Internet Marketing Tools

So far, with all the areas you have completed on the Linkedin Profile you’re customizing your Linkedin profile.  You have been completing your profile with the aim achieving the goals you have set for your Linkedin involvement.

I will now show you two additional ways you can customize your Profile to make if more effective for your Linkedin purposes.

Your Website

On your profile page, you have a place to put in the address of your websites or blogs.  When you click on this area, you will be given several options to identify the type of site you want to address.  Your last option is “Other”.  Let me show you how to use “Other” to get a higher search engine rating and more visibility for you.

When I choose the “Other” category, instead of adding my company name, Hanzal Enterprises, Inc., I added a key word phrase from my search engine key word search.  I typed in “small business marketing”, then, I typed in the address of my website.

What does this accomplish?  Linkedin has a very high page ranking on Google.  By doing this I now have my web address and a key search word phrase linked on Linkedin.  When someone types in the words “small business marketing” in Google it starts searching with higher rated pages like Linkedin.  When it sees that on I have “small business marketing” on my Linkedin site and them my website address, it gives my website a higher ranking.   I’m riding the coat tails of Linkedin higher rating to get a higher rating for my website.  A simple change makes a big difference.

Your Public Profile

You can personalize your Linkedin Profile page by using your name in the Linkedin URL.  When you first join, you are given a number as a Linkedin member.  Who wants to be a number?  You can insert your name in the Linkedin URL instead of a number.  This will boost your online presence with someone is searching for you on Google or other search engines.  Now you will have your own customized URL on Linkedin.  See my example: www.linkedin.com/in/alhanzal .

Here’s how to do this.

Click on your current Public Profile URL link, you’ll see the edit box.  You will see the original number address you were given at sign up.  Click on Edit and it will take you to a new page and a box where you can change the address.  Type in your full name–all in lower case letters as one word.   Then click Set Address.

Your name changes from numbers to your name.  Now you can put this on your signature file, websites, and other marketing pieces to let people know that you are on Linkedin.  You now have given people another way to contact you.

Your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

Getting Ready for Your Linkedin Profile

Most people get started on Linkedin in response to an invitation from someone who is already on Linkedin.  They want to get started as soon as possible.  Trying to get on to Linkedin as soon as possible can be a mistake.

I have found that by using some simple preparation steps before you actually create your profile, you can make this task easier and create a more effective profile.  I suggest the following preparation steps be done before you create your Linked profile.

1.  Have sitting in front of you the goals and purposes you have determine as your why for the Linkedin program.

2.  Have available a resume of your business experiences and educational background.   You will be referring to this in the creation of your profile.

3.  Take some time to check out other profiles on Linkedin.  See how people have constructed their profiles.  Check out people who have a large number of connections.  You can learn from these successful profiles.

4.  Do a key word search on terms people are using to search for your type of business on the internet.   If you have not done so, you can use the free Google key word search by going to: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal.  Create a list of the most commonly used search words and phrases and keep this list sitting in front of you.  You will be incorporating these words into your profile to help the search engines find you.

5.  Locate and have ready a professional photo of yourself.   Linkedin is a social business networking program.  You want a professional looking picture for your profile.

With these materials in front of you, you now have the ingredients for making a powerful profile.

To be continued, your comments are always welcome…

Al Hanzal

Your Linkedin Profile

Your Linkedin Profile is the most important ingredient for successfully using this social networking program.  Here are three reasons why you want to put time and energy into the profile component of your Linkedin program.

Your Internet Billboard

Your profile is your billboard on the internet highway.  Like billboards along the freeways, you never know when someone is going to take notice of your billboard.  No matter what purposes you have for using Linkedin, getting noticed by others is essential.  Your profile needs to be constructed in such a way that it becomes a billboard that others will notice as they travel the internet highway.

How People Buy

You are always selling on Linkedin.  Whether you are looking to advance your career, looking for a new job, looking for business resources, or looking for new customers for your business, you’re selling on Linkedin.  The fundamental rule of selling is that people buy from people they know, like and trust.  Your Linkedin profile is where people get to know you, get to like you and get to trust you.  Construct your profile, not only to show your business expertise, but also your personality as well.  Remember people buy from people not a business.  You want your personality to be expressed in your profile.  People buy from people they know and they like!

Building Your Brand

Your Linkedin profile is the marketing expression of your brand.  (I will talk more about branding later).  Your brand is the expertise you bring to your customers.  It’s the special something that connects with your customers.  It’s the one idea that expresses what they can get from you that they cannot get from your competition.  If your profile is like every other profile from others in your industry, why would a person want to be part of your connections?  Your profile offers an opportunity to establish your online reputation that will draw others to you.   You don’t want to overlook this opportunity.

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal