5 Tips to Hook Your Reader with a Persuasive LinkedIn Summary Section

5 Tips to Hook Your Reader with a Persuasive LinkedIn Summary Section Photo Credit â€" Pixabay.comDid you know that after the headline section, LinkedIn Summary is the second most widely-read section on your profile?Furthermore, studies show readers spend a majority of their total time focused solely on this section.THE BOTTOM LINE?evalIf you don’t hook the reader with a persuasive LinkedIn Summary Section your chances are slim that the reader will feel compelled to take a deeper dive and read about your job history, education, certifications and awards . . . much less recommendations and endorsements or open up any multimedia you’ve shared.MY RECOMMENDATION? LinkedIn gives you 2000 characters worth of space in the summary section…use them to their full advantage. Here’s how:1. MIND YOUR TONEUnlike a resume that is formal in tone, the tone on LinkedIn is more conversational. This allows the reader to read your “voice.” Because traditional rules for writing are bent as they are with a face-to-face chat, you can even refer to yourself in the first person and use the word “I” without the reader frowning with disapproval.2.INCLUDE A VALUE PROPOSITIONEveryone has something special professionally that they bring to the table. No doubt you do too.In my own case as an Executive Resume Writer, my background includes Journalism and Corporate Communications â€" something that is quite different from my peers.Other examples that come to mind might be learning a business from the ground up, being passionate about a unique aspect of an industry, or bringing years of experience in another area that are invaluable to your success.Whatever the part of your story that is unique from the story of others â€" this is your value proposition and as such should be part of your brand.evalJust make sure to spell it out and explain how you stand out in this section.3. ENTICE WITH HIGHLIGHTSOnce you’ve outlined your value proposition in a conversational manner, what better way to back it up and prove your worth than to include two or three highlights to serve as examples?Remember that numbers often speak louder than words, which is why I recommend selecting accomplishments as highlights that include measurable or quantifiable statistics whenever possible.Having trouble quantifying? Think about ways that you have contributed to making things run better, faster or more efficiently. Also consider ways that you have saved money, headcount, etc.4.INCLUDE SKILLSevalIncluding a list of job- and industry-related skills serves two purposes.A skills section is an ideal place to include keywords that enhance your LinkedIn profile’s searchability.This section allows the reader to quickly skim and ascertain that your skills align with positions they need filled.5. MULTIPLE POINTS OF CONTACTMake it easy for people to connect by including several options for people to get in touch.While people can always send you a connection request or direct message you, including an email and a mobile number makes it easy for folks to reach ou t to you without having to look up your information in another section of LinkedIn.