Time to read: 4 minutes. Whether you’re a job-seeker, marketer or sales rep, LinkedIn profile pages contain areas where a call to action should be placed. From video to text links; in Summary to Publications sections. Be sure to “link out” to landing pages that generate leads and, sometimes, create sales. Let’s make sure you are using calls to action to the fullest—to generate more response from your target market.
Here are quick tips on where to place and how to make effective LinkedIn profile calls-to-action.Â
Where to make a LinkedIn profile call to action
You can make a call to action anywhere in your LinkedIn profile. Literally. Of course, there are spots that will get more response than others. The Publication section and Multimedia (sub-section) of my Summary generates most of my leads. Overall, your main choices are:
- Publications
- Projects
- Summary
- Multimedia (video, images, presentations) sub-sections
- “Often overlooked” are Activity and Volunteering/Causes
Let’s look at opportunities inside each section.
Publications: Not just for authors
Yes, if you have a book, paper or any kind of written document this section is ripe for a call to action. Content marketers this section is for you!
BUT …
You don’t need to be an author to take advantage of the Publications section. You can drive traffic to any kind of landing page or product page. There are no restrictions on what a “publication” can be.
All you need is a crisp, clear call to action using text (and text symbols to catch the eye).
What landing page do you need to send prospects to?
For example, I have books and written publications for sale on my Web site AND available free. I use the Publication section of my profile to link to my book at Amazon (to drive sales) … but I also link to my free Chapter 1 download page that generates business leads. I also link to free video training modules and other products I sell.
Do you give-away a free trial or “free taste” of a product or service in exchange for a name and email address?
Do you have lead generation landing pages for free publications or tutorials?
How about product pages?
The Publications section is very flexible and allows you to create calls to action right in a big, bold hyperlink (Title) along with a short bit about what can be expected at the other side of the link.
To add a Publication with call to action:
- Click on Edit Profile and look in the right hand column. You’ll see a “Recommended for You” section featuring a handful of optional sections, including Publications. Click it.
- Use the “Name” field for your LinkedIn profile call to action. Use star ★ or other symbols to call attention to your call to action. You may also use capital letters.
- Select Occupation (your most relevant job position).
- Select Date (the current date is fine or add the date your publication was published).
- Publication URL: Place the URL of your landing page here!
- Author: Select yourself.
- Description: Use this space to place more specific trigger words—words that speak to exactly what your target prospect wants more than anything else. Entice them to click!
Examples of calls to action from my profile include: “free online training … make your blog sell for you” and “how to make social media sell for you.”
Here’s a free, 12-minute video training that explains the basics of making your profile create more leads.
Projects: More opportunity to drive response
The Projects section of your LinkedIn profile works exactly like the Publications section. There are no restrictions placed on you … in terms of what a “project” is or is not. Have at it!
Summary: No HTML, but hidden opportunity
Although you cannot use HTML or links in the Summary section you can—and should—place calls to action inside it. The Summary section is above the fold, one of the first areas prospects look at on your profile. Creating clearly identifiable sub-sections and headlines gives you the chance to make calls to action.
Stick to the basics. In a few words use sub-sections inside the Summary to describe:
- What you do (right now) for people
- Who you do it for
- How you do it differently than everyone else
- Your experience & accomplishments
- Where can customers reach you (email, Facebook, Twitter, phone, Web site, etc.)
Although you cannot use HTML here readers WILL take advantage of links your provide.Â
Your target audience will visit your Web URL by cutting & pasting or right-clicking. In some Web browsers (like Chrome) users can jump to your Web site by hi-lighting the URL, right-clicking and immediately visiting your site. Bam!
Use trigger words here to encourage action. Use phrases like:
- Get all the details
- Call me, email me
- Discover fresh tips
- See examples here
- Start here (this one is very powerful believe it or not!)
Again, use text symbols to guide your reader’s eye. ☛ ☚ ☜ ” /> ⇨ â–º â—„ â–º » ★Â
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Here’s a free, 12-minute video training that explains the basics of making your profile create more leads. Plus, you can attend a free, live online Profile writing clinic where I transform 2-3 “resume style” profiles into lead-generating profiles.
Multimedia: A more powerful call to action
Relatively new, these sub-sections are optional “add-ons” to Summary, Experience and Education sections. To see these sections in action check out my profile here.
I’ve chosen to stick with video. No matter what you choose (images, Powerpoint presentations, videos) be sure you embed calls to action. These are my best tips for making a Linkedin profile call to action within the Multimedia sub-sections.
To get started
- Click Edit Profile and scroll to the Section you want to add multimedia to
- Next to the “Edit” button you’ll see a little TV box with a plus. Click it.
- Click “add link” (if you have a YouTube video) or “upload file” if you want LinkedIn to host the media
- See below …
Max out your calls to action
Now you’ll see the remainder of the form to add Multimedia. You’re almost done!
Title field: These are the words that appear under your video. To get more response write words in the Title field that do 3 things.
- Tell the reader how big a time investment the video is (make them short!).
- Place a bold call to action here … again, using trigger words that focus on what your prospect wants (for examples, see my profile here.
- Embed calls to action inside YouTube videos using Annotations.
Examples of LinkedIn profile calls to action include: “learn a better approach” and “an unusual lesson learned” and “a strange but effective idea.” These are examples from my profile.
The idea is to create curiosity about what might be in the video. Of course, you can also embed calls to action INSIDE the YouTube videos using the Annotation function.
This drives more traffic to landing pages you designate.
Description field: Once your video is clicked by a viewer it may not play automatically. So you’ll need to give the viewer MORE reasons to press play. Just use one more call to action! Use the “Description” field to persuade the prospect.
Examples of calls to action I use include: “Upon completion of this training you’ll be able to create leads, referrals, subscribers and sales using a blog.” Also, “Discover the best social media selling techniques with Jeff Molander. He explains them in 60 seconds.”
Tired of reading? Here’s a free, 12-minute video training that explains the basics of making your profile create more leads.
Often overlooked: Activity & Volunteering/Causes
Other than your smiling face what’s the first visual that catches your eye on a profile page as you scan it? That’s right: Images or videos in the Activity section.
On your profile page, this space changes. What appears in this space will change throughout the day—depending on what you do inside LinkedIn. But you can maximize this space by timing when you update your LinkedIn status with blog, video or other content with your prospecting schedule.
Just make the timing close to each other. Create overlap.
This way your content (containing a call to action in the headline) can grab large numbers of prospects—at a time when it’s likely they are hitting your profile page.
Also, the Volunteering and Causes Sections are optional. Yet they may be very appropriate for you to use—more so than Publications and Projects. To get started with making a LinkedIn profile call to action in these “often overlooked” sections follow the instructions above for the Publications section.
Good luck. Do me a favor and let me know how these tips work for you, ok?
Photo credit: Francisco Javier Argel
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