When it comes to your LinkedIn presence, it’s crucial to strike the right balance between sharing your expertise with appealing to your audience’s interests.
While your accomplishments and experiences define who you are and the value you bring to others, it’s imperative to put your audience first, and demonstrate the value you can bring to them.
Self promotion won’t really get you far. You need to adopt a client-centric mindset.
By presenting your achievements in a audience-focused, strategic way, you will more effectively communicate your abilities and contributions to potential clients, employers and collaborators.
- Showcase Meaningful Accomplishments: While it’s natural to want to share why you do what you do, it’s essential to emphasize the meaning and impact of your background and not sound too self-promotional – it’s not about you, it’s about your audience. This is why all of those posts that start with “I’m humbled and honored to once again be named to Chambers/Super Lawyers/Best Lawyers…” Instead, highlight the impact you made, the outcomes you achieved, the problems you solved and the value you delivered. This show versus tell approach demonstrates your ability to make a difference and provides the reader with tangible reasons to engage with you.
- Speak Their Language: To make your LinkedIn profile and presence relatable to a wide range of prospects, focus on transferable skills that resonate across industries. Instead of using jargon or industry-specific terms, use language that is easily understood and applicable to your audience. This enables potential clients or employers to see the value you can bring to their specific needs.
- Leverage Recommendations: One powerful way to validate your skills and accomplishments is through recommendations from individuals who can speak to your abilities firsthand. Encourage colleagues, clients or supervisors to provide testimonials that highlight your superpowers in action. These recommendations serve as compelling narratives that support your claims and build trust with your audience.
- Be Audience-Focused: Remember that until you have convinced someone of your value, they may not initially care about you or your personal story. Prioritize presenting information that resonates with the reader’s needs and aspirations. Focus on how your skills, experiences and accomplishments can address their challenges, fulfill their objectives or bring them closer to their goals. By adopting a client/reader-focused mindset, you can grab their attention and engage them on a deeper level.
Crafting an effective LinkedIn presence and profile requires a delicate balance between sharing your expertise and appealing to your audience.
While it’s important to communicate your experience and backgound, it is equally crucial to showcase your value in a way that captures the attention of your audience.
By highlighting the meaning of your accomplishments, using transferable skills, leveraging recommendations and adopting a client/audience-focused approach, you can create a LinkedIn presence that resonates with potential clients, employers or collaborators.
Remember, your LinkedIn presence should answer the question of “what’s in it for them” and leave no doubt about the importance and relevance of your curated content.
Stefanie Marrone advises law firms of all sizes, professional service firms, B2B companies, recruiters and individuals on the full range of marketing and business development consulting services designed to enhance revenue, retain current clients and achieve greater brand recognition. She also serves as outsourced chief marketing officer/marketing department for small and mid-size law firms.
Over her 20+-year legal marketing career, she has worked at and with a broad range of big law, mid-size and small firms, which has given her a valuable perspective of the legal industry. Connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, sign up for her email listand follow her latest writing on JD Supra.