As we all know by now, LinkedIn is a social media platform for professionals who wish to further their careers by finding jobs, networking with other professionals, and seeing industry-related content.

Now, for a freelancer, this platform opens the door to endless possibilities. It helps them to establish themselves as industry professionals, market their services and, ultimately, acquire new clients.

However, by not fully optimising their profiles, freelancers are missing out on a vast number of opportunities. It’s like travelling all the way to the beach — only to dip your toes in the water.

But don’t worry, we won’t let you miss out anymore! media update’s Lara Smit is showing freelancers how to take a deeper dive into LinkedIn and explore this platform’s potential fully.

Let’s take the plunge:

1. Include a profile picture

We’ve all heard the saying, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’. When it comes to your LinkedIn profile, this saying rings true.

You may think that all a potential client is looking for in your profile is your qualifications and skills. However, when it comes to social networking pages, these individuals are also interested in finding out who you are.

Your profile picture doesn’t just portray what you look like, but it gives customers an insight into your personality — which ultimately influences what these services and their interactions with you will be like.

Think about it, if your profile picture portrays you in an artistic, quirky and friendly way then clients can anticipate that your services are more unique and creative. They can also assume that their interactions with you will be pleasant because of your positive and approachable demeanour.

Therefore, you have to ask yourself, “What do I want my clients to see when they look at my profile picture?” Then try to emulate this as much as possible.

What's more is a profile without a profile picture can easily come across as dormant. Therefore, clients will be less likely to click into a profile that they think isn’t in use because they will see it as a waste of time. In fact, according to LinkedIn, by simply adding a profile picture, you will have 21 times more profile views than profiles without one.

Yes, a picture says all that. So, be sure to snap a pic that shows off who you are and what you bring to the table. Perhaps it will entice a few clients to come take a seat.

2. Make headlines

On LinkedIn, your headline appears below your name wherever your profile pops up on the platform.

This is an essential part of your profile because it tells people who you are and what you do whenever your profile comes up on their feeds.

Therefore, if a client spots your profile and sees that you offer freelancing services that they need, they will click on your profile.

According to LinkedIn, the secret to creating an eye-catching headline on your profile is by including the following:

Your job title
Be direct about what you do so that users know exactly whose profile they are looking at from the outset. This will also allow you to incorporate keywords into your headline and enhance your searchability on the platform.

Your purpose
Tell people what you’re trying to achieve with your career. It’s also advised to skew this purpose towards potential clients.

For example, if you're a freelancing editor, your headline could say, “Helping people to produce work of the highest quality possible.”

This way potential clients will feel more motivated to employ your services because they have an understanding of the contribution that these services will make to them.

A personal touch
Are you a design enthusiast who loves to treat every project as an art piece? Then tell us in your headline!

Saying something like this will give clients an idea of how much passion you put into your work — which sets you apart from other freelancers.

Additionally, it will make your profile more unique, which directly influences how memorable it is to users who have seen it.

3. Specify which industry you're a part of

Okay, it’s time to get into more specifics. To truly enhance your profile, it is good to include details like the industry you work in. Why?

It essentially makes it easier for other users to find your profile. Therefore, clients who are on the look-out for a freelancer in your field can find you at the top of their LinkedIn searches. Hooray.

But what’s more is it will help you to build your professional network by bringing you together with people inside the industry that you work in and helping you make more connections in your field. This opens you up to more opportunities to team up with other freelancers and collaborate with them on projects.

4. Use location to your advantage

You’ve heard people say, “It's all about location!” Well, they’re right!

Although we live in a digital age where people can do their work absolutely anywhere, many companies still like to take an in-person approach to their projects. This is because it makes processes like collaboration and feedback a bit easier. Therefore, these clients will find it advantageous if you are situated close by and could travel to their offices if necessary.

So, be sure to tell them where they can find you by adding your location to your profile.

5. Be clear on what are you all about

Your 'About' section is a critical part of telling people who you are. It makes your profile a little more personal and gives users a fuller picture of the human behind the profile that they are viewing.

But why is this important?

It helps build rapport between you and other users because it highlights aspects of your identity and personality that they can relate to. This allows them to feel connected to you as they share common grounds with you — which ultimately makes them want to network or work with you.

Additionally, your 'About' section tells a prospective client what you have to offer and who they will be investing in to improve or add to their business.

So, make a good impression by telling them:
  • who you are
  • what you do
  • why you do what you do
  • why you’re great at what you do
  • what you’ve achieved, and
  • what skills you have to offer.

6. Include links

If you have a personal website, then don't forget to include your link in your LinkedIn profile!

Adding a website link not only adds to your credibility as a freelancing professional but also gives you an opportunity to show off your great work. This is because users will often click on this link to see examples of what you have done and gain a better understanding of the quality of your work.

Just simply list your website under your contact information and voilà, everyone can access your online portfolio.

7. Let them know you're '#OpenToWork'

LinkedIn has a great feature that makes the lives of job seekers so much easier.

Users can show prospective clients and recruiters that they are on the market by enabling the ‘#OpenToWork’ function on their profile.

By enabling this function, freelancers can show potential customers that they are available to do work for them. Additionally, it increases your profile's visibility and searchability, making it that much easier to find.

You can also make use of the hashtag '#OpenToWork' on any posts exhibiting your work to distribute your content further. This will ensure a higher likelihood of piquing the interest of users who are looking to hire an available freelancer.

8. Stay active

By being an active LinkedIn user, you will give yourself more opportunities to get seen. Therefore, you should post avidly by sharing your work and tips for other professionals on your profile. This will also set you apart as an experienced worker and a thought leader in your field.

Another thing that you could do to increase your visibility is tag clients in the work that you post. This will ensure that your work gets seen by their connections. Additionally, these posts will act as referrals for your services. How so?

Your client’s connections will see that someone they know has used your services successfully. This will, in turn, make you more reliable and trustworthy in their eyes than any 'random' freelancer they may find online. Therefore, they will be more likely to employ your services.

9. Guide yourself with your profile level meter

If all of this has been a bit of an information overload, don't worry! LinkedIn has its own little hack to help you optimise your profile — a profile level meter.

*Image sourced from LinkedIn

Many of you have probably already seen this nifty feature at the top of your profiles. Essentially, what this tool does is it shows you how complete your profile is and offers guidance through prompts to strengthen your profile.

The goal is to reach "All-Star Status" by including all the information that this tool prompts you to provide. According to LinkedIn, reaching this status makes you 40 times more likely to receive job opportunities.

So, if you want a simple way of taking your profile to the next level, then just follow the prompts. It's as easy as that.

What else do you think a LinkedIn profile needs? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Now that you know how you can bring your LinkedIn profile to the next level, find out how you can do the same with your website in our article, Freelancers, here’s four tips for creating the perfect personal website.
*Image courtesy of Canva