LinkedIn: Bring Your Background into the Spotlight

If you don’t have the new LinkedIn user interface yet, you soon will. More and more users are adopting it, and it means some significant changes for your profile, particularly your background image.

Here are my essential tips on how to manage the changes so your LinkedIn profile can continue to work effectively for you.

What the new design means for your background image

Currently, the space for your background image on LinkedIn measures 1584 x 396 pixels. That hasn’t changed with the new interface. But the amount of it that’s usable has.

This is because your profile picture is now slightly bigger than it was before. Instead of being in the centre of the page, it has now been moved over to the left. This means that any important information on the left-hand side of your background image will now be obscured by your profile picture.

The area of your background image that can now be seen clearly is just 1215 x 396 pixels. Because of this, if you already have a background image (and you really should), you will probably have to reposition or resize it. It’s essential that all the important information in your background image fits within these new dimensions and is displayed on the right-hand side of your image.

Why you need a background image

I always think of your background image on LinkedIn as a personal advertising space. It gives you the opportunity to express more about who you are and what you do in a highly memorable, visual form. Because people remember visual images more easily than they remember written information, it really is essential to have a background image if you want your LinkedIn profile to stand out.

If you mainly use your LinkedIn profile to represent your company rather than yourself as an individual (a must for those who work in sales), it’s worth asking your company if they have a custom background image you should be using. If your company doesn't have a background with their logo in it, forward this article to whoever is in charge of your marketing - because increasing your company's digital footprint on LinkedIn is a must for any company that wants to be taken seriously!

If however, your profile is more about representing your personal brand because you are not using LinkedIn as a funnel to attract and retain clients, or you are a solopreneur, there are a number of tools online you can use to create custom background images to the dimensions I've outlined above. While I'm a long way from being a creative, I hear often Canva is the easiest and best to use. Or reach out and I'll put you in touch with my graphic designer.

What makes a good background image?

Your background image should represent your professional interests and experience, while making you, as a brand, more memorable. You can achieve this through a logo, a particular font or colour scheme, or a bespoke image that expresses more about your job and your aspirations. These two very different examples here demonstrate how easy it is to describe your professional life with an image!

However, if you just can’t devise or find the right picture to express your interests and expertise, it’s perfectly fine to use a word cloud, or a more abstract image that reflects your personality and the difference you offer. This simple image is memorable for all the right reasons as it suggests you are brighter than the rest and have great ideas.

One image you should NOT use is a picture of a beach or other leisure-related imagery, as this sends a clear message that you don’t want to be at work and you would rather be relaxing instead!

Why your background image should include your contact details

Something I often emphasise is the importance of including your contact details in your background image. This is now more crucial than ever. Since January 2018, the default privacy setting is that contact details on your profile can only be seen by people you are already connected to, not those who are viewing your profile in search results.

Potential clients and future possible employers are busy people. They don't have time to trawl through endless information just to find out how to get in touch with you, or wait until you accept their connection request (which in itself might be a hurdle). By making your contact details prominent in your background image, you solve this dilemma straight away – and this marks you out as the kind of person they want on their team.

Attracting and retaining contact with people in our professional circle is the main purpose of LinkedIn, after all. Being contactable is an essential part of this.

Remember, though, to keep your contact details to the right of your image. This is where their attention will be drawn due to the interface changes.

Why you need to act fast

The new LinkedIn interface is currently being rolled out so not everybody has it yet. However, even if you’re still using the old version, it’s essential that you update or reposition your background image right away.

This is because the changes are being introduced by account, not by profile. This means that users who have the new interface already will automatically see your profile with the new layout, even if you don’t yet have it yourself.

LinkedIn is constantly changing. It can be difficult keeping up with it. But don’t forget, if you need any help negotiating the latest user interface, or making LinkedIn work successfully for you or your business - I’m always happy to hear from you! Please get in touch.

Karen Tisdell ? 0404 083 678 ? [email protected] ? Sydney, Australia