When I was growing up, before the internet, RSS feeds or Google alerts, we got our daily information via newspaper. When I graduated from college one of my first “adult” decisions was to order the daily paper.  Every morning I would go to the curb at the end of my driveway, pull the paper from its plastic bag and look at the front page. I would read the headline (top of the fold) and decide if the story line was worth reading. If the topic was of interest to me, I would open it up and devour the words, but if it wasn’t relevant, It would get tossed in the trash (we didn’t recycle back then).

Look at your profile the same way – your entire profile is the paper, but what is above the fold is what gets them to read it. What do your readers see when they visit your profile. Typically it is 3 things:

1. Your banner or background – This is awesome real-estate to brand yourself or your business. Don’t underestimate the power of this image! Be sure to brand it consistently with your website, logo and other images and include your phone number, website or even email. Remember the goal of social selling is to take it offline, so make it easy for them to contact you!
2. Your photo must be professional, I don’t care how much you love your car, dog or the wedding cut out with your significant other’s hand on your shoulder – this is the first impression many of your prospects will have of you. Invest in a professional headshot.
3. Your headline should not be your title and company. It’s job is to get you to open the paper and read your profile. Make it engaging, interesting and relevant to your target audience. Don’t focus on your title and company name but how you help your clients, this will get them much more interested in reading your profile.

The top of the fold is just the tip of the iceberg. A client-centric profile that is not your resume but a resource for your readers and is vital in attracting and engaging them to want to talk with you.

If you or your team need to Leverage LinkedIn to grow business but you are not sure how, let’s have a conversation. Even if we decide not to work together, I am confident our call will be full of insights and strategies to help you leverage LinkedIn more effectively. Here is a link to my calendar http://ScheduleaCallwithBrynne.com please pick a time that is most convenient for you. I am looking forward to our call.