Raise your hand if you’ve ever said, “I need to update my LinkedIn profile.” Well, now is the time to do so! Like a resume, your LinkedIn profile showcases your experience, skills, and personality. Put your best (digital) foot forward when it comes to personal branding. With these three easy steps, you’ll be on your way to a polished LinkedIn profile.
Have a (quality) profile picture.
While this may seem like a no-brainer, make sure you have a profile picture. Your profile picture is one of the first things others see, so having a quality photo is key. It doesn’t have to be a stiff business-looking headshot; it could even be a nice candid photo of yourself. Use a color-corrected, high-res image to make the right LinkedIn first impression, and pay attention to your facial expression and the background. For quick photo editing, use Canva’s Photo Editor, and for advanced editing, use Photoshop Express. A picture is worth 1,000 words, so what does yours say?
Add a header image to your profile.
In addition to your profile picture, you can show off your personality through your header image. This will appear at the top of your page behind your profile picture, and this is where you can showcase your personality. Overall, I recommend keeping this image simple in design while complementing your profile picture. You do not want a distracting or overwhelming image that could turn away users from your profile.
Header images can also relate to your industry or company. In my screen shot below, you’ll see that my header includes hexagons–that’s Element’s brand symbol.
Yes, use that bio!
This area will require a little more effort. Don’t leave your bio section blank; that’s a wasted opportunity. Your bio should fill each of these parts 1) A hook to draw users in, 2) An overview of your experience and skillset (think of keywords you can insert), and 3) The current status of your career. A stand-out way to start your bio is with a short narrative of how you fell in love with your profession.
Here’s my profile, for example:
Hop onto your LinkedIn and take a look at some of our all-star Element profiles:
Tara Brzozowski, director of public relations
Jenna Garvin, interactive designer
Marcus Sanford, content marketing analyst
Looking for more ways to improve your personal brand?
Check back weekly for #PRbrief updates from the Element PR team.
