LinkedIn Checkup… Doctor’s Orders!
LinkedIn. In my book, it’s the necessary evil of the social media world. I have accounts, as do many of you, but I rarely spend time on the platform, haven’t posted in months… until I sat down to write this, I hadn’t made an update to my profile in probably over a year.
But it’s time for us to rethink LinkedIn and its potential. Several social media resources have called LinkedIn the place to be in 2019. The beginning of the year (I still consider February the beginning of the year) is the perfect time to give your LinkedIn profile a brief check up. Here are some quick and simple ways to update your account to make sure you're connecting with the people you need to reach.
Choose a cover photo that makes sense- on Facebook, a photo of your last vacation or family Christmas gathering makes sense. On LinkedIn, keep your cover photo professional, featuring something from the business realm, an image that speaks to your personal brand or an image that features your location, like you city’s skyline. If you need help sizing an image to load, visit Canva, a free online design tool. We LOVE recommending Canva for simple designs, especially for social media use.
Update your profile image- Is your image dated? Are you using a selfie? Would you show your picture to a potential new client or boss? If the answer is no, time for an upgrade! While you don't have to use a professional headshot, the image should be taken by someone else in front of a backdrop that doesn't have a lot going on. Again, keep the professional audience in mind.
Update your contact information- I see many real-life friends on LinkedIn who have switched career paths or employers and haven't updated their information on LinkedIn. Now is a good time to review your contact details, and make any workplace changes or additions so you can best connect with others.
Start posting- LinkedIn has been making updates to expand its reach as a business-focused social platform, so you'll start to see additional video options. Some users actually express higher reach on their posts, even with smaller audiences than other platforms.
You may spend time on LinkedIn to help build your business, you may be interested in building connections for a potential workplace change, or you may just want to keep up-to-date on business happenings among your connections. Regardless of the reason you use LinkedIn, make sure you’re putting your best foot forward by spending a few minutes giving your profile a checkup.
P.s. Connect with me! I plan to spend some more time there in 2019, and would love to connect with you.
