7-Step Checklist to Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile

Wondering if your LinkedIn profile is up to date?

When was the last time you reviewed your LinkedIn information?

Reviewing your LinkedIn presence on a regular basis ensures that you add new accomplishments and get rid of irrelevant information.

In this article, you'll discover seven easy ways to get your LinkedIn presence ready for the new year.

7-Step Checklist to Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile by Viveka von Rosen on Social Media Examiner.

The first thing you need to assess on your LinkedIn profile is your brand, starting with your images.

If you rebranded your company in the last 12 months, make sure your background image reflects your brand and any changes. Additionally, if you launched a new product, service, or offering, you may want to include that in the image as well.

For example, I updated my header image after the release of my latest book.

Check that your LinkedIn background image matches the rest of your branding.

Keep in mind that the header image dimensions will change with the new LinkedIn user interface (the image will be narrower), so keep an eye out for that. Then update your image as soon as feasible.

Also, it seems like a no-brainer but if you got married or divorced in the last year, make sure your name is accurate. LinkedIn has a space to include your former name if you want to. Just go to your profile, click the edit icon next to your name, click the Former Name drop-down, and type in your former name.

If your name changed in the last year, update your LinkedIn profile. There's even a spot to include your former name.

Businesses tend to evolve throughout the year, so make sure the 120 characters in your professional headline accurately reflect who you are, what you do, and whom you serve today.

For instance, Steve Dotto has produced more videos on his social channels so he added "Social Broadcaster" to his headline.

Add to or edit your LinkedIn headline to make sure your 120 characters are the most relevant to you and your business.

Your LinkedIn profile will show up pretty high in search results, so make sure it's consistent with the rest of your branding. You want to keep everything aligned.

New digital media has likely been created about you or your company since the last time you reviewed your LinkedIn profile. Whether you were interviewed by a blog, appeared in a YouTube video, or did a product demo on Facebook Live, you may have something new to showcase on LinkedIn.

Do an online search for yourself and audit your computer. After you see what rich media may be missing from your profile, choose at least two new pieces of content to add.

Add these links or files underneath your Summary.

Assess the media on your LinkedIn profile, add new content, and rearrange it so your newest media shows up first.

Once you add the new content to your profile, rearrange the order so your newest or most relevant media is most visible.

An outdated Experience section is a common LinkedIn mistake. Archive previous experience and make sure all of your current experience is correct.

Similar to media, you can rearrange the order of your current experience. Just click and drag each position block so your most relevant experience shows up on top.

Add new positions to your LinkedIn profile and rearrange them in the most relevant order.

Having out-of-date experience listed as current can cause confusion, makes you look less professional, and could cost you credibility.

During a recent live on-stage LinkedIn assessment, I wanted to show people how to edit the links in their profile and quickly discovered mine were missing. This was a reminder of how important it is to regularly make sure your website links are still visible and relevant.

To check your links, go to Websites under Contact on your profile. If you need to add links or change them (you can have up to three links), click the edit icon.

Regularly check the links on your LinkedIn profile and update them as necessary.

Choose Other to customize the text on your link. For instance, you may want to drive traffic to a specific landing page, website, or social media profile. Add your link and click Save.

When was the last time you looked through your connections on LinkedIn?

It's a good idea to regularly review your connections, delete anyone who isn't relevant, block anyone who's creepy, and most importantly, get back in touch with people who can help you build your business.

This is especially important if you're an open networker (meaning you accept all invitations, whether you know someone or not), but also if you only connect with people you know.

You can message or delete anyone directly from the Connections tab.

Regularly review, delete, and reconnect with your connections on LinkedIn.

The holidays are a great excuse for reconnecting on LinkedIn, but you can really do this any time of year. Send a "Hi, how are you?" message, ask for recommendations, or inquire about an introduction.

Message your connections to wish them well and get back in touch.

There's great value in reaching out to connections. Some of your messages could lead to real-life meetings or potential work.

Sharing updates is one of the best ways to increase visibility and views of your LinkedIn profile.

To view your previous updates, hover over the arrow to the right of View Profile As and select View Recent Activity. The Recent Activity tab is where you can see which of your updates got the most engagement.

Review your recent LinkedIn updates and activity.

On a regular basis (at least three days a week), you should share updates and articles that are not only relevant to your brand, but are also valuable to your niche or target market.

This is a good strategy if you're actively sharing updates. If you aren't, it's a good reminder that you need to do this.

Similar to your personal profile, your LinkedIn company page also deserves an assessment.

Make sure the background image of your company page is relevant and fits properly on the page. (The old background image won't fit in the new interface, so keep an eye out for that when you get the new interface.)

Also, update your company description in the About Us section. It seems to be a focus of the new LinkedIn user experience.

Check your image, About Us, and updates on your LinkedIn company page.

LinkedIn has also been highlighting updates, so make sure that the content you share on your company page is recent and relevant.

In Conclusion

This is the perfect time of year to review, reassess, and refresh your LinkedIn presence. Check all facets of your LinkedIn personal and company profile to remove any irrelevant content. This includes experience, promotions, and out-of-date links.

Due to the upcoming LinkedIn changes, you may want to start reviewing your profile a little more frequently. Set a reminder to check LinkedIn once a month to see if you have the new user interface. Then once you have it, take a few minutes to make sure everything looks the way you want.

What do you think? What other tips do you have for refreshing your LinkedIn presence? What other elements deserve regular review? Share your thoughts in the comments.

7-Step Checklist to Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile by Viveka von Rosen on Social Media Examiner.

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Original source: 7-Step Checklist to Refresh Your LinkedIn Profile.
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