.LinkedIn is an online professional networking site where people share information about themselves and their careers. As the largest online business networking platform, LinkedIn offers a massive opportunity to business owners, job hunters, and recruiters to find clients, their perfect roles, or candidates. So, just how do you create the perfect LinkedIn profile summary, also known as the LinkedIn About page?
Know what you’re trying to accomplish with your profile
You should write a summary that tells potential employers who you are and why they would hire you. A good summary will help them understand how you fit into their organization. If you are a business owner, your About page needs to cover who you help, how your product or services benefit the customer and what it’s like to work with you.
Write a compelling headline using keywords
A good headline grabs attention and gets people interested in what you’re writing. The headline follows you all over LinkedIn, on every post and comment you make. It’s the best way to get you in front of your potential customers or employers.
If you are a business owner, try using the following format: [ your occupation] for [your ideal client]. [Benefit & benefit] in [timeframe] without [major obstacle].
e.g. Copywriter for financial services businesses. 12 Google-worthy SEO blogs for 2023 without you having to lift a finger.
If you’re a job-seeker, you can also use the format in a similar way, just tailor it to the type of organisation you want to work for.
e.g. PRINCE qualified project manager for the construction industry. Delivering multi-million £ projects on a budget without missing your important deadlines.
Create an eye-catching banner
Your LinkedIn banner can be a great way to attract people to your profile. Create an on-brand banner that reflects your business personality. Don’t forget to include your tagline, a call-to-action and your contact details.
Use a copywriting formula for your About page
There are three main copywriting formulas you can use to create an About page that WILL get read to the end.
1. PAS (but I like to use PASTA)
PAS stands for Problem, Agitate, Solution. This is a very well-known and effective copywriting technique. Psychologically, people will take action to avoid pain more readily than they will to achieve a gain. That means that dwelling on the pain points and negative issues that a person or organisation has and then presenting your solution is one of the best ways to convert readers to customers. You can also use social proof to back up your service/products. That’s where the T and A come in – Testimonial, Action.
So, here’s the PASTA formula in action:
Problem It’s only 5 weeks to Christmas and you’ve got a zillion and one things to do at work and at home.
Agitate If you don’t get on top of your to-do list, the kids won’t get any presents and you’ll be using Just Eat to order KFC for Christmas lunch. You’re losing sleep ‘cos of everything you need to sort out.
Solution Life is so much easier when you have someone you can rely on to take the strain. Hire a personal life admin to give you the breathing space you need.
Testimonial ‘Working 14-hour days on an urgent project in the run-up to Christmas meant I was so stressed just thinking about all the jobs that weren’t getting done. Sam stepped in like a fairy godmother to book panto tickets, order gifts, send cards and make sure I booked time off to see the kids’ play. She was a total angel and I’ve already booked her again this year.’
Action Want your very own fairy godmother to sort out your Christmas chores? Email fairy@dontstress.co.uk and quote FAIRY for a special one-off bonus you can use in 2023.
2. PPPP
PPPP stands for Picture, Promise, Prove, Push. This is a technique that comes at your client’s problem from a more positive viewpoint, explaining how much better life will be once they’ve worked with your or used your products. Conversion rates from this technique may be a little lower than PASTA but it’s still a great way to write your About page or use in social media writing. Services and products can both be promoted using the PPPP technique.
Let’s see how it works in practice:
Picture Imagine a stress-free build up to Christmas this year. All the presents are bought, wrapped and under the tree well before Xmas Eve. Your online shopping slot is secured weeks ahead and your train tickets for New Years have been purchased well before you have to take out a second mortgage to afford them.
Promise You feel relaxed. You look forward to the break from work, spending quality time with family and friends without being totally frazzled
by your never-ending to-do list .
Prove ‘Last year Christmas was the most fun it’s been since I was a kid myself.
Using Sam the Fairy Godmother was just perfect. She was so organised in a way I just can’t be, and I knew everything would be taken care of, from the present buying to the card sending and the travel and theatre tickets. I’ll never do Christmas again without Sam.’
Push Want your very own fairy godmother to sort out your Christmas chores? Email fairy@dontstress.co.uk and quote FAIRY for a special one-off bonus you can use in 2023.
The last of the three techniques I often use to sell my social media writing services is
3. AIDA
AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. It’s not all that different to PPPP, but you can have some fun with it when it comes to the Attention part. The idea is to use something surprising, startling, shocking or amusing to stop your readers scrolling past your post or to encourage them to read your LinkedIn About page. This could be a question or a surprising statistic that makes people think or perhaps even something confusing which means they are compelled to read on to find out what you mean (be careful with this one though as if you confuse them in a bad way, they could simply stop reading).
So, here’s how this one plays out:
Attention Did you know that Santa has to wrap and deliver 1.9bn gifts to children around the world every Christmas Eve? That’s about 1bn less tasks than you have to do in the run up to the big day 😉
Interest Want to know how he and Mrs. Claus manage this monumental job without filing for divorce every Boxing Day?
Desire They have their very own Fairy Godmother who helps them get it all sorted with careful planning and to-do lists, a Mary Poppins like ability to remain calm, collected with a PhD in doing Google searches that find exactly the right gift at the right price in stock and able to deliver next day.
Your own amazing assistant can make sure your panto tickets are booked in time, the car’s had its MOT before you have to crawl up the M1 on Christmas Eve to the inlaws and you aren’t scrabbling around for fairy lights that actually work when you are nagged into putting the tree up on the 1st of December.
Action Do you want your very own fairy godmother to sort out your Christmas chores? Email fairy@dontstress.co.uk and quote FAIRY for a special one-off bonus you can use in 2023.
Social media writing services that help take the strain all year round
Whether you need a re-vamp of your LinkedIn profile or regular social media writing services to keep your business top of mind with your ideal clients, one thing for sure, good copywriting always pays dividends. Whilst you may be able to write, can you write persuasively and can you write regularly enough to bring a consistent stream of qualified leads to your door?
If the answer is no, I can help with blog or social media writing services starting from just £175 a month – see my retainer packages for 2023.
Email me today on michelle@eshkeri.co.uk for more information or a quick chat about my services.
Connect with me today on LinkedIn.