Add Your Voice (and Message) to Your LinkedIn Profile

You might have wondered lately why a “speaker” icon appears to the right of some people’s names in their LinkedIn profile. If you’ve been curious enough, you may have even clicked on the icon. After clicking, you probably heard the pronunciation of the person’s name in their voice.

Welcome to LinkedIn’s new Record and Display Your Name Pronunciation on Your Profile feature. Long name, but very descriptive.

Have you ever wondered how someone pronounces their name, especially if said pronunciation isn’t apparent? About a month or two ago, LinkedIn launched its new feature that lets users record how they pronounce their names. Once recorded and saved, that speaker icon appears in their profile, which can be clicked and listened to by visitors to a profile.

This may seem a bit silly. Believe me, though; it has helped me out a couple of times. The recording part is easy to do, and there’s even a way to “hack” it so that more than just your name is heard. But first…

How To Record

You can’t record your voice on LinkedIn’s desktop site; the only way to add it is to use LinkedIn’s mobile app as you can’t record it on the LinkedIn desktop site. The good thing here is that the procedure is the same for iOS (iPhone) and Android phones. Here’s how you do it:

1. From the main screen, tap your profile picture. Then in the next screen, tap on your picture again.
2. Tap the Edit/pencil icon on the right just below your top banner.
3. Tap Record name pronunciation.
4. Tap and hold the record button to record.
5. Tap the Use button when you’ve got a version you like. You can also Retake the recording.
6. Tap Save.

The “Hack” – Add Your Message

You have 10 seconds of recording time. Thing is, it only takes a few seconds to say your name, probably three seconds max. Why not use that extra seven-ish seconds to include a (very!) short marketing message? Therein lies the “hack,” which truthfully isn’t a techie-type hack.

Wondering what to say? Here’s what I said: “Bob Woods, LinkedIn coach and trainer, with instructor-led coaching for groups and individuals delivered remotely.” You can click through to my profile to hear what it sounds like, too.

After you’ve recorded, you’ll see an option where you have a bit of say-so over who can listen to your message. I’d suggest “All LinkedIn members” instead of “1st-degree connections only.” You want as many people as possible to hear your message, so don’t restrict this feature just to those who already know you.

A Word of Advice

Even though you’re “hacking” the name pronunciation feature, I would strongly recommend you start your message by saying your name. If you use that entire 10 seconds for your marketing message, you may tick off some people who are clicking on it to really hear what your name sounds like when spoken out loud. And when our goal is to start sales conversations, you don’t want to tick off your visitors by not saying your name first.

(I can hear some readers saying, “Yes, Dad” to this. This is sound advice, though.)

Time is money. Wasted time is wasted money… even seven seconds or so of it. Use the new LinkedIn record name pronunciation feature, and then “hack” it a bit to fill that valuable 10 seconds with your marketing message. It may take you all of a few minutes to do, but it won’t be time wasted.