Create an “All-Star LinkedIn Profile” as a Community Banker!

Types of LinkedIn profiles

First, let’s review the profile types you’re going to find on LinkedIn. There are three different LinkedIn profile levels: 1) Beginner, 2) Intermediate and 3) All-Star. 

1. The Beginner level is the first level you’ll see as soon as you create your profile. Beginner profiles have minimal information, but they are the first step to creating an All-Star profile.
2. Intermediate profiles have more information than beginner ones do, but they’re still not as full and robust as they could be. LinkedIn will continue to prompt you to complete your profile if it’s at this stage. With just a bit more oomph, you can set up an All-Star profile!
3. All-star profiles are the creme de la creme of LinkedIn profiles. Let us assure you, this is the profile type you want! All-Star profiles provide a number of benefits, which we will discuss in detail below, but to put it succinctly, All-Star profiles make you more visible and more marketable. 

5 reasons why it is important to have a strong “All-Star” LinkedIn Profile

All-star profiles are…

1. The most complete LinkedIn profiles. If you can put everything on the table, prospective connections will be more interested in getting you on board.
2. More searchable. In fact, All-Star LinkedIn profiles are 40 times more discoverable than any other profile level. If you want people to see you, you need an All-Star profile!
3. The best way to network with other industry professionals. Having a standout profile is more likely to get you noticed. Consider joining LinkedIn groups for even more networking opportunities!
4. Set up in under 30 minutes if you do it right, and the payoff is amazing for professionals in every sector.
5. Low to no cost. The cost is nothing for you to advertise your skills, expertise, and education on LinkedIn. It’s free, fast and easy, so what are you waiting for?

With all this talk about LinkedIn Profiles…

We’re excited to announce the arrival of a brand new resource focused on helping you get your LinkedIn profile to the coveted “All-Star” status. With online relationships and networking becoming more the norm these days, having a great profile on the world’s largest professional social network is a great move. Check out a few of these teaser tips to help you create your All-star profile:

• Smile for the Camera. Photographs are important because it’s one of the most basic ways we get to know people. It’s far easier to connect with a person (and be sure it’s the right person) when there is a profile picture. Use a high-quality photograph that shows you in a professional, yet approachable way. You’re going for friendly and businesslike, rolled into one.
• Your Headline is More Than Your Title. Headlines tell other LinkedIn users who you are. There are 120 characters to work with here, so be clever and creative. Don’t just make this your job description. Draw people in by telling a story of who you are and what you do.
• Let People Get to Know You Better. The more you allow people to make connections with you, the better your profile will be. Engage people by sharing bits of who you are, even if they have little to do with your line of work. Personal flair will light up your profile!
• Show off Your Experience. Give your professional network an idea of your experience. If you’ve made an impact in your current or former line of work (especially in a measurable way) now is the time to show it off!
• Demonstrate Your Skills. Showcase the skills that you bring to the table and be as specific as you’d like! There are up to 50 skills to choose from - feel free to make full use of that amount to optimize your profile.
• Pick Your Industry and Location. Since you’re a banker, your industry will be banking. Your location should be filled out as well, in order to build up your reputation in the industry.
• What’s Your Educational Background. Insert your educational background to add further credibility. An added bonus of this feature is that LinkedIn will automatically start trying to connect you with other alumni, so you’ll be one step closer to all-star status.
• Time to Make Some Connections. Connections are the lifeblood of LinkedIn. You need at least 50 connections to gain All-Star status, but with all of the information you provided about education, workplace, etc, this part should be a cinch!

Bonus Perk - Personalized URL

You’ll also find in the downloadable resource guide instructions on how to set your own personalized URL on LinkedIn (like this: https://linkedin.com/in/ericcookmba, where “ericcookmba” is the personalized part of the URL). This is a great way to further build your brand and credibility on the system and looks a whole lot better than the random URL LinkedIn assigns you when you first sign up.