New Clean Look for LinkedIn Profiles!

By now we have all grown accustomed to all the updates from LinkedIn and their social media counterparts. Every time we update our profiles or tweak a section, another change is introduced!  And here we are in 2018 with yet another new look for LinkedIn profiles.  This time the changes are ‘top of fold’ and really are attractive. Some people would even say it is “Facebook-like.”

This 2018 profile view rollout is happening gradually across the LinkedIn customer base.  LinkedIn updates are typically rolled out in user groups that might not make sense to us.  So, don’t think if you are in the USA or New York for example that your changes all happen together.  We are in this kind of weird period where we have both platforms operating live.  For those of us in the business of LinkedIn education, it is super crazy and part of our life too.

Here are just a few things that you can expect: (or maybe you already have experienced)

Cleaner look

The headshot and headline move to the left side of the profile.  Nice.  The background banner image now has more space but, there’s a good chance you have to update it.  If you are like me and had a logo on the left side, updating makes sense.  Do this now because your profile is being viewed in both formats right now!

Easier to find Contact info

For years, contact info has been more challenging to find.  It is now in a very prominent position thanks to this new profile organization. 

Easier to find Info

Now you can find essential items such as a current employer, education, geographic location, contacts, and contact information on the right side of the banner. Education becomes optional on the top of the profile. The blue box provides versatility as either a place to connect or add a profile section.

More generous summary view

Now that we are finally getting used to the truncated summary view on profiles, LinkedIn is giving us a smidge more real estate. Nice!  I am delighted to be able to squeeze in more words at the top.  We still need to entice our readers to “see more,” but it just got a bit easier.

View of videos under summary 

The last go around with LinkedIn was frustrating because the videos under the summary were now hidden past the “see more” barrier.  Now with this 2018 view, the videos are once again visible.  And surprise! You can see more videos.  My company switched many of our client’s videos to the current experience in 2017, and now we need to consider moving them back!

My advice is to do a spring clean-up of your LinkedIn profile.  You know it’s a good idea anyways – don’t you really?  Make sure your information is current and that you are taking this new view into consideration. One thing you can count on is that LinkedIn will keep the rapid changes coming. So keep pace and update your profile today. Finally, don’t forget to incorporate the latest elements of your personal brand into your LinkedIn profile for the very best results. Happy updating! 

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Written by Sandra Long, author of "LinkedIn For Personal Branding: The Ultimate Guide" and the president of Post Road Consulting.

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