LinkedIn members vote for profiles in the 1st person

The vast majority of Australia’s 11M+ LinkedIn members seek to  impress, inspire and influence others in some way shape or form.   And personal profiles are the nucleus for that success.  And what is the best writing style to use? The answer has been given as  LinkedIn members vote for profiles written in the 1st person

There has been quite the debate over the years on whether LinkedIn  profiles should be written in the 1st or 3rd person.   The opinions are often dogged and replicated without a deep understanding of the unique positioning LinkedIn holds.  What is consistent opinion however is that 1st impressions matter. And those impressions will be either negative or positive.   

The unique position of  LinkedIn profiles

LinkedIn profiles are personal introductions to ‘brand you’, owned by you and from you. They are not a media release, book biography, resume, annual report, academic paper, speaker announcement or keynote introduction. Each platforms  have unique purposes and  functions and hence the syntax and pronouns are suited. 

Essentially a 1^st person narrative is ‘I/me/myself’ and 3^rd ‘He/she/name’.  There are some variances and the 2^nd person is a ‘we/us/you’.   Neutral narrative is factual statements using a/an.

1^st:                   I am a lawyer specialising in trade

3^rd:                   Joe Blogs is a lawyer specialising in trade

Neutral:            A lawyer specialising in trade

2^nd                   We are lawyers specialising in trade

And let’s be upfront and call the elephant out in the room.  Writing and talking about yourself is not easy for many, indeed tortuous at times. The reality is your personal brand and profile will not be everyone’s cup of tea.  If you are being genuine and authentic, then by virtue it will  both attract and repel.

Every member absolutely has the right to choose however their profile is written as long as it doesn’t contravene any T&Cs.   But most want to put their best foot forward to maximise success, be it for careers or business purposes.   

What profile style do members prefer to read?

Given objectives are to impress, inspire and influence, it is essential to understand what profile narrative style lends towards more attraction and engagement from a UX (User Experience) point of view.

I wanted to know what people honestly thought about profiles written in 3^rd person vs 1^st and did it impact their perception of personal brands. 

I have always advocated for profiles in the 1st person for a myriad of reasons but it was time to  add to that with member UX feedback because frankly opinions are dangerous if not backed by any market research and insights and resoundingly LinkedIn members vote for profiles written in the 1st person

Poll Research

I ran a LinkedIn poll in August asking these questions.  The results were clear. 

The poll logged 199 votes together with a wide range of additional opinion both publicly and privately.  Further, after the Poll had closed I received another 28 messages with feedback aligning to the final metrics. The results were:

Interestingly, 72% who voted ‘Don’t care either way’ used the 1^st person in their own profiles, 21% the 3^rd person and 7% didn’t even have a profile summary at all.

And surprisingly, 55% who voted ‘Prefer/Powerful’ used the 1^st person in their own profiles. A few commented that if they had the courage or ability, they would have written in the 3^rd person.

Many shared they judged profiles by the individual and their needs and were not fussed as they would still be in contact to find out more.  Whereas others were quite turned off and the perception of the persons brand was not favourable to say the least.

A wide range of sectors, roles and levels were represented as were genders and age ranges.  And within specific industries there was no linear preference to style.  Conservative and creative professions had equal divides of opinion which refutes the notion that certain sectors lean towards a preference, for both using and engaging.

Takeaways & Recommendations

1. With 66% disliking the 3^rd person (22% finding them highly pretentious and narcissistic and 44% unfriendly and quite strange) it is clear that writing in the 3^rd person is incredibly risky and unwise.

2. Stick to the one narrative style. There are many hotchpotch profiles using both 1^st and 3^rd person alternating in each paragraph. This is also applicable to all other profile formats outside of LinkedIn to maintain pronoun consistency.

3. Cadence, syntax and tone matters. If you struggle with writing about yourself and you really want to impress and influence hire a professional to do it. 

4. Note, a skilled writer will write in the tone of your personal brand voice. And having written over 150 profiles myself (from senior board directors to sales people) the style and positioning would never be thought to be written by a ghost writer. 

5. Unless you are of the ilk of a senior politician, Prime Minister, global celebrity, industry ASX CEO  writing in te 3rd person makes you look arrogant .

6. The 1^st person can be written with great authority when done skilfully. The big issue for many is that they have no idea how to write with gravitas and default to the 3rd person.

7. Don’t assume that specific sectors and professions have consistent preferences.

8. Humans are unique and as the world becomes more fractured the desire for greater engagement and sense of relationship is stronger than ever. Be human and inviting.

Feedback from a few experts

I asked a few well known  communications and storytelling experts to share their feedback. :

I am a fan of the first person as it allows you to be a bit more personal and feel the first person allows you to bring in your own voice and personality.  Gabrielle Dolan, Storytelling expert, Author of ‘Stories for Work’ & ‘Real Communication’

‘We live in an age where there’s so much talk about being vulnerable, real and authentic. When you write your profile in 3rd person, it is like slamming a barrier between you and the reader; stiff, rigid, with no personality. How are people meant to connect with you if you don’t give them access to you?’ Annette Densham, PR Strategist, the Audacious Agency

Summing Up

There is a rule in advertising and marketing that it’s not about your own opinion that matters but what the broader market opinion is.  And whilst these statistics are a micro survey of sorts. I am totally confident that it represents the heartland of consensus which is also supported within LinkedIn specialist communities globally. 

How you are perceived is a core element of your  personal brand promise and value so be human and inspire.

For  tips to use LinkedIn successfully and navigate your profile read The Buck Stops with you on LinkedIn

This article  has also been exclusively published in Kochies Business Builders &  Flying Solo