LinkedIn to build successful businesses.
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com

15. 10 Tips to Make Your LinkedIn Profile
Work for You
Presented by: Connect with us:
Cathy Yerges
Founder & Owner cathyyerges
Peak Profits LLC
@PeakProfits
Peak Profits LLC
PeakProfitsLLC.com/blog
608-622-7411
cathy@peakprofitsllc.com
Copyright 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Peak Profits LLC | www.PeakProfitsLLC.com