Want to get more clients through LinkedIn?

Just focus on what clients care about: what you can do for them.

1. Compel clients to read your profile with your headline

Make clients want to learn more about you by focusing your headline—the most important part of your profile—on their needs and how you can help them meet those needs. If your headline is something like:

“Jane Doe, independent business owner” or
“Bob Smith, freelance writer,”

the client won’t find you on a search or read your profile. Neither of these headlines is informative or engaging. “Independent business owner” doesn’t even tell the prospect that the person is a freelancer, and “freelance writer” is too vague.

But:

“Jane Doe, freelance writer helping the financial services industry win and keep customers”

is a compelling headline because it focuses on the need of clients in financial services to grow their business (by getting new customers and keeping current customers).

Write the rest of your profile first and then come back to your headline. Spend extra time and effort on this.

2. Show you’re a pro with your photo

You’re 7 times more likely to be found on searches if your profile has a photo. Any photo won’t do. If you want clients to think you’re a competent professional, you need a professional head and shoulders shot. Don’t use a photo with your pet or your kid, a photo from a party, a photo where you’re wearing sunglasses, etc.

3. Engage clients with a clear, concise summary

The summary is the second most important part of your profile. Clearly and concisely summarize your freelance services and your experience. Your experience should cover your freelance work and other relevant experience. Focus on how you help clients in what you include and how you say it.

4. Tell clients what to do

Include a call to action in your summary and again later in your profile. A call to action tells clients what you want them to do, for example, call or email, visit your website, connect on LinkedIn, or any combination of these. Put this at the end of your summary and again under additional information.

5. Make it easy to contact you

Make it easy for clients to contact you by including at least your email address and, if you’re comfortable, your phone number, in your LinkedIn header, summary, and under additional information. This is basic, but people often forget to do this. Include your website too so clients can easily learn more about you. Your header has a section called Contact Info just below the number of your connections.

6. Make it easy to find you

Use keywords in your headline, summary, and throughout your profile so that you’ll turn up more often on search results. Also include a list of keywords under additional information.

On LinkedIn, people often look for keywords related to titles, so use keywords like:

“freelancer” instead “freelance services”
“freelance medical writer” instead of “freelance medical writing”
“freelance editor” instead of “freelance editing”
“freelance web designer” instead of “freelance web design.”

7. Make it easy to learn more

Include a link to your website so clients can learn more about you and see samples of your work, or at least descriptions of what you’ve done. Put the link in your header under contact information and in your call to actions (including in your summary). If you don’t have a website yet, post a few samples on your LinkedIn profile.

8. Write captivating content

Your LinkedIn profile isn’t a resume. Make it easy to read (conversational) and interesting by:

Writing short, action-oriented sentences and short paragraphs.
Highlighting key messages with subheads, done in all caps.
Using bulleted lists so clients can quickly scan your services and similar information.

Get the clients you deserve

Developing a captivating profile is the first step in using LinkedIn to get the clients you deserve.
More clients will be able to find you, since you’ll rank higher on search results. And you’ll impress clients who hear about you from others and want to check you out before contacting you.

What’s your compelling LinkedIn headline? Email and let me know: themightymarketer@comcast.net.