Busting Through LinkedIn Myths & Making Connections

From 400 LinkedIn connections to 11,000, Deanna Russo, must be doing something right! She says she did it all with simple techniques that she now teaches other business owners, sales professionals, and job seekers both in Columbus, Ohio and world-wide.

How Deanna’s LinkedIn growth journey started.

It all started when Deanna went into a sales position that asked her to utilize LinkedIn as the main business generation method. Once she began to engage and post content, she realized how robust LinkedIn actually is as a professional network. Her goal now is to show the differences between LinkedIn and other networks. “You can't just post content like you would on Facebook, and you can't just use 2020 hashtags like you would on Instagram.”

The Top 3 LinkedIn Myths:

1. LinkedIn is only for job seekers. 

2. LinkedIn is isn’t for b2b or b2c. 

3. LinkedIn is for suits and CEOs. 

So why are these LinkedIn myths?

Although LinkedIn is a great tool for those looking for their next job, it’s far more than that. It’s a chance to connect with recruiters, people in the industry, and even directly with potential future employers. 

Entrepreneurs can also thrive on LinkedIn. Although B2B will find it a bit easier to share their services, B2C entrepreneurs can find that the competition is lower on LinkedIn than Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. “LinkedIn allows them to carve their own path,” says Deanna, “Because honestly, there are 760 million people on LinkedIn around the world.”

Deanna’s Advice For Job Seekers On LinkedIn.

Set yourself apart. 

Deanna suggests differentiating yourself “because there are so many people applying to these jobs…” She says, “For job seekers, it really has to do about your profile, you have to differentiate yourself from the masses…” 

Make sure you’re well branded. 

It’s about the picture at the top, the profile image and the headline. What do all of these say about YOU and how does it help you stand apart?

The 3 Most Important Parts Of Your LinkedIn Profile

The Profile Image

The profile image on LinkedIn is not the same as your Facebook or Instagram accounts. This is THE professional head and shoulders type of image. Make sure you’re the only one in the photo and that you’re thinking about what your target audience is looking for. If you’re in a creative field, such as marketing, try to put a bit of creativity to it with either the jewelry or collar of the clothing - but always make sure you’re easily visible and well branded. 

The Headline

You want your headline to not only say what you do but help you stand out. Whether you’re a job seeker, business owner, or sales professional - make sure you’re not just putting a job title. For example, “graphic designer” versus “glitter bomber of brands.”

The Banner Photo/About Section

According to Deanna, the banner photo and the about section come in at a pretty close tie. The banner photo needs to represent what you do and stay on brand. No time for a photoshoot? Use a stock image that represents your field or even, your location, such as the Columbus, Ohio skyline.

The about section should tell the story of why you do what you do. Make it interesting and don’t just keyword stuff. You want this section to have personality, talk about your skills, and tell about why you’re in the industry that you’re in. What about it inspires you and keeps you excited?

The #1 Mistake People Make On Their LinkedIn Profile

The number 1 mistake isn’t a one size fits all, according to Deanna, because it all depends on your goal. 

Typically, job seekers will stack skill upon skill to get those keywords in but the potential recruiter or HR professional won’t get to know you. What ultimately helps them is seeing your story in the about section. Although those keywords might get them to your profile, it might not be enough to help you stand out. 

Business owners will make the mistake of selling their products or services in the about section but, again, once a lead is reading it, you need to show them more personality. The about section needs to weave your skills or products into a story that will draw the reader in.

“Because really, in the end, they have to know you, they have to like you, and they have to trust you,” says Deanna. As an example, she describes one of her clients adding his love of Star Wars into the LinkedIn profile. Because of that, he’s had success in selling his business at the same time. 

Beware though, adding too much personal information to your LinkedIn about section could also deter those reading it.

Depending on how much you’re willing to share, it can be nice to let the reader get a peak behind the curtain but make sure it’s intentional. You don't want to add too much about, for example, your kids, when you should be focusing on connecting with the reader. Keep track of who you’re trying to reach and what they’d want to read.

How To Know What To Post On LinkedIn

Content is about offering value. Deanna gives the example of when she started in the staffing and recruiting world, “I decided to make sure that all of my content had to do with things like interviews, things like hiring managers…” She intentionally answered their questions and positioned herself as the source of information. 

It’s really just about figuring out how you can show your value, what you do, and create a buzz. This will allow others to see and recognize your value.

Think of the top 5 questions that your clients or target market are always asking you. That’s a great place to start creating your content. Show off what you do and give advice.

What are LinkedIn Stories?

Want to show a bit more personality on LinkedIn? Try utilizing stories. These are similar to the Instagram and Facebook stories that keep us procrastinating on our work. Quick videos where brands can showcase products, businesses give tips and influencers show off their latest work.

With LinkedIn, “I really think that using it to drive people over to your content in your profile is the best way to do it.” says Deanna. Make sure that it’s still relevant to your LinkedIn audience. The stories you post on Facebook will be different to what’s posted on the professional platform. 

What about posting videos on LinkedIn?

Because LinkedIn doesn’t want their users to leave the platform, they’ll reduce your viewership if you use something like a Youtube link in the post. Deanna suggests placing the videos right on LinkedIn.

But if you’re like a few of Deanna’s clients who utilize Youtube to create an audience, she offers another tip: place the link in the comments. If you place it in the body of the post, LinkedIn will reduce how many people see it while you can simply mention that the link is in the comments when you post.

Deanna’s Biggest LinkedIn Pet Peeve

Cold sales messages after connecting with someone are a big turn off for Deanna. She suggests finding some common ground or something interesting about their profile to open up a conversation. And it should always be a conversation. Don’t connect and immediately start talking about your newest offering - that’s a way to get, at best, ignored.

Deanna, has clients that have used the LinkedIn Sales Navigator and says it’s an amazing tool., “...but honestly, more people are using it for the cold calls. And I guess you can get somewhat of people doing it that way. But you're not going to get the results that you really want. Unless you use it as a tool with everything else.” Deanna wants you to think of it as something to add to your toolbox, not the entire toolbox itself. 

About Deanna Russo:

“Authentic, genuine, and straight forward.

Those are three words that best describe me. I started Leverage Up to share my authentic advice with people who are looking to grow their network on LinkedIn. I customize my approach with my clients.

Everyone is at a different place in their LinkedIn journey. So what works for the goose will not work for the gander. Some people have 300 connections and are looking for their next opportunity. Others have 1500 connections and want to use LinkedIn to jumpstart or boost their business. Regardless of your end goal, Leverage Up will work with you to maximize the benefits of this platform in the fastest way possible.”

Connect with Deanna on LinkedIn and catch her and the masterclass on her website.