The Most Passionate eCommerce Coach & Advisor
Be Creative. Add a background photo to your personal Linkedin profile.
A beautiful background is visual and supports your profile and career. It’s a great way to showcase your personality and interests.
Simply click on edit profile and then click on “Add background photo”
Sell Yourself. Add a unique value proposition in your profile.
Tell people why should they bother looking at your profile and what you bring to the table. Mention what you are known for.
Simply click on edit profile and edit the headline. You can also read this amazing post on how to create the perfect Linkedin headline.
Make sure to customize your public profile URL.
It makes it look professional and much easier to share online. Personal branding is all about being unique and having your own unique Linkedin URL is a great way to accomplish that.
Simply click on edit profile
Invest in your personal brand on Linkedin because it’s a powerful way of boosting awareness with minimal effort.
To make your life easier with curating, scheduling and posting valuable info on your profile, here’s a list of 3 tools I recommend you start using.
Personally, I truly believe Bufferapp is one of the easiest ways to publish content on Linkedin. It’s easy to setup and you can get a free limited feature account which is more than enough to get you started on the right track.
I currently use the Awesome Plan which costs me around $102/year. I can connect up to 12 social media profiles, schedule up to 200 posts and connect up to 15 blogs (RSS) to easily share their content. I love the fact that it also comes with its own browser extension.
Here’a video that shows you easy it is to share content using this tool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hJLTuQq4WQ
Try Hootsuite to Post on Linkedin
Last year, I was using Hootsuite but I felt it had more than what I needed that’s why I started using Bufferapp.
Hootsuite is perfect for not only to schedule content but to also manage your social media profiles as well as discussions. If you want to use to engage with your community, it’s one the best and most affordable tool out there especially if you want to use it for business purposes too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH45WJda_gA
As I mentioned earlier, Hootsuite is a great a solution if you want to take your business to the next level as well.
I personally never used this tool for any of my personal branding efforts but it wouldn’t hurt adding it to my list of tools since it offers features similar to Bufferapp.
Try Dlvr.it to Post on Linkedin
Whatever tool you decide to use, keep in mind that you need to be consistent with your content sharing on Linkedin if you plan on taking your personal brand to the next level. These tools have to be used efficiently if you want it to work for you. Curate relevant posts and schedule them according to what you see performing better. Most of these tools provide you analytics where you can track on many likes or clicks your posts are getting. Keep track of those so that you can tweak your overall strategy as needed.
If you plan on using Linkedin for personal branding, you will need to make sure your profile stands out from the rest. One way to do so is by using a feature Linkedin has added recently which allows you to customize your cover photo. This feature was only available to premium members but no longer.
Before you start designing a beautiful cover photo, keep in mind the following required specs.
Recommended Size: 1000px x 425px
Maximum File Size: 4MB (if image is too big, use Trimage to compress it)
File Type: File type JPG, GIF or PNG
Also, your profile image & header will overlap the bottom part of your profile cover photo. Make sure not to place important information within that section of your image since it will be covered. You can learn more about all the requirements directly here.
Let’s move on to the 3 tools to help you create a cover photo on Linkedin:
This is my favorite tool to create any type of graphic without requiring major editing. It hasn’t been in the market for longbut it truly help change the overall graphic design landscape for online websites.
Not only it’s free but it comes with all sorts of pre-designed templates to help you get started with ease as well as creativity. Also, you can literally buy stock photos directly on the platform without having to import or upload any of them. They usually start at $1/image.
Try Canva.com for designing Linkedin Cover Photos
Picmonkey was among the top tools used by many individuals for their social media graphic needs, even before Canva.com. What sets Picmonkey aprt from Canva is the fact that it enables you to edit graphics with ease and not simply create new ones. It’s free to use but does offer a premium affordable version as well.
Try Picmonkey.com for Linkedin Cover photo designs
I usually compare this tool to a very basic version of Adobe Photoshop. Two things I love about Pixlr is that it’s free and it’s web based meaning that you don’t need to install anything on your computer to make it work.
Remember that this tool requires some graphic knowledge as well as it doesn’t have pre-configured Linkedin cover photo templates for you to start with. You will have to create a new file and set the dimensions needed before getting started with your design.
Try Pixlr to design advanced Linkedin Cover Photos
Keep in mind that there are many any other tools out there but those are the main ones I’ve used personally with success. They fit any budget, easy to use and do offer advanced editing capabilities such as Pixlr. I recommend you test all 3 and see which one fits best for your needs and ease of learning.
Have fun!
Professionals around the world connect with each other through numerous online channels. One way is through a social network called Linkedin.com
With over 300 million users around the world, Linkedin is indeed the most popular social network for professionals. You can use it to build your identity online and connect with classmates as well as colleagues. It’s also a great way to find your next job or opportunity.
Here’s a video which explains it in a more visual way.
Now that you see the true potential of this social network, you need to get familiar with how you can use it for your personal branding efforts.
Here are 5 ways you can use Linkedin.com for personal branding.
Summary of what is covered in this post:
Let’s get started.
I recently wrote a post 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Investing a Single Minute (or Dollar) in Your Personal Brand. In this post, I talk about the importance of focus when building your brand. It will make things a lot easier once you have clarity.
Ask yourself…
It’s a simple question yet, it’s one that not many people think of or have an immediate answer for. It’s all about determining what value you bring to those who connect with you.
Example:
My name is Alaa Hassan. I’m in eCommerce advisor, online marketer and speaker. I help inspire businesses to leverage the power of the Internet to generate profit and scale their online business.
I’m sure you’re not simply thinking of building your personal brand for the fun of it. I am pretty certain you’re trying to get something out of it such as a new job, an increase in salary, selling your services or even speak at events. Figure out what is the ultimate goal.
Example:
I want to be recognized as an eCommerce expert so that I can be offered high paying opportunities to help companies grow online as well as speak at eCommerce events.
We all do what we do for specific reasons. It can be for financial benefit, entertainment or education. Whatever it is, you need to know why you’re planning on investing time in your brand on Linkedin.
Creating a profile is only the first step. Making sure it’s fully completed and well optimized is crucial if you want it to get noticed. Here’s a list of things you need to consider improving:
Make sure you use your exact name as well as ensuring it’s spelled out correctly. When people search you on this network, they tend to use your full name.
Your profile picture is in my opinion one of the most important elements in your Linkedin profile. First impressions are key and you want to make sure your picture isn’t going to negatively affect that. I would recommend you use a professional photographer and have him or her create multiple shots so that you can change it once in a while.
Don’t just write the department you’re part of but also specify your current position so that it’s a little more descriptive. I would also recommend you use descriptive keywords in case you feel your position isn’t really exciting. For example: Passionate eCommere advisor at….. instead of “advisor”
Make sure you complete your Linkedin profile by adding all relevant experience. Just like your resume, you don’t need to add everything especially if it has nothing to do with what you want to be know as for your personal brand. For example: if you were a waiter at a restaurant and now you’re actually an accountant, there’s no point in mentioning that experience.
I love how Linkedin provides you many features to help you raise awareness of your expertise. Not only can you showcase that using your profile experience but you can also post status updates, share industry related articles, post images and even publish your own article similar to a blog post.
If you want to succeed at this, you need to make sure you’re consistent with these initiatives. You don’t want to do this daily and all of a sudden stop for weeks or even months. Keep it balanced.
Think of a status update as a short piece of advice relevant to your industry. It can also be a thought or an update on a recent event you’ve attended. Whenever you post a status, people within your network will see it on their Linkedin newsfeed. If they like or comment on it, people within their network will also see your post. This can certainly become very powerful.
I’m sure you read many online articles on news sites or blogs within your industry. Make it a habit of sharing the most valuable posts on your Linkedin profile. I usually do this whenever I find something worthwhile sharing within the eCommerce industry.
Once in a while, why not share a motivational quote or piece of advice through a picture. People are visual and images get noticed within newsfeeds. Not everyone has time to ready a post. Sharing something as simple as an image can still have an impact on your network.
If you love writing and sharing your knowledge, you will love the fact that Linkedin now allows users to publish a post within their profile similar to writing on a blog. This will help you share your knowledge as well as raising awareness of your expertise.
One of the easiest ways to expand your network on Linkedin is through joining all sorts of groups within your industry. You can add people to your network easily if they are part of the same group but I don’t recommend doing that too much since it’s not really personal.
Here’s a great article to help you get started called The Definitive Guide To LinkedIn Groups For Marketing.
Make it a habit of checking your Linkedin newsfeed once a day. During that time, engage with content by liking it, commenting or even sharing it if worthwhile. People love it and they will do the same with your content.
Here’s a list of ways you can engage with success:
1. Share someone’s post
2. Comment on someone’s update
3. Comment on a group discussion
4. Comment on someone’s new profile pic
5. Congratulate someone on their new job
Here’s a great article that describes in more details how you can engage effectively on Linkedin.com
A healthy professional life starts with healthy relationships
Linkedin allows you to expand your network with ease.
1. You can add individuals from the people who you may know page.
2. You can add individuals from the Alumni page to see people you went to school with.
3. You can add individuals from performing an Advanced People Search to find people by keyword.
Don’t simply add people to your network without ever getting in touch with them. Make it a habit of reaching out once in a while by sending them a message through Linkedin. A simple hello goes a long way. This initiative will remind people of who you are and what you do which is perfect for personal branding. You never know but a discussion might lead to a new opportunity.
We all attend events during the year related to our industry. I attend a lot of eCommerce conferences on a yearly basis. My friend Sid recently wrote a post on How To Network Like A Ninja At Conferences where he mentions the importance of pre-conference initiatives where you reach out to your current connections in order to see if there’s an opportunity to connect with them during an upcoming event.
Using Linkedin, browse your connections and see who’s most likely to attend the event and send them a brief message. Event if they’re not, it will be regarded as a nice gesture and might even consider attending the event in the future.
Many professionals use Twitter for communicating. Although I wish Linkedin had an easy way of tweeting someone rather than messaging them, you can still use Twitter to nurture leads.
Make it a habit of following your Linkedin connections on Twitter. When doing so, you will be able to engage with their content similar to how you would do it on Linkedin directly. You can retweet, favorite or even send them a direct message which will certainly help you nurture the relationship.
If you want your personal brand to get noticed online, Linkedin is among the best places to start. Millions of people are in this network and that makes your job a lot easier but you will need to find ways of gaining attention since it’s very crowded.
Remember this: Stay authentic and don’t be annoying.