The power of visual content continues to catch on.
Even if you had the time to write a thousand well-crafted words, your audience probably doesn’t have the time to read them. And we process visuals much faster and retain the message better when an image is part of the package. LinkedIn gets this – now you can share images on LinkedIn directly from your mobile device. All you have to do is snap and tap.
CAVEAT: LinkedIn does make the point that not just any old picture will be worth a thousand words – it has to be the right picture. No pictures of puppies and babies on LinkedIn please. Save those for Facebook.
Scott Pugh, the very first employee for LinkedIn in Hong Kong, showed just how true this is: He posted a shot of his new son, Luca, and one of the new LinkedIn premises in HongKong now that they’ve grown to more than 50 employees. Although the image of the office is fairly dark, and his son is just too precious, the office pic outperformed Luca by far on LinkedIn. It got 115,000 views and 411 likes. It also generated 588 views of his LinkedIn profile in a fortnight, 63 new connection requests and 6 job inquiries to work at LinkedIn.
So for those of you using LinkedIn for recruiting, the right picture could well be worth much more than a thousand words. It’s might even be worth more than the money you’re paying on other sites to advertise your jobs.
Not sure what kinds of photos you should snap and tap on your phone? Here are four suggestions from LinkedIn:
- Conferences, networking and professional development events: Show your network that you take your career development seriously. Photos not only help you get credit for investing in yourself, they also provide you with an opportunity to share key learnings with professionals who weren’t able to attend an event. If you’re at a conference, snap a shot of the speaker and pop one of their quotes in an update.
- View from your desk: Photographs that capture ‘a day in the life’ are often even more meaningful than basic job descriptions. Bring the passion and energy that you have for your career to life. Use photographs to capture fun, inspiring or motivational moments throughout your day.
- Show off your talents: The only thing better than telling a client, hiring manager or boss how talented you are, is to show them. If you are an interior designer, show the remodel you’ve been working on. If you’re a hairstylist, proudly show off photos of the latest up-do you created.
- Professional selfie: A profile with a photo is 11 times more likely to be viewed. Rather than using the typical headshot, try having someone take a shot of you in the midst of your work – during a presentation or practicing a big speech. If a client or potential employer can really see you in the context of your work, it creates an equation that looks something like this: YOU + TALENT = OFFER/OPPORTUNITY.
