Profile Optimization for 2025

op·ti·mi·za·tion

/??pt?m??zāSH(?)n,??pt??mī?zāSH(?)n/

noun

the action of making the best or most effective use of a situation or resource.

So this week I want to talk to you about the resource that is your LinkedIn profile.

You’ve probably heard your profile compared to an online business card, your personal website or landing page or your networking presence.? These are all true, but let’s not forget that it’s a resource that can be used, but before we know how to use or leverage our profile, we have to be clear of our goals when it comes to using LinkedIn.??

At the risk of putting the cart before the horse, I’ll write more on those goals next week.? For now, let’s imagine your goal for using LinkedIn is for business development.? What does optimization look like and what exactly is it??

OPTIMIZING

As the definition above points out, we want to use the resource (our profile) in the most effective way.? Here’s a couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to the process and act of optimizing your profile:

1. Your profile is a living document- it changes and should change.? You should look at your profile at least quarterly and determine if what you read is an accurate reflection of you and the value you provide your clients and prospects.
2. Look at the entire profile and also make sure you are using the most up to date features.? LinkedIn changes constantly and if you’re a premium subscriber, chances are there are premium features you don’t even realize you have access to.

BIG PICTURE

While I think it’s important that you look at you entire profile and make adjustments quarterly, most people don’t look at our entire profiles.? Admit it, when you’re looking at someone’s profile, what do you focus on?

I’ll admit that I look at the top area of a profile and scan their headline, see what company they are with and then I scroll to their About section and scan it (I don't normally read the whole thing).? Next I head down to their Featured section (if they have it on their profile) and glance at the content they are featuring, then I head down to their Experience section to see how long they’ve been in their current role and what other roles they have.? Lastly, I’ll glance through their Skills and then read the first Recommendation on their profile- if they have any at all.

I do all of this in about three minutes UNLESS, something catches my attention and curiosity and I dive a bit deeper.? A few things I’ll dive deeper in is their website or LinkedIn Company page as well as their content if they regularly create and post.

WHAT TO DO?

I think there are a four areas you should pay attention to when optimizing your profile:

Top Section

About Section

Experience Section

Recommendations

TOP SECTION

This is the most visible section of your profile that encompasses your banner image and profile picture, your headline, contact information, Company and Education to just name a few.

Banner image: this should be visibly appealing and should market your company and be brand consistent.? Think billboard- it’s the first thing that people’s eyes are drawn to on your profile. Consider adding your professional email address to this section so people can easily contact you.

Headline- this is your first chance to connect with your audience.? Words mean things and we should choose the words of our headline carefully.? Create curiosity, don’t oversell or make bombastic claims.,? As soon as I read your headline and you claim to have helped thousands make millions I begin to become skeptical.? Be humble, be different, be others focused.? I also suggest adding something personal here to show your humanity.

Contact Information- this is probably one of the most neglected parts or our profiles because we don’t look at it often.? Make sure your website is listed as well as selecting what email address you want as your primary contact.? If you work for another company and use that company’s email address to access your profile you could lose access to your profile if you lose access to that email address.

Company page- are you connected to your company’s LinkedIn page?? You’ll know if the logo appears.??

ABOUT SECTION

Is your About section all about you? Does it recount your experience in your industry and list your skills and proficiencies?? That’s good if you’re looking for a job. If you’re looking to connect with clients and prospects, well I hate to tell you this- they don’t care.??

I wrote a more detailed article on the About section you can see HERE.

But for now, you want to do four things: resonate with your clients and prospects (what are their challenges now?), educate don’t sell- what can you teach them that they might not know about their challenges? Differentiate- what makes you different from every other company in your industry and person in your title?? Lastly, communicate.? Make sure you have your email on the end of your About section so if they want to get in touch with you, they can.

EXPERIENCE SECTION

Typically this is where you recount your climb up the corporate ladder.? Most people list the positions they’ve had in the companies they’ve worked for.? Again, if you’re looking for a job, this makes sense.

But if you’re connecting with people for the purposes of networking and business development, I want to challenge you to use this section a bit differently.

When people think of your title and your company, do they know everything your company does and all your company offerings??

Consider changing this section to add the products/areas of service that your company offers.? This way when someone glances at your Experience section, you and your company are seen in a more 360 degree view.

For example, if you’re a Financial Advisor you may list that as your first listing and tell a bit of your story.??

After that you can list Life Insurance, 401K Consulting, Wealthy Management, etc.?

So when someone looks at your profile they have a better understanding of all the ways you (or someone in your company) can help them.

There’s a bit more information (with a video screen share how to do it) HERE.

RECOMMENDATIONS

These are so important to providing information to those who view your profile.??

Up to this point we’ve talked about showing your value on your profile.? Resonating with the ideal audience and educating them.

Recommendations are proof positive that you do all the things you’ve said in your profile.

If you don’t have any current recommendations, I suggest you start making this a priority.

I make this part of my follow up process once I’ve worked with a client for a while.

I schedule a call to discuss the value my services have provided, their feedback (both positive and negative) and we talk about how I can best support them as their team continues their social selling journey.? I listen for them to tell me they are happy, that they see me as a partner and that they and their team are pleased with the work we’ve done so far.? Then I ask them if they’d be open to writing me a recommendation on LinkedIn.? It’s an easy part of the follow up process and once I have that recommendation I can then go on to ask for referrals- this will be another article in the near future.

REMEMBER

Your profile is a living document and shouldn’t just change when and if you change jobs! Set a goal to look at your profile quarterly and make sure that it best reflects your current goals for using LinkedIn.

I’m going to sign off now and go and optimize MY profile!

EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

The All Selling Is Social Podcast is LIVE! The official posting and release date is next Wednesday, January 29th. BUT, you can listen/watch my first episode and learn a bit about the show!

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