When a B2B buyer is considering a purchase, they only spend around 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers. The rest of the time they spend doing independent research.
If a buyer is considering your company as a potential partner, are they going to be impressed with your LinkedIn profile or underwhelmed with the little information you have listed?
It might seem like a waste of time adding honors and awards to your LinkedIn business profile, but it has much more impact than you might think. Read on to find out why you should include this section and get some great LinkedIn Honors and Awards examples.
Looking for more ways to improve your LinkedIn account? We’ll show you how to use your LinkedIn Interesting Views to find better leads faster.
What are Honors & Awards on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn’s Honors and Awards section is a dedicated place for you to showcase your career achievements on your page.
Users often find it the most difficult section to fill out because it’s hard to remember any awards you’ve had in your career. Not to mention it can be difficult figuring out what counts as an award or honor since there are no real set guidelines.
If you’ve got any certificates, plaques, or trophies, this is a good place to start. But this section is for more than just physical awards.
There are tons of different honors you can add to this section to fill it up:
- Published articles
- Magazine profiles
- Speeches or keynote addresses
- Being a member of a panel or moderator
- Special projects you were a part of
- Training or mentoring you gave
- Being part of a committee
- Being an employee of the month
- Any other relevant experiences
Why You Should Add Award Pictures & Videos
LinkedIn has had a native video feature since 2017 which allows users to upload videos directly to the platform.
This means you can add videos and pictures to your Honors and Awards section.
Adding pictures or videos to your awards gives relief from all the words on your profile and helps draw the eye of visitors.
They also make this section much more noticeable and amplify the story. Many users will skip straight over this section, so this makes sure they stop and take notice.
What’s more, a great photo or video of you accepting an award gives you immediate authority. It shows you’re a professional and a leader in your field, which is great for potential leads who might be researching you.
So, whenever you receive an award, make a presentation, or get honored, make sure someone is snapping pictures and videos for you – it’s all great content for your LinkedIn profile.
Here are some ideas of what you can upload along with the description of each award:
- A photo of you receiving an award.
- A short clip of you presenting at a conference.
- A professional photo of you holding your award.
- A photo of you next to your “employee of the month plaque”.
Make sure any pictures or videos you upload are professional and reflect your company. A photo of you with a “best drinker” award from college probably isn’t the image you want to be portrayed.
Types of Awards to Feature on LinkedIn
This all comes down to your brand, industry, and what you consider to be an accomplishment, but there are no rules here.
It could be something prestigious like winning the best business award on a big stage or something small like getting a “best boss” mug from your staff.
Keep in mind that a potential client might want proof of an award if it pertains to their business – so don’t exaggerate and try to have proof of anything you add to this section.
You don’t have to stick to your industry either. Clients like to see versatility, so if you have awards in a sport you’re passionate about or have been recognized for your charity work or volunteer experience, add this too. It shows you’re a well-rounded person and respected by people, all of which helps in winning the trust of potential leads.
How To Add Awards & Honors on LinkedIn
If you haven’t added any awards to your profile yet, here’s how you do it:
- In the top menu, click “Profile” and “Edit Profile”.
- Click “View more” in the “Add a section to your profile” section.
- You’ll see the option to add Honors and Awards.
To add a specific award:
- Add the name and level you completed to the “Title” box.
- If the award is associated with an organization, position, or degree, add this to the “Associated with” box.
- For “Issuer”, add the name of the awarding body.
- In the “Description” box, give some details about the accomplishment, when you received it, why, and what you did to earn the honor. Don’t forget keywords to boost your LinkedIn SEO.
- Don’t forget to attach a picture or video if you have one.
Once you’re all done, click “save” and the new award will be added to your profile.
Best Examples of Honors and Awards on LinkedIn
If you’re not sure how to word your awards or accomplishments, there are some great examples on LinkedIn for inspiration.
A list of Accolades
Gary Vaynerchuck, Chairman of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia, adds a list of accomplishments including a profile in the New York Times (2013) and being included in the Fortune 40 Under 40 list (2014).
In both instances, he includes a short snippet of the article pieces and a link to the full article. This shows his accomplishments and positions him as a thought-leader.
Projects
Gretchen Rubin, the best-selling author, has cleverly used her awards section to add a chapter of her book. As an author, this is a great marketing tool for her book and encourages visitors to visit her site to buy the rest.
She has also included a clip of one of her most popular YouTube videos to encourage more profile views.
Although neither of these is technically an award, they are a great way to use this section to market and boost sign-ups and sales.
Featured blogs
Jill Konrath has an impressive LinkedIn profile. She’s a keynote speaker, bestselling author, and B2B sales expert.
In her awards and honors section, she has a lot listed. One of which is her contributions to some high-profile blogs.
Having a long list of awards and accomplishments solidifies her position as a leader in the B2B sector and establishes her as a thought leader.
Optimize your profile ready for new leads
Filling out your LinkedIn profile might seem like a waste of time, but it’s a crucial step in optimizing your online presence for sales.
B2B customers will do their own research into brands before making a buying decision, and this includes going through your LinkedIn profile.
The more information you can give to prove you’re a good person to do business with, the better your chances of winning the business over your competition.
Once you have your profile optimized, it’s time to turn your LinkedIn into a lead generating-machine.
Get a free demo of Zopto and we’ll show you how to get hundreds of LinkedIn leads every month.
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