Six Simple Ways to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Professional Success

Marketing yourself is crucial on LinkedIn, regardless of whether you are working as an employee or running a business. LinkedIn serves as a fundamental tool for achieving this goal. This platform allows you to connect with over 740 million users, network with 87% of recruiters, and rank on the top page of Google. An optimized profile will build trust, showcase professionalism, and increase networking opportunities for you and your business. In this post, we’ll share the simplest six things you can do today to optimize your LinkedIn profile.

Profile Picture + Cover Photo

Your profile and cover photos are the first thing people will see on your profile - and they can pack in a lot of info! Ensure you have a nice, relatively recent profile photo showing your face. This builds trust and ensures that people can recognize you if you do business in the future. Having a recent photo also shows that you take care to update your profile.

Creating a custom cover photo with a tagline, business logo, or relevant icons allows people to quickly understand your work. Canva is a fantastic free tool that you can use to create your cover photo, and Unsplash has some great, free stock photos to use as well. Try finding a neutral background or one relevant to your industry, and add text or graphics to showcase your work.

Tagline + About Section

Include a brief tagline that explains what service you provide. If you’re a computer programmer, you could say, “I design and implement innovative programs for ___ company.” This is one of the first elements of your profile that other users will see.

Your About section should be one paragraph or approximately 3-6 sentences. It can provide an expanded version of your tagline, including your services, skills, and qualifications. Not every visitor to your page will read this section, but it can be helpful for potential partners or recruiters to learn more about you. Avoid using phrases like “motivated self-starter” or “highly ambitious.”

Up-to-date Experience

Many LinkedIn users make the mistake of not updating their experience or updating it when they get a new position. Although a new position is one of the main reasons you’ll update your page, there are others. When you gain new responsibilities, complete major projects, or gain new skills or certifications, these should be added to your profile. If a recruiter, potential client, or prospective business partner looks at your page, they should walk away with an up-to-date understanding of your experience and skill set.

Don’t forget - if you have a piece of your writing published, you can add that to your page. You can also add certifications or training that you receive and any honors that you are awarded.

Skills + Skill Tests

Showcase your skills in this section of your LinkedIn page - include everything from event planning to Microsoft Office to computer programming. LinkedIn even has skills tests you can take in areas such as Microsoft Excel to demonstrate your proficiency.

Endorsements

Endorsing your connections for their skills can have a positive impact on your professional relationships and overall credibility. By endorsing your connections, you not only acknowledge their skills and expertise but also show that you are an active member of the community. This can lead to more engagement and networking opportunities on the platform.

When you endorse your connections, it encourages them to return the favor. This reciprocal endorsement can help to bolster your credibility and reputation on the site. Additionally, it can help to increase your visibility to potential employers or clients who may be seeking individuals with your particular skills and expertise.

Posts

The frequency with which you should post depends on your career and goals. If you are a business owner, in a networking-heavy career, or looking to advance and become a thought leader on LinkedIn, you should post 1-5 times weekly. If you work for another company, do not do a lot of networking, and are not interested in becoming a thought leader, aim to post about 5-10 times per year.

If you post frequently, you can share your thoughts on your field of work, news articles related to your profession, or projects you’ve been working on. If you post less often, share accomplishments related to your professional life.

Regardless of how frequently you post, you should post between 9 am and 12 noon in your local time zone and engage with other users for about 15 minutes after posting for optimal reach.

With so many companies, individuals, recruiters, and jobs to discover on LinkedIn, the platform might feel like a monolith. Spending a few minutes each week on the site will allow you to navigate it easily, become a regular presence among your connections, and fine-tune the algorithm to show you the most valuable content to you professionally and personally. Still have questions? Use our contact form to get in touch and learn more about this social platform.