There are a variety of ways to approach the LinkedIn Summary section. Some people prefer a short summation of their business experience. Others create more of a personal vision statement and talk about the direction in which they are heading.

Whatever you decide, make sure to effectively showcase yourself and your talents.

 

Tips for Maximizing Your Summary Section

• Write in the first-person for a more personal feel. If you prefer something more formal, use the formal third person. Either way, review the summary sections of a cross-section of people in your industry to see what trends and patterns you notice.
• Keep the focus on you. If you are a business owner, you may think you should be describing your business. Save that for your company page.
• Reference your business and its services, but only in the context of how you can address the needs of your current and potential clients.
• Use keywords, especially the kinds of words people use when searching for someone who provides the services you offer.
• You may adapt information from your website for use in your summary.
• There can be some overlap between what you include in your summary section and what you list in your experience section. As a way of limiting it, try to use the experience section for listing specific services and relevant accomplishments.
• Compose in a Word document, so you can edit until it’s perfect. There are also formatting options available in Word that you can’t do in LinkedIn. Be sure to leave plenty of white space.
• After getting the basics down (on paper or online), set it aside and come back to it in a few hours, or even in a few days. This lets you “see” your summary with fresh eyes, which helps with the editing process. It is essential that the summary be well-written and free of errors.
• You have up to 2,000 characters (not words – characters). Use them to attract attention and make the reader want to read more about who you are and what you have to offer.
• Be sure to include a call to action; ask your readers to read something else, do something, to respond in some way. This keeps them engaged and leads them to explore further in your entire profile.

 

In short, what you include in your summary section is there to connect you to the people you need to meet. Know who you want to reach, and tell them what you want them to know about you.

 

How About You?

What approach have you taken for creating your summary section? How have you adapted it over time? Why have you made the changes you’ve made along the way?

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 50 and up, to become more effective using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. She works with business owners, nonprofit organizations, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.

 

This blog post was written collaboratively by Joyce Feustel, Founder of Boomers’ Social Media Tutor, and Josephine Levy, Social Media Consultant and Content Specialist at MixedCandyMedia.