YO U R I NVE STI N G
Why Your Profile is Worth a Million Bucks When employers or clients check out your LinkedIn profile, who do they see? An expert or a missed opportunity? Brenda Ward talks to Stanley Henry of The Attention Seeker.
A potential new employer checks you out on LinkedIn. Do they see an impressive CV, that you’re influential, and that you have a welldeveloped network of high-calibre people? Or will they just see an old photo, an outdated resumé and a few dozen connections? Stanley Henry of The Attention Seeker says that’s not enough to get the most out of this influential social platform. He says the first thing many people do after meeting you at an event, being referred to you as a potential client or seeing your job application is check out your LinkedIn profile. And they’ll judge you on it. “Nothing is as effective as personal reputation and relationships in business,” he says. “Networking and connections are part of ‘your brand’. So, don’t leave it to chance. Control it.” If you’ve neglected LinkedIn, it’s not too late to start now, he says. “You can become influential within your own personal or business circles. LinkedIn creates opportunities every day. And it’s not just for when you’re looking for a job.” WI NTE R 2 0 2 2 | I N F O R M E D I NVESTO R 3 8
Stanley returned to NZ at the end of 2019 and started The Attention Seeker, just before the first lockdown in 2020. Now he leads personal branding and marketing for multimillion-dollar companies in New Zealand and internationally, has a team of 14 in Auckland and outsources work to the Philippines. A fast-growing platform In 2016 there were just 1.5 million Kiwi users of LinkedIn, but by February 2022, there were 2.3 million. That’s 47.7 per cent of the entire New Zealand population, and 1.4 million of those are people aged 25 to 34. So, why is LinkedIn worth your time and effort, and how can your profile be worth a million bucks? There have been changes at LinkedIn, says Henry. “It’s optimised its algorithm to show relevant content from within a network instead of allowing big influencers to dominate. “Unlike other platforms, this lets small
companies build and grow, not just corporations.” Small start-ups can turn into businesses worth millions or billions by using business-to-business marketing on LinkedIn, says Henry. He cites the example of the owner of a small IT startup he worked with. “It started with a team of two. “Through the power of digital marketing via LinkedIn, the business has grown to having 36 clients and a massive following within its industry. He’s on his way to becoming a thought-leader.” The rise of the thought-leader For a chief executive to become an industry expert, they need to become a thoughtleader in their industry, says Henry. “A thought-leader is more than a marketing strategy and a way of promoting your ideas, your role and work of your company. It can help change the nature of your company culture and industry. “The content you produce as a thoughtleader can help raise the value of ideas and the spread of information in general. You
