Use video or audio on your profile to tell your story and convince & convert
I am lazy and prone to distraction. My eyes get tired looking at computer screens, and my attention span is shorter than a goldfish.
I'll give your profile only partial attention - a text message may distract me, or twitter might pop up with something that mentions me, skype rings... it's easy to get distracted.
So why not tell me a little story - literally?
Talk to me. Use video or sound.
Record a short message that tells me what you offer, and how I can benefit from it, and what I need to do to get it.
Some people do not “get it” when they read something - they need to hear a voice or see your face to understand how you can help them.
And humans connect at a primal level with the sound of another human voice. That's why they like using the phone, zoom, or skype.
So if you don't ever speak to them… they won't ever really know about you.
Setting up a Soundcloud account is a two minute task. Adding the app to your phone is about as complicated - which is to say, simple. Then you can record your personal statement.
You may need to edit any recording, and for PC or Mac owners, an excellent free resource for recording and editing your sound files is Audacity - or with a Mac, you can also use Garageband. On my iPhone, I use AudioCopy, which is simple, flexible and free, and uploads files straight to SoundCloud.
To embed the media into your profile, add it as a link to your 'About' section or the relevant job in your Experience section. Simply copy the URL from SoundCloud, and then paste it in as a Link. Done.
Visitors to your profile can then just click on the image produced on your profile, and can then listen to your recording without ever leaving your LinkedIn profile page.
You can use video in the same way: Upload it in the same way with a link to the YouTube or Vimeo URL.
You can also now upload video as an update into your timeline, and there's a native LinkedIn Video option in their app for your smartphone.
LinkedIn are currently rolling out the option to 'Go Live' and stream live video.
I still think amateur video is dangerous for your image.
If you're going to use video, get the lighting, background, sound quality and editing done to the highest standard - otherwise you just let yourself down.
I'm never convinced by someone telling me how to make a six figure income when they are sitting parked up in their car. Don't do this.
Best of all, get a professional videographer to work with you to create a truly accomplished video, in an appropriate setting, lit well, with quality sound and professionally produced captions.
Tip 5: Use recommendations effectively
