blog linkedin makeover
14Mar

Social Makeover: Your New LinkedIn Profile

Talk about a makeover! In the past month, LinkedIn has released many updates to the user experience and to the look of the platform. Change can be difficult to adjust to, so we broke down the five biggest updates to your LinkedIn profile and what you can do to adapt to those changes. We also included screenshots of the profile of our National Sales Manager, John Ryneska, so that you can visualize what an optimized profile looks like!

1. Emphasis on Profile Photos

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With their updates to the search algorithm, LinkedIn will make it very difficult for anyone to find your profile if you do not have an updated profile photo. At the minimum, your profile picture should be a high quality, recent, and recognizable image. Bonus points if you are dressed professionally or wearing your company’s branded clothing! Take it a step further and upload a branded cover photo, too. This is the space on your profile where you can introduce your company’s branding to the viewer, so take advantage of the opportunity!

2. Highlighted Headlines

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Headlines are the biggest change introduced with the new LinkedIn interface. Headlines are now more prominent and allow for longer lengths! Your headline should be no more than 120 characters and should focus on your networking goals. For example, if you are looking for a new job, write about your ideal position and your experience. If you are in sales, write about your position and what services or products you offer to customers. It should also be written as a dynamic statement that moves beyond your job description. For more tips on optimizing your headline check out this worksheet.

3. Shortened Profile Summaries

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In the new LinkedIn interface, only a small portion of your summary can be viewed unless you select the “See More” option. This means the first 210 characters of your summary are more important than ever! Use this space to highlight the most important information you want your audience to know, like your contact information or product offering. Once you capture the reader with a strong lead in statement, your extended profile summary is a great place to highlight your company, your product offerings, and even attach informational media items such as one-sheets or infographics.

4. LinkedIn Activity Section Added to Profile

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Your most recent LinkedIn activity now has its own section on your profile. This means anyone viewing your profile can also see your most recent activity underneath the summary section and before they even view your experience and roles. Users can now see your most recent likes, comments, and shares, so it is very important to follow best practices and be active on LinkedIn! Not sure what those are? Catch up in our previous blog post! 

5. Shortened Roles in your Experience Section

screen-shot-2017-03-14-at-8-50-40-amIn the previous interface all of your job roles displayed along with your entire job descriptions. However, in the new interface the only job description which will display in its entirety is your current, or most recent, position. Don’t be too disappointed, though! LinkedIn is now giving you many more characters to work with for your title. Expand all your job titles past the technical description with a maximum of 100 characters. These titles are the most important aspect of each role since the description of what you did in that position is now “hidden”. Therefore, it’s important to spend some time optimizing these former job titles!

Have any questions we didn’t answer? Leave us a comment or email us at  marketing@commercialwebservices.com and we can help you out. Happy networking!

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COMMENT (1)
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