As you execute your new year goals including your marketing goals, you want to spend a little time updating LinkedIn especially if this is a tool you use for your marketing. These updates also apply if you are seeking a career move and want to be found.
LinkedIn is notorious for not publicizing changes unless you know which of their blogs to follow or you follow experts like me who keep my network updated to changes they most want to know about.
Here are 5 adjustments I suggest you make in January to your LinkedIn profile and company page if you want to improve your visibility and gain a competitive advantage over those who won’t make these improvements.
1. Optimize your profile to work with the LinkedIn Algorithm
You already know you need to update your LinkedIn profile, but what you likely don’t know is that LinkedIn has updated the ‘values’ they apply to sections of the profile that can help or hurt your ability to be found. Never updating anything on your profile keeps your visibility lower than those that update and are more active.
- Update the industry in work from the drop-down menu. These industries have been changed and if you do not have an industry that is chosen from the drop-down menu you would not come up in an industry search.
- Location/City – If someone is searching to find someone by city, you want to be sure you have added your zip code and choose the city from what auto-populates. If you want to choose a larger nearby city, then add that zip code. If you live in an area that gives you the option “Greater + city name” I would choose that.
- Update your profile photo and header image – this lets LinkedIn know you have refreshed your profile with something new. This action goes toward how relevant and current you are and is measured by the algorithm.
- Verify your job title – edit or choose a job title that is auto-populating when you are editing your title. This means LinkedIn tracks that title versus a random title your company may give you that no one externally understands.
Example: Many people want to get as many keywords into one title as possible, I understand that, but you want to choose titles that are programmed into LinkedIn. This is especially important for job seekers, or you won’t get found for a position that is using a specific title.
LinkedIn tracks: Marketing Specialist
LinkedIn does not track: Marketing Consultant | Marketing Strategy | Content Marketing
- Update your social proof – this means gaining new recommendations. People buy and do business with those who are respected and praised for their expertise by others. Second, gain new endorsements for your top 3 skills. If you spend some time endorsing others, they often will reciprocate.
To get a professionally written profile update and optimization, learn more here:
https://linkedinforbusiness.net/done-for-you-profile-update/
2. Update your settings & privacy
If you haven’t looked at your LinkedIn settings in a long time, the first of the year is a great time to do that. LinkedIn often makes changes to various settings that you will never hear about that could affect being notified of important information.
- I would focus on the visibility and notifications tab
3. Consider upgrading to a premium account
In the latter half of 2023, LinkedIn offered more features to premium subscribers. If you use LinkedIn as a tool on a consistent basis, I would consider making the investment into a premium account. There are different types of premium accounts and your decision
should be based on your goals and objectives for the platform.
One of the free features that is only available with a premium subscription is ‘Who’s View My Profile” I think this feature is extremely important whether you are job searching or promoting your business.
I break down everything you need to know about premium vs free accounts in this article:
https://linkedinforbusiness.net/should-you-upgrade-your-linkedin-free-account-to-premium/
4. Review your LinkedIn network to improve your relationships
What does it matter to clean house with your connections or rather I refer to my network as connections and true relationships.
“Relationships should be strategic, quantifiable and measured” according to David Nour, Author of Relationship Economics. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
Just adding random people to your network isn’t going to get you better results and bigger networks aren’t always better if the people you connect with aren’t helping meet your goals.
- Go to ‘My Network’ – click ‘Connections’ and take some time to review people in your network. Remove those connections that have no meaning to you. Remember, when you post on LinkedIn a percentage of your network sees your posts – are these the ‘right’ people you want to influence?
I will be writing in more detail steps to creating a great network that supports your goals, offer referrals, speaks highly of your expertise and these are people you can count on.
5. Update your company page
If you are a business owner with a company page, you want to also update any information that may be outdated.
- Add a call-to-action button to your page. “Schedule a call” as an example.
- Schedule online events on your company page. There is now a large area of the page that shows off past & present events held by your company.
- Use the JOBS tab to post any jobs you want to fill.
- Encourage people to click the bell icon 🔔 on your company page to receive notifications of your posts
- Add a product page
