Administrative Assistant's Update

3 Administrative Assistant's UPDATE Making a strong first impression What every admin pro needs to know to create a powerful presence By Leslie Hughes Social media is overwhelming. As a corporate trainer, strategist and ad- junct professor of social media, I focus on social media all day, every day … and I'm overwhelmed. So, rest assured you don't have to completely dive in and make big changes to produce results. Start small and build a presence over time. For a few years, LinkedIn has been my "channel of choice." It's the #1 business network and is the most powerful site for making professional connections and converting clients. So it's important that you create a strong first impression. The three key areas to start with are your photo, your headline and your LinkedIn Summary. Your photo When someone searches for you on LinkedIn, your professional image is what people see first. What does your image say about you? Does it showcase you as a com - petent professional? Do you appear polished, smiling, confident and ap- proachable? I've seen some really unprofession- al images: cat pictures, selfies, logos and even a few shirtless men! Which of these two photos do YOU think is more presentable? Remember, this is the BUSINESS network. It's similar to how you'd present yourself at a board of trade meeting or a business conference. Your headline By default, LinkedIn includes your current position beside your profes- sional photo. As you can see, my headline is "LinkedIn Trainer, Profile Writer & Optimization Specialist. Pro- fessor of Social Media. CBC called me a "Social Media Guru." This tells a much better story than "Principal of PUNCH!media." You can use keywords to identify who you are and how your company helps your audience or you can use this formula: (Title) specializing in (objective) for (target audience). You only have 120 characters to play with, but within this tight frame- work, try to tell a short "story." Some examples could be: Executive assistant at ABC Sales Company. We specialize in helping you convert more clients. Or Administrative assistant at XYZ Corporation. Helping to distribute energy across North America. Your summary This is where the pedal hits the metal. You have 2,000 characters to effective- ly tell your professional "story" about who you are, what you do and whom your company helps. Write it in first person (I am) instead of third person (Leslie Hughes is). Think about how the people read- ing your profile will feel as they are going through it. Include your accomplishments (what projects have you been involved in that have made a difference). Highlight some of your proudest moments throughout your career. If you're concerned that people will think you're bragging, stop right there. LinkedIn is where you're SUPPOSED to include all your accomplishments, and if you include how proud and passion - ate you are about what you do, it shows that you're committed to your industry. I give you full permission to toot your own horn! Rome wasn't built in a day, and your LinkedIn profile won't be either. Give yourself permission to do what you can. Focus on these three steps first, and you'll be well ahead of the game. Leslie Hughes was called a "Social Media Guru" by CBC Radio and has been working in digital marketing since 1997. She is a LinkedIn optimization specialist, professor of social media, corporate trainer and principal of PUNCH!media. PUNCH!media clients include The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and TVO. www.punchmedia.ca (sign up for weekly newsletter) leslie@punchmedia.ca Leslie Hughes STRATEGIES Credit: Evan Lorne/Shutterstock or

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