5 Quick Tips for LinkedIn Profile Best Practices
Ryan Newman-Gross
42 steps
3 minutes
LinkedIn
Choose the right profile picture for LinkedIn
Your profile picture is your calling card on LinkedIn – it’s how people are introduced to you and (visual beings that we are) it governs their impressions from the start. Some quick tips to start with: make sure the picture is recent and looks like you, make up your face takes up around 60% of it (long-distance shots don’t stand out), wear what you would like to wear to work, and smile with your eyes! Here are the steps to change your profile picture
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Navigate to [https://www.linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com)
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Click this icon.
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Click "View Profile"
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Click on your current profile picture
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Click the trash bin icon
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Click "Delete"
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Click this button.
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Click "Upload photo"
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Find a more appropriate photo for LinkedIn and upload it.
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Click "Save photo"
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Viola!
Add a background photo
Your background photo is the second visual element at the top of your profile page. It grabs people’s attention, sets the context and shows a little more about what matters to you. More than anything, the right background photo helps your page stand out, engage attention and stay memorable. Here is how to add a background photo:
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Navigate to [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanatscribe/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanatscribe/)
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Here is a profile with no background photo
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Click here.
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Click this file field.
Often your company logo or company branding is a great choice!
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Find the appropriate photo and then Click "Apply".
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Viola!
Write a personal tagline!
That line of text under your name? It’s the first thing people see in your profile. It follows your name in search hit lists. It’s your brand. (Note: your e-mail address is not a brand!) Your company’s brand might so strong that it and your title are sufficient. Or you might need to distill your professional personality into a more eye-catching phrase, something that at a glance describes who you are.
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Click this icon.
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Scroll down until you see "Headline"
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Click the "Headline" field. And delete what is there.
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Type in something that is meaningful to you
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Click "Save"
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Viola!
Point out your skills!
Think of the Specialties field as your personal search engine optimizer, a way to refine the ways people find and remember you. This searchable section is where that list of industry buzzwords from your resume belongs. Also: particular abilities and interests, the personal values you bring to your professional performance, even a note of humor or passion
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Click here.
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Click "View Profile"
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Start to scroll down your page.
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Scroll past Experiences and Education
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Once you find Skills, Click this icon.
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Click "Add another skill"
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Type in your Skills
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Click the selection from the drop down
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And additional skills
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Click "Knowledge Management"
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Click "Save"
Grow your network!
One of the easiest and yet most relevant ways to grow your LinkedIn network is to synch your profile with your email address book. This enables LinkedIn to suggest people you could connect with. It’s amazing how effective this can be at surfacing relevant people for you to reach out to – and no connection requests are sent without your permission, so you can vet all of the potential connections. Beyond this, get into the habit of following up meetings and conversations with LinkedIn connection requests – it’s a great way of keeping your network vibrant and up to date. Here's how:
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Click here.
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Click here.
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Click "Add more contacts"
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Sync with your email client
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Click here.
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Click the names of the people you would like to add to your network
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Click "Add connections"
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Click "Done for now"
