Your LinkedIn profile could be enhanced significantly in a few minutes for better job search visibility and network friendliness.
By now, you probably know the basics. Correct? Let’s see… complete the profile and use LinkedIn’s summary section.
Try to populate your LinkedIn profile thoroughly by completing all the sections and achieving a 100% metric on your strength meter. Oh, and, of course, add your headshot — a must.
LinkedIn 101 Video
If you need a LinkedIn 101 refresher, watch this video below—helpful tips from Heather Austin.
Top Missed LinkedIn Opportunities
Your LinkedIn profile could be significant. Here is a list of some of the most overlooked features and strategies I notice when I assist my clients in revamping their LinkedIn presence.
Let’s start at the top.
#1. LinkedIn Background. Many LinkedIn members use the default LinkedIn backgrounds. I think this is a considerable waste of significant real estate: 1584 (w) x 396 (h) pixels, to be exact.
What if you used a custom background? Perhaps even added an on-brand message? This tactic will help you make a great impression and accentuate your brand message.
Here are a couple of free backgrounds I have resized for you. You can download and use (right-click, save, and upload). Yes, some are a bit bolder than others. You can use a program such as Text Editor to add your message to these images.
#2. Customize Your URL. Do you know your LinkedIn profile address? Here is how to find it.
Login.
Click on the profile at the top-left of the window
The URL will then be in the address bar of your browser.
If the URL in the address bar includes numbers, you have not customized it. Here is how to customize your URL.
#3. Contact Info. Surprisingly, it is one of the most underutilized areas. I often see the LinkedIn user provide a phone number or an email, but did you know you can link to a website, a portfolio, or a YouTube video?
How would this benefit you? If you have work to showcase or have created a video resume/profile, this is an opportunity to drive traffic to those job search and personal branding tools.
Where do you find this opportunity on your profile? Visit your LinkedIn profile under your picture, and next to the number of connections you have gained, you will see the contact information.
#4. Privacy Settings. Ensure you have set your profile to a public setting instead of a private one. Search engines will pick up a general profile, making your information more accessible to recruiters.
I would, however, recommend you keep some sections of your profile private to create a reason for the connection.
Here is how you can change your LinkedIn settings.
#5. Headline. This is probably a fundamental step, but I’d like to guide you in optimizing this area.
My formula is Target title + value offer + keywords = SEO-optimized headline.
Keep in mind that this headline must be concise. LinkedIn’s headline is capped at 120 characters.
We can cover much more to learn how to optimize your LinkedIn presence. With more than 575 million users and 260 million monthly active users, according to Kinsta.com, the above tips will help you stand out.
Need to do more to optimize your LinkedIn presence? Here is a comprehensive infographic covering all the critical points when building and optimizing your LinkedIn profile. It is imposing. Check it out.
The Ultimate LinkedIn Cheat Sheet
What sections have you noticed others miss or fail to maximize on LinkedIn? Share below.
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