Your professional brand is defined by information found about you online. Today's buyer starts their search before the salesperson enters the equation. A compelling, optimized LinkedIn profile is an opportunity to not only be found online, but to control that digital first impression. Learn how to create a complete, keyword optimized LinkedIn profile. Research shows you are 40 times more effective in all your efforts on LinkedIn with a complete profile. Understand the value of a building a large LinkedIn network of connections. The size of your network is directly linked to your rank in Google and LinkedIn search. However, it's not enough to have a complete, keyword optimized profile and a large network. This is only the foundation you build upon. To be successful on LinkedIn you need to proactively reach out to your network: engage with valuable content and status updates that are both helpful and relevant to your target audience. LinkedIn members are searching for thought leadership on LinkedIn. This is an opportunity to warm up the cold call and position yourself not as a service provide, but a valuable resource. Your content should reinforce your branding statement and address the challenges that your clients and potential clients have. If you do this consistently, your network will have a clear understanding of your value proposition and reach out when they have a need. Remember "People love to buy, but they hate to be sold." I coach people on how to use LinkedIn to market themselves and their business to a targeted audience. If you want to learn more about this, please reach out to me for a complimentary consultation. 201.444.2991 or merrill.theresa@gmail.com

1. merrill.theresa@gmail.com
Build your Brand
on LinkedIn

3. Fundamentally changed
the environment
business
professionals
operate in

4. 60% of the sales cycle is over before
sales rep involvement
You must be sharing content & engaging in
conversations through social media to
impact the buying cycle

5. Expect to be Googled
Control what is found

8. Get Noticed

9. Build
Your Professional brand
1
number

10. View
yourself
as a
product

11. WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF,
WHEN THEY THINK OF,
YOU!
YOUR
IDENTITY
merrrill.theresa@gmail.com

12. Optimize
Your profile to be found
2
number

13. Complete Your Profile
Headline
Photo
Summary
Experience
At least 5 skills
At least 50 connections
=
@sellsocialmedia
You’re 40 times more effective with a complete LinkedIn profile

14. No profile
photo,
No
credibility
Upload a professional headshot

15. Create a keyword rich headline
merrill.theresa@gmail.com
120 characters to build your brand

16. Keywords
words or exact phrases
used to search for
someone, or something,
on the Internet

17. Who you are
Whom you serve
How you help
Tell your story with a
Summary Statement

18. Affirm
relevant
Skills
Get
endorsed

19. Showcase What You Do Best

20. Leverage a Powerful
Network of Connections
3
number

21. Connect with purpose

22. Strong Ties = your
friends, first degree
connections on
LinkedIn.
Weak Ties = your
acquaintances, friends
of friends. Second and
third degree connections
on LinkedIn.
Sociologist Mark Granovetter’s
Classic Study of Connectors

23. operates on
this very premise
Enabling professionals to
build a network of
“weak ties” to increase their
sphere of influence

24. Listen to your Network

25. Study Social Signals

26. Are you
looking
at me?
merrill.theresa@gmail.com

27. Engage People Who Viewed Your Profile

28. Check Notifications

29. ReSearch for
Targeted
Prospects
S
Refine your search by criteria: function, seniority level,
industry, geography, current/previous jobs…

30. Engage with Content for
Thought Leadership
4
number

31. People come to social platforms for
thought leadership

32. Content now garners six times more engagement
than jobs on LinkedIn.

33. Build Expertise Around a Niche You Own

34. Focus on timely
and relevant
Status updates

35. Engage, don’t enrage

36. Think W.H.A.M
factor
What here affects
me?

37. How to
Increase Engagement
on LinkedIn
Status Updates

38. #1. Include Links

39. #2. Use Images

40. #3. Educate

41. #4. Ask Questions

42. #5. Acknowledge with Mentions

43. #6. Use listicles

44. #7. Create Branded Quote Boxes

45. #8. “Like”

46. #9. Comment

47. #10. Share

49. First 5-10 minutes: acknowledge social signals
5-10 minutes: post updates
5-10 minutes: “like, comment & share”
5 minutes: reply to comments
5 minutes: accept invites

50. Socialnomics author

51. Thanks!
Theresa Merrill
LinkedIn & Social Media Expert
merrill.theresa@gmail.com
Connect with me on LinkedIn
Follow me on Twitter @sellsocialmedia
Call me: 201.566.1351