I belong to a Facebook group of nonprofit professionals and add my expertise when needed about LinkedIn. The other day this appeared:
I will add a few paragraphs on this topic from my book “You, Us, Them: LinkedIn Marketing Concepts for Nonprofit Professionals Who Really Want to Make a Difference.”
But no matter what industry you participate in, you need to stand apart as better than your competitors.
I always say everyone is amazing, but most just cannot completely, effectively tell just why and how they are amazing-er (as I call it) than their competitor (no matter how they define the competition). But how do you best differentiate yourself and self-define to make an impression? How do you beat the competition? Figure out who, or what, the competition is, to start….
{Then:}
- Be yourself and speak to the reader as if you are speaking directly to him/her
- Be truthful yet create the enhanced aura of marketing around your actions, wordsmithing your profile so it stands out to be “amazing-er,” than the competition
- Employ graphics, videos, slide decks and other tools to complement your writing and make your overall profile more memorable
- Illuminate, articulate, and cogitate a few editions of each section, highlight the best of each, amalgamate and edit into a narrative, one section amplifying and complementing the others, upwards and downwards, in your revised profile
- Nothing is written in stone, so make changes to, and keep your personal profile up to date with, your activities and successes. Tell us so we know your path is heading onward and upward
- Stay memorable by sharing material you think is especially worthwhile: others’ articles, with your comments on why they are timely, original essays that we can all relate to, establishing you as a thought leader in your connection base. Ask questions, answer them too, in Groups (see next chapter): be an active participant among other similarly-interested great people you nurture
- Make your network your net worth: vet prospects, seed new ones, cull out some that did not thrive, and cultivate and cross-pollinate the best ones
- Recommend and endorse skills you know others have perfected, and ask for the reciprocal, and never let an accolade or a high compliment go undocumented or incorrectly stated
- Finally, make LinkedIn an integral part of your brand, to leave an impression and make a memorable impact of “you.”
Being best will come through honest and sincere as a thought leader. The rest is how you continue to handle it.
You’re a pro. You know how. I am just jump-starting you.
