Poet and dramatist, Oscar Wilde, famously said, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” It’s true. When it comes to first impressions, there are no do-overs. I think we can all agree – making a solid and positive first impression is important, especially when we’re on the hunt for job opportunities, leads, or new clients.
Studies out of Princeton University by psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov have shown that it only takes a tenth of a second (yes, you saw that correctly 1/10 of a second!) for someone to form an impression of a stranger. And furthermore, longer exposure does little to change that first impression.
But, in today’s world, first impressions aren’t always made in person. Most people will Google or scroll through LinkedIn before ever meeting potential employees or service providers in person. Often the first impression made in the virtual space will determine if an in-person (or on Zoom) meeting ever even takes place.
Virtual First Impressions
So what do the studies say about virtual first impressions? Well, it’s not much better. According to a study by Missouri University of Science, it takes a viewer less than 2 tenths of a second to make a first impression when scrolling a website. Additionally, the scroller will only take 2.5 seconds to decide if they will stay on the page or click off. If that website being viewed was your LinkedIn profile, do you think they’d stay or go?
Let’s take things one step further now. Author Sonya Parker said, “Almost everyone will make a good first impression, but only a few will make a good lasting impression.”
So ask yourself, is your LinkedIn profile making a good AND lasting impression on potential clients, employers, and recruiters? With such a limited amount of time to make that first impression, the stakes are high.
Now that you know WHY it’s imperative that you make a positive first impression (even in the online space), let’s talk about HOW to make that good (and lasting) first impression with your LinkedIn profile.
Here are 3 simple optimizations you can make to your LinkedIn profile if you want to ensure you make a good first impression:
Use a Professional and Polished Profile Photograph
Your profile photograph and background image are the first two things a potential client, employer, or recruiter will see in a search. Your profile image can be the determining feature in whether or not your profile is clicked and viewed.
Make sure that your profile picture is professional and not too casual. Be certain that at least 60% of the image is taken up by your face (featuring a warm smile). In the image, you should be centered, in focus, and not too far in the distance. It is also important that you are the only one in your profile image.
The type of smile for the profile photo will depend on the type of position you are looking for. The excited upbeat smile of the Activities Director for a cruise ship may not be the right look for the Chief Legal Counsel of a publicly-traded company. Executives are sometimes instructed by photographers to look “friendly but not that friendly.” If you hire a professional photographer, this would be worth discussing in more detail. One excellent way to get a sense of what’s appropriate for your specific situation is to look at the profile photos of people in similar roles.
Studies have shown LinkedIn profiles with a profile photo are viewed on average more than 10 times as often!
Choose a Background Image
Almost any photo used as a background image will look better than the generic grey box LinkedIn will use if you don’t upload your own background image. However, there are four approaches I see that are effective in choosing a background image that will help you make a great first impression.
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Use a cool (and royalty free) stock art image that represents what you do or the industry that you are in.
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Use an image for your corporation. You may be able to simply repurpose the image from your company’s LinkedIn page.
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Superimpose the perfect saying or quote over a suitable image or stock photo. This can work particularly well if you do mission-driven work.
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Using a royalty free image of the skyline from the city where you work is often a good default choice.
Make Sure Your Profile is Complete
Great, so the potential client, recruiter, or employer clicked on your profile. Now what? Well, they take a look around at what you have to say and share. But, what if there’s nothing (or at least not much) there? They surely won’t stick around to read more about your experience if there isn’t anything listed. No impactful featured content? No About section filled out? What will they look at or dig deeper into? Having a complete profile is the most important step in profile optimization.
The truth is that if a potential client or employer isn’t impressed by your LinkedIn profile in the first few seconds they aren’t going to keep reading. If they don’t keep reading, you don’t land the client or interview. It’s as simple as that.