“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.”
– Seth Godin
If there’s one thing you can do to inspire potential customers to reach out to you, it’s to connect with them. And a surefire way to connect is to tell your story in each marketing channel you use for your business. This includes LinkedIn.
On your LinkedIn profile, you have the unique opportunity to tell your story via your summary. Often treated like a resume’ summary, your LinkedIn summary shouldn’t be stuffy or over-the-top professional. When used to tell your story, it invites potential customers and colleagues to learn more about you, instead of scaring them away.
We’ve focused a lot on LinkedIn here lately. Most recently, we talked about how to write an inspiring LinkedIn headline. Today, let’s move on to writing a LinkedIn summary that truly showcases you and your business.
What Is a LinkedIn Summary?
Your LinkedIn summary is known as the About section on your profile. You’ll find it underneath your basic details. The goal of this section is to give readers an overview of who you are, what you do, why you do it and how. The good news? You get up to 2,000 characters to make it happen.
Many LinkedIn users leave this section blank or create a list of their accomplishments to simply paste in. Unfortunately, this is wasting precious profile real estate. With a 2,000-character limit, you have a website-page length of space to showcase your personality, tell your business story and optimize your profile with keywords. In short, don’t waste this space!
5 Tips for Writing a LinkedIn Profile Summary That Sells
Your LinkedIn summary doesn’t have to sound like Hemingway’s summary might sound. So, loosen up a bit and have fun with it. Here are five tips to get you started.
1. Showcase Your Hook
Want your readers to fall “hook, line and sinker” in love with you? Showcase what makes you special in your summary.
The number one way to do this is to highlight your defining trait. What is your superpower?
For example, do you offer an out-of-this-world customer experience? Do you have an innate ability to put yourself in your customers’ shoes? Do you serenade each new customer with a Disney song? Highlight your superpower or unique trait in your summary.
2. Explain “Why”
Why do you do what you do? What’s your business mission or vision?
As a business owner, there’s more than likely a reason why you chose your industry or niche. Tell your profile visitors the story of how you got to where you are today. Tell them why you’re heading in the direction you’re going.
Note: It’s okay to get personal—it’s the best way to connect to your reader.
3. Add Some Personality
One of our favorite ways to start a summary is with a line that captures the personality of the individual. Perhaps we share a favorite quote or a joke. Maybe it’s a fun fact. Try starting your summary out with a line that showcases you.
Other ways to add personality include using emojis throughout. as well as writing like you talk. Remember, this is a conversation between you and the reader—go ahead and drop that jargon and stuffy talk.
4. Tell Readers “How” You Do What You Do
You’ve already told them the why, now tell them how you make it happen. For example, you can use this space to share a bit about your process and what your customers can expect when working with you. This is also the place to share the skills and experience you have that allow you to do what you do.
5. Use First-Person
This one might seem obvious, but it’s critical to note. For your summary to be as personable as possible, you must write in the first person. This means using “I” when speaking about yourself.
We also recommend using the second person when speaking to your audience. Use “you” throughout, as though you’re speaking directly to a new potential client. Writing in this way builds that necessary connection you need for conversion.
Need Help Writing Your LinkedIn Summary?
As a busy business owner, sitting down to write anything might seem overwhelming. Yet, it’s important to get your LinkedIn summary right. For help in creating a summary that inspires and converts, reach out to the Word Nerds today.
