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At this point we all use LinkedIn or at the very least know it as the Professional version of Facebook, right? Well, LinkedIn is constantly evolving and is now a sophisticated platform for professionals. Whether you are looking for your next career move, new business connections or just want to keep up with the latest information for your industry, LinkedIn is the place to be. However, like many things, a poor profile on LinkedIn can be worse than no profile at all. Follow these quick steps to make your profile stand-out and ultimately accomplish your goals with help from the 414 Million people on LinkedIn (and growing daily).
Before you follow any of these steps, do one important thing: Change your settings so your updates are not pushed out to everyone in your LinkedIn network. Not only are these notifications annoying to your colleagues, you also don’t want to showcase first drafts of various updates without the final polish. You can edit this setting on the editing profile screen, then click the “No” toggle button on the right hand side of your profile in the section that says “Notify Your Network?”.
Now for the fun stuff, sign into LinkedIn and let’s get updating:
Pictures – You MUST have a profile picture. This is not a nice to have, it is a requirement to be taken seriously on LinkedIn and without one you are ranked lower in any searches. Your profile picture should be professional (no cropped out people/pets/etc) and convey who you are. It doesn’t have to be a stuffy, forced-smiled picture, but should clearly show your face and exemplify the type of message you want to convey – formal, creative, trendy, etc. Additionally, LinkedIn now allows you to upload a background picture behind your profile heading – this is a great place to use a photo that conveys your skills, industry knowledge or passion.- Summary – The Summary section is a completely open space to write whatever you like. Here is your opportunity! If you are looking for a new career move, but don’t want your current employer to realize this, add content here about your goals for your next role, which conveys interest in a new opportunity without being too obvious. Be concise and direct, while using this space to tell a potential new employer or connection exactly what you want them to know about you. The summary section is also a great opportunity to highlight a specific skill you feel is critical to your next move or goal. Once complete, move the summary section to the top of your profile, right under your picture. This will give your profile a unique look and make your summary stand-out.
- Custom URL – If you plan to put your LinkedIn profile on your CV, resume or blog be sure to create a custom URL. Under your profile picture, you will see a URL with your name and some random letters/numbers. Click the gadget button to the right of this URL and then in the right hand column, click “Create Custom URL”. Simple! Here, you can also edit how your profile appears in search engines.
- Ebook/Blog/White Paper – Does your business have a blog? Do you write white papers or ebooks for your industry? Publish these on LinkedIn to attract new clients or contacts. You can do this in multiple places: 1. in your profile, under the media section of your various positions, 2. publish a post that will be communicated to your network with a great headline and link and 3. with LinkedIn’s Publisher.
- Join Groups – Groups are a very important part of your LinkedIn “life”. By joining groups and being active in their discussions, you can create very important contacts. Appropriate groups are also a great place to learn and find like-minded people. Most importantly, if used correctly, they can be a great place to showcase your expertise and find new clients or potentially land a new connection that leads to a great opportunity. With over 1.7M groups on LinkedIn, there will be a group for you. Get in on the conversation!
Have fun updating!
