The Power of a First Impression

It takes a fraction (1/10) of a second to make a first impression online and about 7 seconds when you meet someone in person. There are no second chances!

I started thinking about how a statement like that might play out on LinkedIn. One-tenth of a second! WOW!  

In our online world, we know people have short attention spans.  They glance at pictures. They scan what they read (messages, posts, comments and profiles). If they don’t see something interesting right away, they’re on to the next thing.

Why First Impressions Matter on LinkedIn

LinkedIn isn’t just about sales, and numbers of connections and finding a job. It’s about relationships. Relationships are formed through conversations that progress through the Know, Like & Trust stages.

A strong first impression on LinkedIn can:

💡Lead to real conversations, collaborations and opportunities

💡Keep you on someone’s radar

💡Help you establish credibility

Imagine the devasting effect that leaving a bad impression can have on your career.

How to Make a Great First Impression on LinkedIn

Personalized Invitations or Thoughtful DMs

Think about how often you receive an invitation to connect that is not personalized. Now that LinkedIn has handcuffed free account users to only five personalized invites a month, it’s probably 95% of the time. What do you do?

I’m sure you look at their photo and read their headline. From those two things, you make an instant judgement – yes, no, or maybe.

When you’re undecided, you look for a personalized message. Maybe 2 seconds have gone by now. The message might be the deciding factor.

If the invite message is impersonal, a pushy sales pitch, or overly generic, it’s game over. That’s the impression that will stick.  That person blew it! UGH!  Am I right?

Now, compare that to someone who has taken the time to think of and write a personalized message that is truly personalized. At least they still stand a chance, especially when they mention a valued mutual connection, a shared interest, or something they authentically appreciate about your work. That makes a great first impression.

LINKEDIN INSIDER TIP: Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If you can’t send a personalized invitation, try to send the person an Inbox message ( LinkedIn DM) instead. Many users have an Open Profile that allows you to send a message even when you aren’t connected.

Sometimes even a message isn’t enough. That’s when we go to check out the profile.

Make Your Profile Work for You

If someone checks out your profile, what will they see?

Make sure your profile:

📌Photo is professional and shows your smiling personality

📌Headline tells people how you help them

📌About section tells an interesting story about you and doesn’t read like a resume

📌Is complete with up-to-date information

LINKEDIN INSIDER TIP -  Even something as simple as grammar and spelling mistakes in your About section affect first impressions – people tend to associate errors with competence and attention to detail.

Thoughtfully Show Up in Comments

While this is not a new concept, you CAN make a good first impression by adding well-thought-out comments and joining conversations on the LinkedIn feed and in groups. The key here is to ADD to and inspire the conversation to continue. Share your insights and knowledge or ask questions.

You want to make a positive impression, not a negative one. Etiquette is critical here. So don’t be disruptive, rude or try to hijack the post for your own gain.

Don’t Use Bots or Canned Responses

It's note hard to figure out when someone is using Ai or a canned, templated message, or even BOTS.

You can usually tell because they respond IMMEDIATELY to your message, making it appear as though they are anxiously waiting for you. They aren't, but their BOT is.

Another clue is when you ask a question, and their answer is completely off topic.

A third clue for those that are closely paying attention is when someone adds comments within the first minute or two of a post.

Whatever positive impression might have come from those quick responses are destroyed.

Final Thoughts: First Impressions Will Lead to Relationships That Lead to Opportunities

A thoughtful first impression on LinkedIn can make all the difference between a connection that is more than just someone on your list and one that can turn into a genuine professional relationship.

And, isn’t that what LinkedIn is really all about?

_______

Do you need to work on your LinkedIn now before summer sets in?  Check out my Confidently LinkedIn Workshops. Each hands-on workshop will cover a separate topic. You can choose one, two or all three depending on what you need to work on. There are various workshop dates in May and June only. 

1. Profile Confidence: We’ll work together to update your profile so others KNOW instantly that you’re the person they want to get to know better.

2. Conversation Confidence:  We’ll work on creating personalized messages and conversation starters that you will definitely be comfortable sending.

3. Visibility Confidence: We’ll cover the things that will help you get noticed and stand out from the crowd.

https://events.sue-gresham.com/confidently-li