Okay, I get it. LinkedIn is all starched shirt stuffy, and no one has any fun. It’s not Facebook, right? This isn’t the place for frivolity, or personality, for that matter. It’s the place where people get—stuff—done. And, all of that is true, but for some types of businesses, freelancers for instance, sharing personal moments on LinkedIn can get you a lot of mileage.
What’s your lifestyle like? Mine? I work for myself. I run a small business. I do have flexible hours and a ton of fun at my chosen career. So, why not show that? It doesn’t matter what you have. Someone else wants it too! If you have a corner office and a two-hour daily commute in your paid for BMW, there’s plenty of people who want that. If you work at home in your pj’s, well there’s a ton of folks who want that too! Letting your proverbial hair down and showing people what your life is really like is a very good personal branding thing to do. Not only that, but because it is personal and because it stands out on LinkedIn, you’ll get a ton of eyeballs on your profile from a much larger group of people. And that, my friend, will translate into more prospects, presentation, and sales.
So, what should you show, and how much should you show? Here’s where we have to remember that LinkedIn’s a business networking site. It’s not edgy like Twitter. You’ll have use some restraint. Also, according to what your profession is, you’ll need to think about what you’re showing people. You wouldn’t want your attorney showing you how he was at home in his pj’s boogie boarding with his kids, would you? But you might go for a video of your attorney and her husband walking down Broadway after a show. In other words, not everything goes, and use your head!
