LinkedIn Profile Writing
At Buzzwords we pride ourselves on being New Zealand’s leading LinkedIn profile writers.
If you’re not yet on LinkedIn, where on earth have you been?
As the undisputed lynchpin of social networks for professionals, LinkedIn NZ is the place to sell yourself and your skills online. The Kelly Global Workforce Index revealed in 2013 that over 40% of New Zealanders had been contacted via social media in connection with job opportunities and many industry commentators expect LinkedIn resumes to almost completely supercede the traditional Curriculum Vitae within the next 5 years.
Depending on the industry you work in, this may have already come to pass. Many specialist IT recruiters, for example, admit to trawling LinkedIn resumes to identify the best candidates, rather than relying on the more onerous process of cultivating CVs from unsolicited emails.
The success story of LinkedIn demonstrates the power of niche social networking spaces. In 2010 LinkedIn’s worldwide membership numbers stood at approximately 75 million users, but today that number has more than quadrupled.
With New Zealanders holding the dubious honour of spending more time per person on social media than any other country in the world (7.43 hours per month, on average, in case you were wondering), and Kiwi based membership on LinkedIn recently exceeding a million users, why wouldn’t you tap into a networking tool that allows you to potentially showcase your skill-set to approximately 25% of the country’s population?
At Buzzwords, we have written many LinkedIn profiles for business professionals working in a range of diverse industries. Here are some of our insider LinkedIn profile tips…
- Much as we loathe corporate bollock-speak at Buzzwords, occasionally it’s necessary to embrace and accept certain en vogue terminology, and ‘personal branding’ is one instance where we’re prepared to make an exception. Your LinkedIn profile is all about promoting your personal brand and this starts with your LinkedIn ‘sub-headline’, which appears alongside your name whenever anyone searches for you, or sees your listing under a company profile. It also appears prominently in the messages other uses receive when you initially ‘connect’ with them, and as such constitutes the first impression you’ll make to each new pair of eyes. Think carefully about which keywords you wish to include in your sub-headline. Just as in face to face meetings, you will only get one shot at a first impression, so grab their attention with something punchy and memorable whilst maintaining your professional image.
- Depending on your line of work, you may want to customise your LinkedIn presence to appeal primarily to either recruiters or consumers. Each demographic has its own distinct agenda, but there are a number of traits common to both target audiences, chief of which is a limited attention span. In the era of the 7 second video (we’re referring to Vine, if you’ve been living in a cave), the aim of the game is to be relevant, and captivating, but succinct.
- Nowadays, we have more distraction to contend with than ever before. Chances are that 9 out of 10 readers, whether potential clients or recruiters, will have little to no interest in reading a lengthy recap of your employment history. That’s not to say you shouldn’t take the time to populate the ‘Experience’ section of your LinkedIn profile but that moreover, the ‘Summary’ section, as the uppermost text on your profile, is paramount and the focal point of your online portfolio. In truth, you’ll be lucky if readers even make it to skimming through your past positions, other than to take in the job titles themselves, so this is where to concentrate your best efforts.
- LinkedIn offers customisable URLs to users but (tragically, in our opinion) many users, including some of the big movers and shakers, neglect this opportunity. Why would you settle for the long string of assorted letters and numbers allocated to your LinkedIn profile by default, when you can truly own your online resume with a custom link? If your name happens to be fairly unique, such as Sonny Bill Williams, all the more incentive to grab that dedicated URL. If you’re a John Smith, you’re not likely to be as fortunate.
- Be personable and authentic. This may not be social media as you know it (Facebook it ain’t!) but it’s still crucial to avoid dry, stiff prose. Never commit the cardinal sin of sacrificing good spelling and grammar, but do write conversationally and you’ll hold your readers’ attention for longer, even if it’s just for those few crucial extra seconds.
These LinkedIn profile tips are just the tip of the iceberg. We’re working on an ebook focused specifically on the New Zealand market, so watch this space.
Social recruiting is the future, and now is the time to embrace it. Check out our own Benedict Fardey’s LinkedIn profile for more best-practice ideas, and whilst you’re there connect with him to see how we can work together to maximise returns on your LinkedIn resume, no matter your background or experience.
LinkedIn for Business
LinkedIn NZ isn’t just for individuals. Used correctly, LinkedIn can form part of your overall online business portfolio and drive clients and customers to your own site, boosting sales.
Aside from increasing direct sales, the rewards for using LinkedIn for business can be huge for those savvy enough to play the long game. This is where the social media element of LinkedIn comes into play.
LinkedIn for business is all about identifying and then reaching your audience through targeted connections. By providing the content and insight your audience craves, you can swiftly build rapport, increase brand awareness, foster loyalty and recruit powerful, connected champions of your work or products.
At Buzzwords, we are able to leverage our experience and expertise to meticulously devise the ideal LinkedIn profile for your business, providing the perfect platform from which to begin the ongoing, iterative process of making connections, sharing content and utilising the many tools available through LinkedIn to achieve your business goals. We are also able to work with you on an ongoing consultancy basis, to help keep your efforts on mission and provide the right steer where needed, so hit us up now to begin the conversation.
