How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile: a Full Guide for Better Visibility

Why Should I Optimize My LinkedIn Account?

It really matters.

Your profile on LinkedIn is a necessary part of personal branding. As any other successful brand, it should be credible and make a good first impression. People's willingness for business communication directly depends on it.

As more and more people turn to LinkedIn looking for employees, partners, customers, and other forms of business cooperation, a powerful personal profile has particular importance. Moreover, it's a great first step to become an influencer.

Let's Start With The Basics

There's no rush :)

First, let's look at Profile Strength Meter created by LinkedIn itself. It consists of 7 simple steps:

1. Download a professional photo

Ask yourself - would you like to connect with a person without a profile picture?

2. Create a headline and include your industry and profession

Use brief and informative words that help people realize quickly who you are and what you do.

3. Write a summary

The summary section is a way to give users an overview of your professional activity.

4. Add your current position and work history

Previous work history is a meaningful part of your image.

5. Add skills and expertise

To position yourself as an expert in any industry, add the skills you have.

6. Include a place of education

This step not only gives your visitors information about the level of education, but allows you to find people from the same university or school and connect them.

1. Get connected

In order to achieve a completed profile, Linkedin requires at least 50 connections. A number of connections are also an important thing for your personal brand. A man is known by his friends.

To get All-Star Profile strength you should do all the steps above. These recommendations are based on LinkedIn statistics and help you to build the network successfully.

What's next? A guide, finally!

Reading about the default recommendations, you probably wondered what is the best way to implement them. That's what is our guide about!

Optimize Your Profile Photo

For this purpose we recommend you to hire a professional photographer. Amateurish photos are appropriate on social networks not connected to business, meanwhile, LinkedIn requires to look more formal. Therefore, choose a professional outfit and use a plain nondescript background. Remember to keep a camera close to your eye level and use lots of lights as your face is the main object in the photo. To make your photo unlike a mug shot, don't forget to smile :)

Your background picture leaves an additional visual impression. Choоse a good-quality background picture connected to your company, occupation, or industry.

Personalize the URL

This step makes your profile much easier to find.

1. Log into your LinkedIn account and click the Me icon > View Profile.

2. On the profile page, click Edit your public profile & URL.

3. So you see a new window of Public Profile Settings. Choose a section called Edit Your Custom URL. Click on the pencil to edit your URL.

Your custom URL can have 5-30 letters or numbers. Don't use spaces, symbols, or special characters. We recommend using a variation of your name and/or your professional brand since you share this URL with people. It makes your URL not only informative and easy to find but unique.

Headline

Imagine your headline is a calling card. Write a headline short and clear. It should consist of the most relevant key-words describing your profession and industry. There is also a way to be more creative and write a slogan that drives business.

Summary

Writing a summary usually seems a great challenge. But the secret of a powerful summary is its sincerity and personality that gives you a chance to stand out from thousands of users on LinkedIn.

Write briefly not only about your job, but skills, experience, accomplishments, and goals. Imagine you have to introduce yourself to a stranger and make the greatest impression.

Also, you should write a catchy informative beginning to attend a user who is running into your profile. Dwell on the questions like "What characteristics distinguish me from other people?", "Why did I choose and why do I love my job?", "What are my higher goals?" - everything that makes you and what you do valuable.

Don't forget to update your summary and make it keyword-rich.

Share And Post Content

Having articles in your profile increases your professional authority. Remember that people share more positive posts, serious topics cause discussions.

Grow LinkedIn Network

The number and quality of connections are also a part of your personal brand. To expand the reach, grow the network strategically. First, connect your acquaintances: colleagues, teachers, friends. Then find people in groups connected to the target audience, use the settings of search on LinkedIn.

This simple advice will help you to become an interesting and noticeable person on LinkedIn. Are you aware of more insights? Share in the comments!