10 Ways to Optimize a Marketer’s LinkedIn Profile

By Rachael Kozen

Your LinkedIn profile is likely making or breaking you right now. An optimal profile is equally as important as a good resume and arguably even more important if you’re a marketer. It’s a place for employers to get a more well-rounded picture of who you are, the format is predictable and you’re able to incorporate much more content on a LinkedIn profile than you are a resume.

Antenna’s Talent Development has created a list of 10 things marketers should do right now to make their LinkedIn profile stand out and get their job application seen.

1. Put your best self out there. This starts with a high-resolution professional photo and background. We are visual beings and your profile photo is your calling card.
2. Your headline is crucial. Get inspiration from thought leaders, sales reps and well-respected marketers. Your headline should tell employers what you can do for them.
3. Your summary is your story. So many users ignore this field when creating their profiles and miss out on the opportunity to bring life to why their skills matter. Get a head start by fleshing out your unique journey (concisely and professionally, of course) and what makes you tick.
4. Have a bone to pick with buzzwords. Check out LinkedIn’s rankings of the most over-used buzzwords. Make sure you’re showing how you exemplify these adjectives by utilizing the platform’s profile features.
5. Hustle to grow that network. Score for 500+ connections by diligently following up meetings and conversations with connection requests. Make sure to always include a message in your request reminding people of who you are and how they know you.
6. Score those endorsements. These substantiate your skills and bolster your credibility. The best way to get endorsements? Spread the love. Identify people who you believe deserve an endorsement from you and they will more than likely return the favor.
7. Share media and marketing material. The content you produce further proves your passion and commitment to the field. It also shows employers how you might market their content.
8. Follow marketing influencers. This will pepper your feed with interesting articles and the latest marketing news to share when it adds value and gives context to your profile.
9. Keep it professional. Avoid posting personal, non-business related content. Save that for Instagram or Facebook and show employers you know where to draw the line.
10. Be a star student. Showcase your passion for learning by completing LinkedIn learning classes and add course certificates to your profile.

Here are a few more tips we recommend to marketers for optimizing their LInkedIn profile.

Be open to opportunities. Whatever you do, do not put “actively seeking new career opportunities” in your LinkedIn headline. Instead, head to Settings & Privacy under Account in your profile > Job Seeking Preferences > Let recruiters know you’re open to opportunities > Change to yes. This will not notify your current employer, only other employers with premium LinkedIn accounts.

Headline is key. If you want to get a job, use the keywords in your headline that are associated with the role you want. It should also include your unique skills to convey value and get people interested to read more about you. Think of LinkedIn as a search engine and your header as the keywords you need to get noticed. Want to know which keywords to be sure to include? Head to wordclouds.com and copy/paste job descriptions for roles you want to find the best keywords for your headline.

Get a professional headshot. Having a professional photo on LinkedIn is a must. Make sure your profile and photo is public so it can be seen by any employer - not just your connections. Visit this article from LinkedIn’s talent blog to learn how to take, and choose, the best one possible. Check out photofeeler.com to see how your photo performs in terms of competence, likeability and influence.

Need more? Here are some of the top websites and articles we use for LinkedIn optimization.

“The Best Linkedin Backgrounds and How to Create Yours” from Forbes

“2020 Look Great, Be Found and Leverage Advanced Linkedin” by LinkedIn Trainer Ann Pryor

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About Antenna

Founded in 2006, Antenna is a leader in bringing top marketing professionals to corporations and non-profits for project-based consulting, interim leadership, staff augmentation, and direct placement needs. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Antenna draws from its private community of experienced marketers to provide clients with on-demand resources – both individuals and teams. Our vision is to fundamentally change the way marketing teams get work done by helping clients balance the flexibility and expertise required by today’s modern marketing organization.