Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Personal Brand
Real estate is getting more and more competitive. Simply having a presence on social media isn’t enough anymore. The best real estate agents are creating a personal brand to get ahead of the game.
When it comes to defining personal branding, Chris Ducker said it best, “Your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.” Creating a personal brand is basically creating and maintaining a positive reputation that’s used to draw in potential buyers.
Personal branding is a big task and there’s no one right way to do it! A great way to get started is to learn how to use your LinkedIn profile to its fullest potential.
Whether you’re new to LinkedIn or you’ve had lots of experience on the platform, here are all the tips you need to optimize your profile and make sure you can be easily found by potential buyers.
Optimize your profile for searchability
While setting up your LinkedIn profile, your main goal should be to become as “findable” as possible. Start by making sure your profile is complete. According to LinkedIn, your profile is seven times more likely to be found in searches when you add a profile photo and twelve times more likely to be found when you add your two most recent employment positions.
Upload a great profile picture.
Your profile picture is important! Make sure you upload a clear, quality image. The profile picture should be from your shoulders up, try to avoid full body shots. Dress professionally and don’t have anyone else in your picture. LinkedIn recommends uploading a photo that’s 400 x 400 pixels and under 10 MB in file size.
Get the most out of your “About” section
The About description is one of the first things people who visit your profile will see. Take this opportunity to be specific and go into detail. Create a compelling story and talk about what makes you different from your competition.
LinkedIn has a great article on how to write an About section that stands out. Click here to read.
Add your LinkedIn signature to all other social streams
Put your LinkedIn URL everywhere! If you’re active on any other social media platforms, post about your LinkedIn page and invite your followers to find you, or paste the link somewhere on your profile. You can also add your profile link to your email signature, blog, or online resume. If you publish any content on LinkedIn, whether an article or a slideshare, put your profile link at the end!
Update frequently
Be active on LinkedIn’s platform. LinkedIn recommends posting once every business day. Sound overwhelming? Fortunately, even if you’re only posting monthly, you are many times more likely to be found than someone who never posts! In addition to content you create, it’s good to post any time you publish an article, guest-host on a podcast, make a career move, or take a new course!
Customize your LinkedIn Profile’s URL
When you first sign up with LinkedIn, they auto generate a URL for your personal profile. Usually this is linkedin.com/name123456789. To customize your URL and make it easier to use, follow these steps.
Go to your LinkedIn profile. On the right hand side of your page, click “Edit profile and public URL”
