LinkedIn is the essential business social platform, but its value is only as great as the effort you put into structuring and maintaining your profile.
In this #ContentChat, we cover the basic areas you need to revise on your LinkedIn to better market yourself, as well as tips for managing your time on the site.
Q1: Let’s take a look at your LinkedIn profile photo. Is the photo of you, and taken within the last 3 years? Would someone who had never met you be able to recognize you from your photo if they were meeting you at a cafe?
Review your photo and ensure people can recognize you. It’s your visual identity across the site and should accurately reflect you.
A1a: Your LinkedIn profile photo acts as your avatar across the site, showing up in search results, your connections’ news feed, and any comments you make. A great LinkedIn photo is one that shows off a little personality while still being professional. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A1. My LinkedIn photo:
Smiling, so I’m recognizable? Check.
Gray hair? Mostly. Half a check.
Taken within 3 years? No. #contentchat
— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) February 25, 2019
My profile photo is a bit older than 3 years, but it still looks like me. Most people are able to recognize me from it. #contentchat
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) February 25, 2019
Ensure the photo is clear, does not have other people or their miscellaneous appendages in it, is of you (not a child or pet) and is free of any questionable settings.
A1b: A few things that should not appear in your photo:
A photo with additional people (or their appendages) in it
Photo of a child or pet
Inappropriate backgrounds, such as a bed, scantily clad people, etc. #ContentChat— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A1. It’s a new photo, and you’d recognize me in real life. It’s the same one that I use here on Twitter. I’ve seen LinkedIn photos where you can tell it was a group shot and the other people were cropped out. How hard is it to take a selfie? Just my 2¢. #ContentChat https://t.co/gdwI9Z0Jn0
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) February 25, 2019
Your photo is how people will be able to recognize you and connect with you in the real world (like at conferences). Having a misleading photo could impact the trust that people have in you.
a1 YES! For me this is a quarterly update and for exactly that reason. When I am speaking at a #conference or an #event I want people to be able to identify and connect with me. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/ssPKnWPMe3
— Dan Willis (@MLLNNLmotivator) February 25, 2019
A1.
Absolutely.
It’s so important to
have an updated headshot
for your LinkedIn, website, etc.It creates a sense
of transparency + trust.— Bentley University (@bentleyu) February 25, 2019
If you need a new photo, check if your work is planning on taking photos for the team. If they aren’t, then suggest that they do.
A1. Yes, I would hope so! Mine was taken just this summer 😃 My company actually just had a “Picture Day” so everyone can update their email signatures and LinkedIn photos. It was a great social bonding event that benefited everyone in the company. #ContentChat
— hannahsulcov (@hannahsulcov) February 25, 2019
Once you’ve updated your picture, consider using it across channels to maintain consistency.
A1. Yup! The only difference is I am wearing a hat that in mine that I don’t wear anymore. It’s actually my Twitter profile picture as well. I do have people recognize me from this picture at conferences and what not. #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) February 25, 2019
Q2: Is the top work experience on your profile your current job and company? Does your description of the company reflect current branding and focus?
Keep your work experience current and update it any time you switch companies or roles, or if your company rebrands.
A2a: New hires may forget to update their LinkedIn profile to note their new role with the company, leaving their old place of employment (who may even be a competitor) front-and-center, which can cause confusion. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A2b: Additionally, every time a company rebrands or expands its core business, company descriptions included in job accomplishment and summary fields need to be updated. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
Updated experience is important for a variety of reasons. Notably, it helps you connect with the right people in your industry or at your company.
A2.
Your current job + company
should be updated on LinkedIn.It helps you:
-create a community
-connect with the right people
-build thought leadership
-highlight current efforts/interests
-build brand recognition
-build brand image— Bentley University (@bentleyu) February 25, 2019
An outdated profile causes confusion, and strangely timed updates may raise questions of if you’re looking for a new job.
Agreed. This is frustrating to find on other profiles. Then it is unclear, has the person changed jobs again? Or not updated to the current? #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) February 25, 2019
And if you don’t update it when you get a new job, you risk it looking suspicious when you go in and update it later (since it might signal you’ve started looking) #Contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) February 25, 2019
You may choose to optimize your title and description for SEO, just accurately reflect the services you provide.
A2: Yes and no. I have my work experience but my title and description are for what I want to be searched for and found for. If someone is looking for a Facebook Ads loving digital marketer who converts ads into high returns, then I want to be first for that. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/bVMppGObQi
— Ryan Bennion (@RyBen3) February 25, 2019
A2: I always keep my freelance position at the top, even when I go in and add new clients #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) February 25, 2019
I did actually do this fairly recently as I noticed I had “Google Plus” listed as part of my social media management services. #contentchat Things change very quickly online so it’s important to keep profiles updated!!
— Sarah Clarke Biz 🇨🇦 (@sclarkeOville) February 25, 2019
Q3: Does your profile include your current company’s website URL? Or, if you are a freelancer, to your portfolio or personal website?
In your contact details, you can provide an additional link (this is different than the company link in your experience). Keep the link updated if you choose to include it.
A3: Another frequently overlooked area when employees change jobs is the website URL field. Although this is an optional item for you to include, you’ll want to make sure, at a minimum, that there aren’t links to your former employers’ blog or website lurking there. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
You can use the space to link to sample work, which you can compile through Linktree if you don’t have a personal site.
A3: Yep, along with some specific writing samples on my website #Contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) February 25, 2019
a3 This is a great reminder! If you are a #freelancer or #entrepreneur and don’t have a website create a Linktree link and put that in there! #contentchat pic.twitter.com/K6ZGQynOH6
— Dan Willis (@MLLNNLmotivator) February 25, 2019
Q4: Do you have a current work email address listed in your contact info? Do you make it easy for people in your network to actually connect with you?
At a minimum, you should have some accessible contact details. Toggle with the visibility settings until you’re comfortable with who can see your information. Keep in mind that most connections will likely just LinkedIn message you.
A4: Every profile needs to include publicly accessible (or at least accessible to connections) contact details. Work email doesn’t need to be shown as the default, but it’s helpful to include, to make it easy for other employees to more easily find and add them. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A4. I actually switched to my work email about a month ago for this exact reason. It’s been absolutely great getting emails sent to my work email where they’re more likely to get read. #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) February 25, 2019
a4 Absolutely! I use #socialmedia to be SOCIAL! The more opportunity I create for my network to engage with me the better. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/T9MgGVYno0
— Dan Willis (@MLLNNLmotivator) February 25, 2019
You can choose to include your work email and/or a personal email. There can be hesitation about getting sales pitches, but sales folks will likely find your email one way or another regardless of your LinkedIn.
A4: It always irks me when people don’t (but maybe they’re trying to avoid spam) #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) February 25, 2019
I think folks are worried they will get cold sales pitches, but the thing is, that is going to happen regardless. I love making it easy to get in touch with folks I know. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
If you’re completely against listing your email, social channels are a safe bet.
A4: While I don’t have an email on my social media channels listed I still make it easy to connect. For example via all Messenger functions #ContentChat
— Nora Breuker (@NoraCB) February 25, 2019
Q5: What was your most recent activity on the LinkedIn website?
LinkedIn prioritizes active profiles in search results.
A5b: LinkedIn has stated profile activity is one of the factors that determine where a profile shows up in search results. In addition to updating job descriptions and adding new project examples, status updates also count as activity. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
Staying active is easy. You can like or comment on posts, create your own post, or even just update your job descriptions and add project examples. Over time, the algorithm will prioritize content in line with the type of content you’ve interacted with in the past.
A5a: My most recent activity on LinkedIn is almost always liking or commenting on a colleague’s post. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A5c: Regularly share relevant company, comment on posts from your colleagues, and share industry content to keep your profile active. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A5: I try to comment 2-3 times a day on posts that are relevant to me. That way, LinkedIn continues to show similar content. Mondays on LinkedIn are usually a lot of congrats to people making moves in their career or reading good marketing articles to start the week. #contentchat https://t.co/SdjUt6zZrF
— Ryan Bennion (@RyBen3) February 25, 2019
A5.
We often share
content to our page!Our most recent
activities include:– posts
💻written
📷Photo
🎥 Video– comments
– likes#contentchat— Bentley University (@bentleyu) February 25, 2019
A5: Sharing info about an event where I was a panelist. I often share stuff I’ve written a few times a month though #contentchat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) February 25, 2019
Q6: Are you regularly reviewing your connections? And what is your personal connection policy?
People approach connections in a variety of ways. Some will use an open “anyone can join” policy, while others will choose their connections with more care.
A6a: There are many members who ascribe to an open networking policy, frequently connecting with relevant people they haven’t met or worked with. Others guard their connections fiercely, preferring to add only current or former co-workers.#ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A6b: I personally encourage using LinkedIn as a replacement for trading business cards. Because you are so much more likely to actually keep in touch and get tp know the other person that way! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
Remember that connecting with someone can open them to your connections and existing relationships.
A6 I only accept invites on LinkedIn if there’s a legit connection. I don’t want to expose my network to any randos I barely know. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) February 25, 2019
I think that’s a solid policy. I had someone I was acquainted with spam a CEO I’d worked for. I was mortified! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
Filter your requests based on location, mutual connections, job function, company, or whether you actually recognize that person.
A6: I used to connect with anyone, but as my network grew I started getting picky. I try to figure out relevance based on: industry, geography, mutual connections, and whether they’re in a position to hire me. And whether they send a message or not matters #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) February 25, 2019
A6. A personal note can definitely make all the difference. #ContentChat
— Masooma // Content Writer (@inkandcopy) February 25, 2019
A6b: I now hardly connect with people I don’t know, or people who aren’t in my regional network. I get a lot of people in my inbox or requests just wanting to pitch their product. If they do that within 24-48 hrs. I instantly delete the connection. #contentchat
— Ryan Bennion (@RyBen3) February 25, 2019
Periodically clean your connection list to make your feed more relevant, but if you delete too many too fast LinkedIn may put a hold on your account.
I remove folks if I hear back that they have been spamming my connections with unwanted email or connection requests, or if they turn out to be people I would no longer want to associate with. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A6. I do, I’ll cleanup occasionally so that my network is more curated and more in tune with why I use LinkedIn. My personal connection policy is – do I readily recognize your name? Have we met, chatted, or networked in some way previously? #contentchat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) February 25, 2019
A6a: Used to connect to everyone. I had ~6500 connections &
friends would ask me for an intro to someone that I really didn’t know. I decided to go back to “do I really know them”. I’m still around 2.5K people, but I have at least known or done business w/ them. #contentchat https://t.co/O23STuF4Qg— Ryan Bennion (@RyBen3) February 25, 2019
Be careful when you do that. I was doing it at a high frequency & LinkedIn thought I was a robot. I ended up getting my account blocked for a few days, but it was fine. Just do a few hundred a day til u get to a safe # you can manage. It’s made content relevant again #contentchat
— Ryan Bennion (@RyBen3) February 25, 2019
Q7: Have you put your Summary section to work? Does it include your elevator pitch of who you are and what you do? And is it tied in with a custom headline?
The summary section is a valuable space to build on your headline, provide your elevator pitch, and add personality to your profile.
A7a: Many folks use their current job title as their LinkedIn headline and pretty much skip over their Summary section. But this is a HUGE missed opportunity! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A7b: Compose a headline that provides a compelling teaser of who you are, then flesh that out in your summary, starting out with a one-lin elevator pitch that gives people who don’t know you (and may not read further) a good idea of the work you love to do. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 25, 2019
A7: I updated my headline a couple months ago and it seems to have made quite a difference in the number of people that see and connect with me. #ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) February 25, 2019
I rephrased a bit to add “head of content” and “SEO” to better describe all the areas I cover in my position.
Head of Content | Writer | Content Strategist | SEO#ContentChat
— Emilie Moreland (@writtenbyemilie) February 25, 2019
A7.
Absolutely.
Having
a brief summary
of your work can help people:Quickly + clearly
understand:👉🏾Who you are
👉🏾What you do
👉🏾What your UVP is
(Unique value proposition)Make sure you keep it
updated though!Your skills, interests, targets can change! #contentchat
— Bentley University (@bentleyu) February 25, 2019
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