MODERN REALITY
Tip 4 - Actively
contribute
Don’t be a bystander with LinkedIn.
If you come across an article you
find valuable and that you think
others in your network will also find
beneficial, share it. What’s more if
you have an insight into an article,
make a comment. Even if you like a
comment, make sure you ‘like’ it.
will allow you to have more impact
and credibility. It is also important
to select a photo that genuinely
reflects the real you.
Tip 2 – What does your
headline say about you?
Don’t think that your headline
automatically needs to be your
positional title. Could you use
something else such as a tagline?
Perhaps you could highlight your
passion or use a combination of
this with your title, such as: ‘Head
of Customer Service and passionate
about making a difference’.
Tip 3 – Make your
summary worth reading
Many people don’t provide a
summary or simply use this feature
to capture their work experience.
However, LinkedIn provides a
specific section where you can
capture work experience and skills,
so you don’t need to duplicate the
information here. Additionally, use
the summary to bring in all aspects
of you and what you do.
Doing this will help build your
reputation as a contributor in
your field, but also give people a
clearer idea of your passions and
opinions. You can take this further
by publishing your own post with
your own ideas, as this is a way
to establish yourself as a thought
leader in the field.
Tip 5 - Connect well
You can usually find a smarter
way to do most things in life,
and connecting on LinkedIn is
no exception. When you want to
connect with someone, don’t just
send him or her a standard request,
instead, always try to include a
personal note on why you want to
connect.
Tip 6 – Stay updated.
It is important to keep your profile
up to date. As you change, make
sure your profile reflects this. Keep
it current and keep it relevant—but,
most importantly, keep it real.
Final word on your website
When it comes to your website, you
may feel that the site needs to be
void of any of your own personality.
Unfortunately many leaders feel
like this. However, just as we can
attempt to be ‘real’ in person, we
can also take that same philosophy
for our website. If we are prepared
to show our passions, values and
beliefs in person, we should aim for
the same position on our website.
One perfect place to show this is
in the ‘about’ section. Perhaps, for
example, you could share a personal
story in this section that shows your
passion or values. Ultimately, don’t
be afraid to inject some of the real
you into your website.
Hi
We have not done business together
but I am on your mailing list and
enjoyed reading your last newsletter.
I hope you accept my invitation to
connect here on LinkedIn.
Kind regards
I believe the way this person reached
out to connect was polite and
professional—and just common
sense. These attributes are
sometimes forgotten in the world of
social media.
Gabrielle Dolan works across Corporate
Australian helping leaders humanise the
way the lead by being more ‘real’. Her
latest book Ignite: Real leadership, real
talk, real results, is available online at all
major retailers. To find out more head to
www.gabrielledolan.com
March 2016
ModernBusiness
25