See 7 Mistakes You’re Likely Making with LinkedIn

LinkedIn has become a social media giant among professional and business people. The days of it being simply a place to dump your resume are long over, as LinkedIn now drives four times as many visitors to your home page as Facebook and Twitter combined. Not only that, newer initiatives on the site such as the ability to post content and the new ad platform bode well for the future prospects of the platform as it relates to business.

But all of that makes no difference if you’re making any of these 7 mistakes. Take a peek and see where you can make some improvements and have LinkedIn work well for you and your business.

7 Mistakes to avoid making with LinkedIn

1. Poor or inappropriate picture - Make certain that any photo you use is something that would serve you well in a business setting. Posting that fun picture from the cruise in Puerto Vallarta (that you don’t remember) may send an inappropriate message.
2. Blowing the headline - This is your chance to tell the LinkedIn world what you do, in 120 characters or less. Don’t be bland and only list “Doctor”. Make your headline compelling, truthful and inviting, all at the same time.
3. Not Utilizing the Summary Section - With 2000 characters to work with, this is your opportunity to tell your story in a manner that invites connection. Make this a min-pitch of your services and talents, and make the reader want to know all there is they can find out about you.
4. Not completing your profile - This says a lot about your business in general, that you wouldn’t take the necessary time to complete your profile. This is easy to remedy, so do it!
5. Not including key links - You want to make sure you include links to your websites, social media, IM and any other ways you’d want to be contacted with. Don’t make them have to go anywhere else to find out how to get hold of you easily and quickly.
6. Sending spam - LinkedIn is not a place to spam contacts with promotional offers and sales material. Everybody knows what spam looks like. Don’t do it.
7. Not coming around - If you update your account once every few months, people will view you as someone who is not serious about this platform, and consequently, of little interest to them. Don’t be that guy! Update frequently.