Finding connection points with others is a major key to success with everything in life, including social media. And this is where LinkedIn can be so powerful, way more powerful than your website bio for example because it enables you to build a multifaceted personal brand.

Humans are wired to look for common connections with others. When we find things in common with someone, we often develop more positive impressions of them. Whether it’s attending the same school, finding out we’re from the same hometown, being a member of the same group or learning we share a similar hobby or interest – these connection points can create stronger relationships that can then lead to someone wanting to do business with you or recommend you for something.

But when your LinkedIn profile contains only your professional background, there is nothing to humanize you or help you stand out. When you share information that straddles the personal and professional, it creates a fuller picture about you. And that impression is much more memorable.

So it’s important in our online presence to give our connections the opportunity to “opt-in” to like us and find positive, genuine connection points.

We can do that by filling out our full LinkedIn profiles and especially by creating a compelling about section in the first person that brings our professional background to life along with what we do and why we do it. Don’t just copy and paste your web site bio here. 

We can also use LinkedIn to tell stories and share information about ourselves. This helps us stand out from the sea of sameness on LinkedIn and create connection points.

I share more than most people do on LinkedIn and while that’s not for everyone maybe it might inspire you to share a story about your background, why you pursued your career path or someone in your life who has helped you.

People do business with people. Remember that. That’s why it’s to your benefit to be relatable, share information about yourself and your background, and use stories from your life and your unique experiences to connect with others.

Do you have an example of how this has worked for you on LinkedIn?