5 Ways to Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn has formed into more than just a recruiting platform, it now has over 240 billion business professionals utilizing it to connect with colleagues, employers, clients, and partners. It also a great platform to share and showcase professional achievements. 

Your LinkedIn profile is a place for you to build your professional brand, and because you are representing yourself, and the company you work for, it’s important to make a good first impression. Here’s five ways to improve and enhance your LinkedIn profile to ensure that you are portraying yourself and your business positively and appropriately. 

1. Update Your Profile Image

If you have a professional head shot of yourself in appropriate clothing, use that. If you don’t, try to find or take a photo that is up to date, in the right clothing, with a friendly and inviting expression. Fill the frame of the picture by cropping the image from the top of your shoulders to just above your head, and avoid using a distracting background.

2. Use Your Profile Summary as a Hook

Once again, on LinkedIn you are representing yourself and your company, so make sure your profile summary does as well. This is your chance to introduce yourself to professionals in your industry. Share your present and future business ambitions, highlight your skills and accomplishments through stories, add appropriate contact information, diversify with media links (blog posts, podcasts, slideshows), and don’t forget to keep it positive. Get creative with your summary by using headings and use up all 2,000 characters to help with keyword optimization. 

3. Give Endorsements 

Endorsements help validate your skills and increase the value of your profile. Endorse your colleagues and other business professionals in your industry for the skills you know they excel in. This usually results in the favor being returned. 

4. Follow Influencers and Companies in Your Industry

LinkedIn is a great place to consume content, including news and updates that come from companies and influencers that are in your industry. When you follow a company or influencer you will see their updates in your news feed. This is a great way to show your support, stay up to date on current industry trends, and it also adds relevant content into your feed.

5. Join Relevant Groups to Stay Connected

Groups are a great way for you to grow your network on LinkedIn. They allow you to find like-minded people and engage with them in conversations. Groups are also a great way for you to share your expertise with other people online, especially other people that you might not have found without the group.

By following these tips, your LinkedIn profile will be optimized in no time!