LinkedIn for Contractors – unlock the massive potential for YOU!

I was lucky enough last week to attend a fantastic lecture on how to get the most out of LinkedIn from a Business Development point of view, by Mister LinkedIn himself, otherwise known as Mark Williams.

I am always looking at ways we can increase the profile of QAccounting to more Contractors and Freelancers and LinkedIn seems to be a super way to do this in a professional manner.

A lot of the tips and hints shared in this course really benefit Contractors and Freelancers in sourcing their next contract, increasing their personal brand, and having an online profile of the excellent work they have done for clients – improving their potential for tendering for work. So! I’ve skimmed the cream off the top of these tips, and outlined the top 5 things you can do, to make your LinkedIn page work better for you! Happy Connecting, Contractors!

5 tips to improve your LinkedIn Profile

1. Your professional profile

Does your page look professional and slick from the first moment someone clicks through. The picture you have for your profile is an important part of this. Mr LinkedIn advised that pictures with half of someone else’s head present are not recommended, nor having a beer in hand. Why not get someone to take a picture of you in your natural work habitat (offshore or at your desk will put a clear visual of what capacity you work in straight away)? With iPhones and other smart phones with amazing camera’s these can be really good quality, but there’s also a lot of local good photographers who won’t charge you a monstrous amount for a little professional snap.

2.Make Your email Address accessible

You might have noticed a trend recently of people adding their email address to the ‘top line’ of their LinkedIn page – you can do this by going to your own profile > edit profile > and the edit button next to your name. Update your Professional headline to be an accurate portrayal of your job, include your name, and your email address – it will make you easier to find and contact – opening you up to lot’s of business opportunities outwith your 1st connections.

3. 100% complete profile – tip 1

LinkedIn want to know everything about you professionally to help people search for you more effectively, and the people searching for you want to find out details of you also – put previous positions, scholastic, university and personal achievements up there. The more people know about you, the more they will want to do business with you. Mr LinkedIn says ‘visibility’ is the key for gaining business success through LinkedIn.

4. 100% complete profile – tip 2.

Making you look professional and authentic, through ‘Endorsement of Skills’ and ‘Recommendations’. You may have noticed skills popping up on your own profile or on others, and consistent reminders that you can endorse others for their skills.

Mr Linked urges you only to endorse skills of others that you know are actually true, and says the same of recommendations Reciprocal recommendations – I.e. recommending someone just because they have recommended you, is a bit obvious and doesn’t look authentic. Why not request a recommendation from someone who you know is already a positive advocate of the work you do. Or write a recommendation for someone who has gone the extra mile for you.

Early morning is the best time to accept a recommendation as this is apparently when most people are on LinkedIn.

5. Engage and Post content in the most suitable places.

The people who you most likely want to engage with will be members of groups which relate to the market you work in. So to make yourself more visible to the influential people in this market place, why not join a few groups, and post some content – you won’t often have to think of something from scratch, you can respond and comment on other people’s posts to raise awareness and engage with the right people to help you, by helping them.

Last of all, it’s important to remember that Social Media is a playground – the same rules of engagement apply as in normal business correspondence, but no one way is right.  Stay with what feels right for you, and your business professional profile.

LinkedIn’s Mission Statement is:

‘Connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.’ so I hope the above tips from Mr Linkedin help to make you more productive and successful in creating an online professional and engaging profile to help your future tendering for work.

QAccounting. You Count. We Count. Contact us today to find out more about our accounting services.