Cognition #4: Case study of my work + LinkedIn profile optimization

As a writer, I'm a big big big believer in the purpose of words.

I feel every word in a write-up should serve a specific purpose, i.e., if a word doesn't serve a purpose, it shouldn't exist.

Also, I believe a writer should be able to explain why they've written what they've written. The reasoning might be shitty and lame, but the writer must know their mechanism.

I'll tell you why I gave this introduction at the end, but let's jump into Cognition #4 for now. This is the most visual edition so far.

Today we'll focus on,

• 10 key factors to optimize LinkedIn profile.

• Case study and analysis of my work.

• Non-technical aka fun segment.

LinkedIn Profile Optimization

Why optimize your profile?

A simple answer: Visibility.

Millions use LinkedIn, and lakhs of profiles belong to your industry.

How will you stand out so the algorithm prefers displaying your profile over others'?

Here's how:

There are different segments of the LinkedIn profile, and you need to consider a few factors to rank your profile.

10 key factors to optimize LI profile

F1: Include keywords that you'd want to be visible for in your headline. Don't overstuff. Don't force keywords to fit in. Use your creativity and let the content have a flow.

F2: If you are a creator, enable creator mode and update the Talks about section. You can add up to five hashtags.

F3: If you are a service provider, utilize the Providing services section to mention your services.

F4: If you are looking for a job or want people to know you're open to work, enable the Open to work feature and add your skills

F5: Use LinkedIn's Featured section to add links to your profile—portfolios, websites, newsletters, videos, any possible links that you want your visitors to click.

F6: Next comes the About section! We'll get to it in a while, but make sure you add relevant keywords in your about section.

F7: Experience section: If you have worked for various organizations, include top firms. If you are young and have little experience, include everything you've done.

F8: Add data to the Education section only if your education is relevant to your profession. If not, LinkedIn might suggest profiles and opportunities you're not interested in.

F9: Add your skills in the Skills and Endorsements section and let people who admire your skills endorse you.

F10: Take testimonials from people you've worked with and add them to your Recommendations section. Helps build trust among the visitors.

The 10 factors together make sure you get certain visibility.

PS: "Make sure you leverage all sections. And don't forget to keep things simple. Algorithm is important, but you write for people."

Case Study: Decoding my work

Since we're talking about LinkedIn, I thought I could present a case study of the work I did for a client.

This is relevant to both LinkedIn users and writers.

LI users get to understand the craft of writing the About section. Writers can observe how I had a theory around everything I wrote.

I'm gonna present the about section I wrote for Mrunmayee Dixit. She's a dietician and nutritionist. She uses LinkedIn to generate leads and consult her clients online.

PS: Mrunmayee's profile is presented with her consent.

Before we begin, here is a thing I want you to know.

Most attention is grabbed by profile picture/video, headline, and cover picture. If you manage to look interesting, the next stop your visitors take is your about section. Hence, make sure your description looks sexy.

Let's begin the step-by-step breakdown + explanation, shall we?

That's it. That's the about section I wrote for Mrunmayee.

Remember when I told you I believe in the purpose of words, and writers must know why they write what they write?

Reading my case study, you might have observed I have a theory or explanation for all my content.

Now, these theories might be sexy. Or stupid.

You might find them insightful. Or boring.

But the most important element is I have a theory. I go through a thinking process, which helps me develop my own theories and frameworks on writing.

And I want to emphasize:

It's the purpose-driven and thoughtful content that delivers higher results.

The case study ends here, but the newsletter doesn't!

We covered key factors to optimize LI profile, presented a case study, and understood the importance of every word having a purpose.

We're done with technical stuff. We'll have some fun now.

Non-Technical aka Fun Segment

Favourite quote from a book

As generic and cliche the terms mindset, approach, and attitude sound, we can never ignore the fact that working on your identity and the way you think can entirely reshape you if needed.

Movie I watched this week

I rewatched a few scenes from the series The Forgotten Army—one of the best series of 2020. The actors, BGM, and story are top class.

It's a very short series of five episodes, and I don't want you to miss it.

Originally made in Hindi and available on Amazon Prime Video.

You can check out the trailer below.

Tweets I loved

YouTube video I loved

We all procrastinate, and we can counter it when we understand how the system functions.

Tim Urban explains how the mind of a procrastinator works. It's one of the top TED videos of all time. Also, I loved Tim's humour.

Song I'm listening to on a loop

Train Song from Gully Boy is soul-nourishing. The lyrics are extremely well written.

That's about today! Hope it was fun.

Now, don't just close the tab and say Whattaaa newsletter! Go out there and share about Cognition on your socials. Let more peers benefit from it.

I'll see you next week, and don't forget to optimize your profile.

Love,

Vikra Vardhan.

Enjoyed Cognition? You can always gift Vikra chocolates as a token of appreciation. He’s a BIGGG foodie. He loves to eat.