the one thing that improved my confidence on LinkedIn by jennifer corcoran ‘Everything you’ve ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear’ – George Addair I’m not quite sure why but a lot of professionals and entrepreneurs are scared of putting themselves out there on LinkedIn and lack confidence in how to connect and put their best foot forward. A lot of it stems from the fact that most people quickly set up a social media profile; they create their login, password and bio and that’s it, they’re done and they never fully investigate the security and privacy settings in the back end or the potential functionality on offer. This can consequently lead to fear and overwhelm. In 2014, I decided to bite the bullet and I completed my first proper training on LinkedIn for Business – learning the ins and outs of the platform gave me so much more confidence and a much-needed boost. It helped me to not overthink things and to get in the flow and truly be myself when I’m online.
knowledge is power If I can advise you all of one thing to do today that will change how you engage and present yourself on LinkedIn it will be to invest in a professional headshot. Firstly, and most importantly, if you haven’t already got a profile photo please load one up straight away! After all you wouldn’t go to a face to face networking event looking less than your best so just because you’re online there is no excuse. LinkedIn is a social networking platform and a hugely valuable business tool so if you’re not showing up, it’s like turning up at a face to face meeting with a paper bag over your head – it hardly counts towards building that all essential know, like and trust factor eh? Statistics show that LinkedIn members with a profile photo receive far more engagement; in fact 21 times more profile views and 9 times more connection requests. By investing in a professional headshot you are telling the world that you mean business whether you are a professional or a business owner. I remember getting my first headshot done – I was shy and nervous and didn’t really consider my posture. The results were still great, and I immediately raised my personal brand online and the way people treated me changed almost instantly.
They noticed me, they listened to me, they respected me, and they collaborated with me. What’s not to love? That new headshot gave me confidence and the power to be the real me online. I showed up in a new way. I didn’t hide in the side-lines. I engaged, I commented, I liked, I shared, and I gave back to my network. I started to build an online community versus a collection of ‘contacts’. There are two things that your profile headshot should be: 400 x 400 pixels. Your entire face should be visible and centred – no hiding near any corners! Humans are innately wired to make snap judgements based on appearance. What do you want your headshot to say about you? A picture really does say a thousand words. Be honest with yourself, what is yours saying about you? Is it a selfie? Is it well-lit and professional looking? Is it current? Does it look like you? Do you look approachable? Are you dressed suitably for the profession / business you’re representing? Do the colours you’ve chosen reflect your brand and give you confidence? Would you want to do business with the person in the photo? If you’re not sure about your photo check out www.photofeeler.com. This site allows you to upload a photo for free and it will be ranked by your peers in terms of likeability, credibility and influence. I tried several stances when I did mine and looking head on to the camera always scores the highest.
If you want to learn how to fully optimise your LinkedIn profile check out Jennifer’s services via www.mysuperconnector.co.uk. Jennifer offers 1-2-1 support and group workshops. She also has an online training course ‘LinkedIn Profile Success’ and BrandMe! readers qualify for a 20% discount with the code 20OFFLPS
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BrandMe! Magazine: Issue 3 May 2019
