LinkedIn has over 600 million members globally, making it the most popular professional network globally. If you’re serious about developing your career, you should ensure that your LinkedIn profile is always optimized and up-to-date.
Here are 20 profile components that should be reviewed and updated for 2022. Some are fairly quick wins, while others may take a bit of time, but they are all quite valuable. They will give you create the LinkedIn profile and personal brand you deserve.
1. Select an appropriate profile image for LinkedIn Profile.
Your profile photo is your business card on LinkedIn; it’s how people are introduced to you, and (being visual beings), it influences their first impressions. There are several excellent articles explaining how to choose the right profile picture on LinkedIn, but here are a few quick tips: make sure the picture is recent and resembles you, and make sure your face takes up around 60% of the image (long-distance shots are less noticeable), wear what you would do at your job, and smile!
2. Add a photo as a background.
The second visual element at the top of your profile page is your background photo. It catches people’s attention, establishes the context, and reveals more about your interests. The ideal background image helps your page stand out, attract attention, and remain memorable more than anything else.
3. Make your headline more than a simple job description.
Descriptions at the top of profiles are not required to contain a job title alone. The headline should explain what motivates you, how you perceive your role, and how you perceive your function. Check out your sales representatives’ profile page headlines if you have any who are good at social selling. They will very definitely include more information than just their job titles.
4. Transform your summary into a story.
The first thing to mention about your LinkedIn summary is to make that you have one. It is astonishing how many LinkedIn profile people still leave this box blank. Your summary is your time to convey your story, so don’t just list your skills and previous positions. Try to illustrate why these skills are important and the impact they can have on your coworkers. Don’t be afraid to invest time, create multiple revisions, and run your summary by people you know. This is your most personal content marketing item and is well worth the effort.
5. Declare war on buzzwords.
Buzzwords are adjectives used so frequently in LinkedIn headlines and summaries that they have nearly lost all significance. Our regular lists of the most overused buzzwords include phrases such as’specialized,’ ‘leadership,’ ‘focused, “strategic,’ ‘experienced,’ ‘passionate,’ ‘expert,’ ‘creative,’ ‘innovation,’ and ‘certified.’ Now, I’m not suggesting that you can’t describe yourself in these things or that they are irrelevant. However, utilizing these words alone will not convince others that you possess these qualities. You must also demonstrate them through how you describe yourself and the LinkedIn profile elements you employ to demonstrate what you’re about.
6. Grow your network on LinkedIn Profile.
Syncing your profile with your email address book is one of the simplest and most appropriate ways to grow your LinkedIn network. This allows LinkedIn to propose potential people. It’s incredible what it can do when it comes to surfacing relevant people to contact. No connection requests are issued without your agreement so that you can reach all prospective connections. In addition, make it a practice to follow meetings and conversations with LinkedIn connection requests to keep your network active and relevant.
7. List your relevant skills.
It’s one of the quickest ways to impact LinkedIn; scroll through the list of skills and select the ones that apply to you. This substantiates your description and gives others a platform to recommend you. However, remaining relevant is essential. A lengthy list of skills not fundamental to who you are and what you do might become cumbersome. Perform a periodic spring cleaning off your list of skills.
8. Highlight the services that you provide.
Services is a new LinkedIn feature that allows consultants, freelancers, and employees of small businesses to highlight the variety of services they provide. Including information in the Services, part of your profile, might increase your visibility in search engine results.
9. Spread the endorsement around.
The endorsements of other members validate your skills and enhance your credibility. How do you get endorsed on LinkedIn? Start by sifting through your network and identifying connections that, in your opinion, merit an endorsement from you — this is frequently the impetus for people to return the favor. Do not be afraid to reach a polite note requesting approval for a few essential skills. Remember that relevancy is important. Reach with people whose endorsement you would value.
10. Manage your endorsements with increased proactivity.
Once endorsements start to arrive, you may find that they distort the focus of your LinkedIn profile in ways that do not accurately reflect who you are. Your primary area of expertise may be content marketing, but the people with whom you’ve collaborated on events are more enthusiastic endorsers. Be proactive in managing the list of your endorsements utilizing the edit features in the Skills area of your profile; you can select which to show and which to conceal.
11. Take a skills assessment.
A skills evaluation is an online test that allows you to demonstrate the level of your skills and display a Verified Skills badge on your profile. Data indicates that individuals with confirmed skills are around 30% more likely to get hired for the positions for which they apply; providing evidence of your abilities also boosts your brand. Displaying your skills assessment results is optional, and you may retake the tests as many times as you choose before showing a passing grade.
12. Request recommendations LinkedIn Profile.
Endorsements provide viewers of your profile with a quick visual indication of your value. Recommendations take things to the next step. These are personal testimonials describing the experience of working with you. In the Recommendations part of your profile, a convenient drop-down option makes it simple to reach out to specific connections and request recommendations. Consider who you would most value a referral from, then tailor your request accordingly. It merits additional work.
13. Showcase your passion for learning.
You can add a course certificate to your LinkedIn profile upon completion of a course on LinkedIn Learning. This is done inside the Learning History part of your LinkedIn Learning account, where you may also provide updates to your network regarding your learning.
The marketing collateral you create for your business can also add to your professional profile. Sharing case studies, white papers, and other brand content demonstrates what your company is all about and enables others to comprehend your motivations. It also exhibits passion and dedication.
15. Acquire recognition for your thinking leadership through Publications.
The Publications section is one of the most underutilized elements of LinkedIn profiles. With this feature, you can stand out from the crowd by highlighting your existing thought-leadership content. Have you contributed to the writing of an ebook or white paper? Or authored a blog post for your company? The Publications section connects these materials to your profile.
Itadds one thing to have a network of connections on LinkedIn; it’s quite another to actively participate in that network by adding value to your friends’ LinkedIn feeds. Sharing relevant content with your network is one of the most accessible methods for achieving this goal. You can begin by closely monitoring your LinkedIn feed and sharing content that interests and resonates with your perspective.
17. Add comments in LinkedIn Profile.
Sharing is great, but it’s only the point. When you add comments to your shares, you give your visibility inside the feed and express why you believe a certain piece of content is significant. Additionally, well-written comments allow you to share a wider range of content. It is possible, for instance, that you disagree with a point of view yet nevertheless find it interesting. A remark that expresses this perspective establishes your opinion and thought leadership. It is also more likely to attract more comments, which raises your LinkedIn profile. Consider this when making your comment, and ensure you’re saying something you’re comfortable with people associating with you.
18. Follow relevant figures in your industry.
Following relevant influencers on LinkedIn helps to provide your feed with a variety of valuable content, which you can subsequently share with others. It also helps to contextualize your LinkedIn profile, showcasing your dedication to your profession.
19. Become a champion for employees.
LinkedIn Elevate is a platform for assisting businesses with launching and managing employee advocacy programs. It offers intriguing insights into the impact employee sharing has on the employees doing the sharing. 86% of employee advocates claim that sharing business-related content has benefited their careers. If your business uses Elevate, it’s a great approach to take a more active part in distributing brand content. If it isn’t, it’s still worthwhile to reach out to colleagues and ask who’s providing content worth sharing on LinkedIn.
20. Publish long-form content and utilize it to spark dialogue.
The more you share and comment on content, the more expertise and thought leadership credentials you establish on LinkedIn. The next logical step is to take longer-form blog postings. Monitoring the response to your comments and shares is a great beginning point. Are there specific topics and viewpoints that appear to resonate with your network? Are there comments you’ve made that you could expand upon in a blog post? This maintains the authenticity of your thought leadership and keeps you in touch with the problems your connections are discussing. Be ready for your lengthy posts also to start new conversations. Be ready for the comments and prepared to answer.
Conclusion
You do not need to invest countless hours to make your LinkedIn profile remarkable. You’ll be astonished at how rapidly you can make it if you devote only a few minutes to work during your lunch break or after work.
