7 Easy to Make (and Correct) Mistakes on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great source of leads and professional contacts, when it is used properly. Seeing as LinkedIn sends four times as many leads directly to your homepage than both Facebook and Twitter combined, it’s high time to take this platform seriously.

Unfortunately, many of us are strapped for time and already burdened with way too many tasks, neglect to take the time to optimize our LinkedIn in order to receive the full benefit it offers. Let’s see if you can help you change that right this moment.

7 Mistakes you can easily avoid making with LinkedIn

  1. Poor or inappropriate picture – Make certain that any photo you use is something that would serve you well in a business setting. Posting that fun picture from the cruise in Puerto Vallarta (that you don’t remember) may send the wrong message.
  2. Blowing the headline – This is your opportunity to tell the LinkedIn world what you do, in 120 characters or less. Don’t be vanilla and simply list “Doctor”. Make your headline compelling, truthful and inviting, all at the same time.
  3. Not Using the Summary Section – With 2000 characters to work with, this is your opportunity to tell your story in a way that invites connection. Make this a min-pitch of your services and talents, and make the reader want to know all there is they can about you.
  4. Not completing your profile – This says a lot about your business in general, that you wouldn’t take the necessary time to complete your profile. This is easy to remedy, so do it!
  5. Not including key links – You want to make sure you include links to your websites, social media, IM and any other ways you’d want to be contacted with. Don’t make them have to go anywhere else to determine how to get hold of you easily and quickly.
  6. Sending spam – LinkedIn is not a place to spam contacts with promotional offers and sales material. Everybody knows what spam looks like. Don’t do it.
  7. Not coming around – If you update your account once every few months, people will view you as someone not serious about this platform, and consequently, of little interest to them. Don’t be that guy! Update frequently.