Linkedin for Founders

A founder of a startup is the face of the company. People talk about your product and service with an impression in mind that YOU as a founder created them. With internet becoming a popular source to share information, it is also an excellent medium to spread awareness.

Social media provides immense opportunities to network and also connect with potential audience and LinkedIn is a must for startup founders for professional networking. It is a MUST if you wish to leverage your network and reach out to the right people at lower costs and in the best possible time.

A ‘killer LinkedIn profile’ is the key to grow your personal brand and company over the internet. We would say building a great profile requires spending quite a lot of time and iterations and is nothing less than an investment. Here are some tips for startup founders to build a ‘killer LinkedIn profile’:

#1: Make sure all your  information is up to date

When someone looks you up on google, your Linkedin profile shows up in the top 5 searches. Hence, it is imperative to have a well groomed profile on Linkedin. First impressions are the best impressions.

When you sign up with LinkedIn, it will ask you for certain basics like DOB, gender, email ID etc. But, once you finish creating an account, go ahead to fill out the complete profile including – employment details, business details, academic data and your personal data. Make sure your profile is 100% complete and that you are mentioning the name of your startup hyperlinking it to the official website.

#2: Put up a professional display picture

LinkedIn statistics say that profiles that have a picture are 14 times more likely to be viewed. So if you’re still showing a silhouette, it’s time to make a change and reveal yourself. Also ensure that the picture you use is not very old.  A profile with a display picture allows the audience to connect instantly and they can actually see you – though just through a small photo.

#3: Use the ‘headline’ and summary space smartly

Use the headline option to differentiate yourself from rest of the profiles.  While building your summary, focus on your career accomplishments and aspirations. Long summaries are a thing of the past. Make your summary look crisp and neat in less than 50 words.

#4: Customize the URL of your LinkedIn profile

Customizing your LinkedIn URL makes it easier for people to find you by a simple search of your name.  Otherwise, they’re left searching through the hundreds of LinkedIn profiles who have names similar to yours when looking for you.

Most users have some combination of name and several numbers as a default URL. You want to shorten that to your first and last name if possible. If your ideal custom URL is already taken, look for a memorable combination of initials and last name, use in your middle name, or otherwise get creative so that people will be able to find you easily. Again, when you have customized the URL, make sure you let the audience know that the creative link to your profile.

Wondering how to personalize the LinkedIn profile link? Follow these steps –

• Click on the ‘Profile’ option in the top bar of your page
• Look for edit profile. Click on it
• Look in the light gray box beneath your profile picture. There you will find the link to your LinkedIn URL followed by an edit button. Click the edit button and type in your desired customized URL

#5: Have your connections endorse and recommend you 

Endorsements are testaments to your abilities in certain fields and welcome additions to your LinkedIn profile. They show up on your profile page when a viewer visits your profile page. You can request for endorsements from your profile page.

On the other hand, recommendations are when your known people speak about the good and positive things about you. Request for recommendations by starting with people who know you and love you in real life and then expand out to reconnect with fans from your past. Or, try this little trick – write a recommendation for someone you respect and that person is likely to want to return the favor (assuming he or she knows you well enough and has a positive perception of you).

#6: Follow Influencers 

Top minds like Bill Gates, Richard Branson and several others write on Linkedin’s Pulse and following influencers can be a great way to gain some valuable insights.

Also, anyone can publish content on Linkedin and we are doubly sure that Linkedin’s publishing platform can get you more mileage and visibility

#7: Join relevant groups

Join groups that are relevant to you. Most of the Linkedin groups have more than tens of thousands of members and is a great way to stay connected with community. You not only stay connected but can be up to date with whats happening by being part of the discussions and often these groups also serve as lead generators.

To manage your skills and endorsements settings, go to Edit Profile. You can add and remove areas of expertise and control if you want to be included in endorsement suggestions to your connections.

So, go ahead make your LinkedIn profile attractive and make sure you have all relevant complete information on it. Also, try to put in your contact details, in case prospect stakeholders would like to reach out to you.

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