Inbound Marketing

New LinkedIn Profiles: Why Marketing Yourself is Important, Too

By Justine TimoteoJan 15 /2013

After spending a lazy Sunday on the couch, catching up on all the television I missed during the week, I decided I should be slightly productive and do something I’ve been (shamefully) putting off for months: updating my LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn announced several months back that it was rolling out new profile pages that allow users to better showcase their professional story and engage with others. I finally received the new profile after submitting a request (some people automatically received the update and were notified via email) and realized now was the perfect time to make sure I was successfully utilizing LinkedIn’s advantages.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too!

I spend hours every day making sure each of my clients’ demands are being met. From posting on social media and optimizing blogs, to developing content and providing web maintenance, oftentimes it’s easy to let the day get away from me. It’s a fault I try not to let happen too often, though. It’s just as important to promote my clients and ensure their social pages/networks and websites are up-to-date, as it is to do the same for my own personal accounts. And LinkedIn is the perfect place to start. The new profile is visually appealing and makes it easier to showcase more details of your professional life.

Ways to Improve your LinkedIn Profile

When you take the time to update or improve your profile, there are several important areas to focus on.

Basic Information: The top part of your profile may be small, but it sure is mighty. This is where people can see a quick snapshot of who you are and what you do. Always be sure your title and field of work are current and to use keywords whenever possible.
Activity: The second most prominent part of the new profile will be your Activity. Share interesting articles you read, or start a conversation about something you’re working on or passionate about. Bottom line? Stop being passive and let your online voice be heard! It’s also good practice to follow companies and join groups that share related information to your field and interests.
Publications: I find this section particularly useful. We’ve discussed many times now how important Content Marketing is and many companies, including Kuno, look to LinkedIn to find freelancers or agencies. The publications section allows you to link directly to past work and organizes it in a clear and consistent manner.
Insights: Located in a right-hand column, insights are a great way to learn more about your network. One of my favorite features of the insights is the profile strength ranking. If you’re not at an “All Star” level, try some of the tips I’ve recommended so far and following LinkedIn’s guide to edit your profile.

There are many other additional sections to add to your page, including: projects, organizations, honors and awards, courses, certifications, etc.—making it user-friendly for every level and field of expertise.

Taking Optimization into Consideration

If there is one word you will hear over and over again from me, it’s optimization. Blog optimization, landing page optimization, SEO optimization…and the list can go on and on. And guess what? It doesn’t stop at LinkedIn. While you’re updating your profile, be sure to take keyword optimization into consideration. Take me for example. I made sure I had “inbound marketing,” “marketing” and “social media” listed several times throughout my page. These are my specialties and incorporating them as keywords into my title, description and background information allows me to come up in search results if one was to particularly search any of those terms.

What tips do you have to improve your LinkedIn profile? Share in the comment section below.

After graduating from Miami University with a degree in Journalism and English, Justine immediately immersed herself into the marketing world. At Kuno, Justine assists in the execution of social media campaigns, media planning, and project execution. You can connect with her on Twitter.