Solopreneur: Five Ways to Turn Your LinkedIn Profile into a Lead Magnet

You may think that you have a good Profile.
Are you positive about that?
If a prospect lands on your LinkedIn Profile right now,
what would she think about your Profile?

Your LinkedIn Profile is a crucial asset to brand yourself, your products and services and boost your sales and client base. It is your personal online real estate. Everybody gets an online piece of land on LinkedIn and an equal opportunity to build a mansion on it. Yet, most LinkedIn Profiles are far from online mansions.

A great number of entrepreneurs and freelancers do not understand the importance of creating a compelling LinkedIn Profile. Consequently, they build just a shack. Business consultant Jarrod Best-Mitchell commented on one of my posts: “Not even a house; they just put a chain link fence.” Their Profiles are not lead magnets but lead repellents. LinkedIn authority Daniel Disney says: “Most LinkedIn profiles are like buckets full of holes”.

Indeed, too many Profiles are online bucket full of traffic holes. In my view, only 50 % of solopreneurs have a well-optimized, attractive, magnetic and mansion-like LinkedIn Profile.

Five ways to perfect your Profile and turn it into a prospect magnet

As follows, I will present five cutting-edge ways to turn your own online shack into an online mansion, a lead magnet.

1. Create a compelling Headline

Headline is the most important section of your LinkedIn Profile. It is the first message that you give to your potential client who lands on your Profile. Do not just include your title and company on your Headline. Adding a title such as “CEO” or “Business owner” does not tell anything to a potential client how you can help him.

Accordingly, start your Headline with your expertise, and then add your service promise and finally your best competencies. If you feel inclined, you can use emojis to visualize and add some spice on your Headline.

2. Create a winning Summary (About)

This section is a crucial section of your Profile to brand yourself; it is your pitch. It should convince your potential client to contact you. Do not just add a few lines or a couple of brief paragraphs.

Here is a proven formula to start your About section:

Your mission (related to your service promise)
Your service promise (primary value) to your clients ”I help you in X” (make sure it is in alignment with your Headline)
You in a nutshell (your background and work experience).

You can use emojis in your Summary and make it highly readable by using subtitles, paragraphs and lists.

3. Use a professional Profile picture

Bear in mind that LinkedIn is a professional social media channel. Thus, use an up-to-date, professional and positive close-up photo of you. The background should be quite neutral. Don’t be too casual, e.g. do not use a selfie or wear sunglasses. Your photo can be shot outside – especially if you are an outdoor person.

Embed a 30-second video pitch within your photo (include your motto in your pitch).

4. Customize an awesome backdrop image

As your headshot, your backdrop image is part of the first impression that you make. It is a great opportunity to highlight your personality, expertise and service promise. Use a combination of visual and text elements, and always have a call to action on it.

5. Add your most important link at the top of your Profile, preferably the link to your website

This is a new and important feature. You can now easily get more traffic e.g. to your website, YouTube channel or sales page. You can add this clickable link between your location and the number of your Followers and Connections.