Storytelling
This is a nice perspective on what we say about ourselves - specifically on LinkedIn - from a 14 year old. http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130905033034-52594-your-story-is-your-brand?trk=tod-home-art-list-small_1 Here's a thought about "Your Story is Your Brand". Why leave anything out?
Are you ready to be vulnerable? What if you were to talk about a failure you had and how it has helped you with today's success?
Keyword Rich Profiles
When people are searching for someone, they aren't typing in the words "awesome", "innovative" or "strategic". It is fine if you want to use those words to describe yourself, but make sure your profile also includes the words that people actually search for: sales, project management, meeting planning.
Endorsements
I've been getting a lot of questions lately from clients about LinkedIn endorsements. People are endorsing each other quite a lot and some of you are concerned when someone who you haven't worked with endorses you. If you've done a good job with your online presence and have conveyed that you are an expert in a particular area, then people will feel comfortable endorsing you for that skill.
Recommendations are still an important part of LinkedIn and if someone takes the time to write out a statement about why you are so "awesome", then that carries a lot of value. The endorsements are more of a numbers game. If someone is searching for a person with event planning skills or meeting planning skills and they pull up a list of potential matches, they might view those profiles and judge them based on how many endorsements they have. With all of the qualifications being equal, it is a way to differentiate yourself. Don't feel like you to have to return the favor, just endorse people who you think are skilled in that area.
Oh, and don't ask someone for a recommendation if you have never worked with that person. I'm hearing from people that is still going on and it just makes for an awkward situation.
What did you think about the post I linked to above? What questions do you have about LinkedIn?
