For financial advisors making resolutions about business building in 2017, improving your LinkedIn profile is a good place to start.
In a Putnam survey of more than 1,000 advisors, 85% reported using social media for business, and more than half stated LinkedIn was their primary social network. Advisors also reported gaining significant assets by using social media. In fact, the research found a median asset gain of $1.9 million attributed to social media use.
Here are 5 ways to improve your profile.
1. Update your headline. Start the new year with a great headline, describing what you do and emphasizing a new skill. If you haven’t already updated your photo and other profile information, review the basics with five ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile.
2. Refresh your summary. The summary serves as your brand statement. LinkedIn allows you 150 words to describe who you are and what value you can bring to clients. Revisit key components of your summary, and consider a refresh with accomplishments from 2016 and new services for clients in 2017.
3. Incorporate key words in your profile. Search is the main driver of visibility. Make sure you are including popular keywords throughout your profile. Keywords are recognized by LinkedIn’s search algorithm as well as by Google and other search engines.
4. Start a morning LinkedIn routine. Check your email for notifications and browse LinkedIn network updates for news, trends, and professional activities. Take a few minutes to monitor job changes, birthdays, and other life events for opportunities to reach out. Scan Twitter for news that may help spark a discussion. Review our daily LinkedIn to-do list for helpful tips.
5. Resolve to post regularly. There’s no specific rule about the frequency of posting, but Putnam research has shown that those who differentiate themselves by posting regularly see the greatest ROI from their LinkedIn participation. Posting or sharing an interesting article a few times a week can become part of your LinkedIn routine.
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Putnam Retail Management.
