Have you ever considered the power of having a good LinkedIn profile and what it can do for your freelance career? Don’t discount it! This week, I had TWO new clients contact me, based solely on my LinkedIn profile. I don’t have 1st level connections with either one of them. They simply did an organic search for my skill set and called me based only on that.

YES, a well-written LinkedIn profile DOES work for finding new clients, new business or referrals. Don’t discount it as a serious marketing tool, no matter what industry you’re in. LinkedIn is a great tool for branding and standing out from others in your industry, and all it takes is a few tweaks and attention to detail to make it work. Here are some things I did to my profile (and continue to do) to keep it relevant. You can also implement these same tips to ramp up your LinkedIn marketing and get some business calls rolling in:

1. Write a thorough profile description: This is not the time to skimp on words in terms of describing what it is that you actually can do for potential clients. Make your profile complete in every way, including jobs that you’ve had and freelance clients that you’ve managed.
2. Include keywords in your title. This is, after all, how potential clients will find you, so make it relevant. Include those same buzzwords in your job descriptions and the write-ups down in the job listings.
3. Write relevant articles and blog posts. Aim to publish anywhere from 1-3 articles per week, if possible. This shows your level of expertise and skills and also keeps your name out in front of your audience.
4. Include image(s). This one should go without saying, but your photo and any related images show potential clients that you’re a REAL person, who REALLY exists and that you care enough about your business to take the time to make your profile complete and professional looking with a photo. Enough said.
5. Synchronize your employment dates. Check and re-check your work dates to ensure that you’re showing a smooth transitional flow from one job to the next. Even if you’re freelancing, make that clear in your employment timeline.
6. Solicit testimonials and referrals. No one has a problem writing testimonials for you, if you ask. If they’re too busy or perhaps a little slow in responding to your requests, help them out a little by offering some assistance. Write the testimonial for them (make it succinct, but to the point) and after they’ve approved it, just ask them to copy/paste it to your profile as a referral. Presto!
7. Include a background image. This is not the image of you necessarily, but is preferably your branding image, your logo or any relevant image that you have available. For instance, for my background image, I use the header image from my website. It has my name and logo on it and makes my profile more personable looking, actually.

If you don’t feel comfortable with your writing skills to make your LinkedIn profile really shine, then outsource to another freelance writer who can give you what you’re looking for. The main thing is to do something with it right now, no matter how small, so you can attract those who are looking for what you have to offer.

Good Luck!