Last week, I had the pleasure of having Ted Prodromou as a guest speaker to one of my mastermind group calls with my clients.  If you don’t know him, Ted is “America’s Leading LinkedIn Coach” and has one of the best selling Linked In books on the market – “Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Business”.  In addition to being a guest last week, Ted has shared his wisdom and expertise with my clients in the past and dozens of my clients have implemented some of the best practices he has shared with amazing results.  It inspired me to share some of the best practices he’s shared with me and my clients to help you start optimizing your LinkedIn profile – which is the first step to using LinkedIn powerfully.

Here are some of the top tips that can help you quickly optimize your LinkedIn profile right away!

Tip #1 – Instead of using a regular title for your LinkedIn Title, use a descriptor instead.

So don’t just put that you are a coach, but describe how you help your clients.  Here’s an example:  A Wellness coach who helps women optimize their energy, feel great in their body and lose weigh  or A coach who helps experienced professionals who are burned out and unhappy to re-invent their careers.

Tip #2 – Use keywords liberally!

Remember that people searching for someone like you are likely to use certain key words in their search criteria.  If they are looking for a dating coach they might search for “dating coach” or “online dating profile” or “soulmate”.  Think what key words your clients might be searching for, and make sure you weave them into your Profile Summary so you come up in the search results when you your ideal prospect is searching for a coach like you.

Tip #3 – Post content.

You can attach videos, audios, presentations, whitepapers, articles and images to your Profile Summary to bolster your credibility.  Remember that people hire us because they feel that they know, trust and like us and feel we can really help them get from where they are to where they want to be.  Adding content can really help our prospects get to know our philosophy, approach and work!  You also can do blog posts that can be shared publicly.  This is another great way to achieve this!

Tip #4 – Optimize your Summary and direct it towards your Divine Ideal Client.

This is an opportunity to talk about you, your services, and the wonderful transformation you give your clients.  Be specific so you are memorable to your Ideal Client.  The more you pour yourself authentically into your Profile Summary, the more it will stand out.  Remember that Linked In is likely to come up as one of the top 1-3 results of anyone searching for your name in Google Search.  In fact, a lot of prospects will go to Linked In before they even go to your website because of this.  If you don’t have a website yet, this is especially important! 

Here is a format I recommend to have for your Summary (based on Ted’s recommendations, of course, but specifically tailored for coaches like you):

• The 1st paragraph should focus on your current role as a coach/entrepreneur and how you help clients in reaching their goals and dreams.
• The 2nd paragraph should talk about your process and examples of the goals you help clients meet. Include metrics if possible.
• The 3rd paragraph should be the visual break that draws the reader’s eyes. Either have it be a short paragraph or use bullets. Focus on why clients should work with you and/or how you help them.
• The 4th paragraph focuses on credibility in your particular niche. Include previous work experience, certifications, awards, published works, speaking experience, etc.
• The last paragraph should include some personal information that has them see your essence and your values. You may talk about what you are passionate about outside of work or your community involvement or your family.  This is an opportunity to show the different facets of you.

I encourage you to take a look at your LinkedIn Profile in the next week and make some changes to really have your profile stand out to your ideal clients!  And feel free to look at my profile as an example and to request to LinkIn with me, as well!

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments and feedback!

With appreciation,

Tara Butler Floch