Have you wondered about ways to use your LinkedIn profile to brand yourself? Whether you are a business owner or a job seeker, LinkedIn offers many ways to do this.

In this blog post I focus on your LinkedIn URL, background photo, and the About and Featured sections. Watch for a follow-up post on ways to use other parts of your profile to brand yourself.

 

Customize Your LinkedIn URL

Back when you created your LinkedIn account, LinkedIn assigned you a URL that had your name and a set of random letters and numbers. Think of it as an account name that appears at the top of your profile.

Brand yourself by customizing this URL. Do that by going into your Contact Info section and then click on the pencil icon to edit. Click on your current URL, which takes you to the page where you can edit your custom URL.

Some ways you can customize it include:

  • Use your first and last name. Include a middle initial or middle name if you have a common name and that URL is already taken.
  • Add a degree (e.g., MBA) or a professional designation (e.g., CPA) after your first and last name.
  • Use your business name instead of your first and last name.
  • Add a keyword or two to the end of your first and last name. For example, my URL is https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycefeustelsocialmediatrainer/

 

Brand Yourself Through Your Background Photo

Consider adding an image related to your business or to your interests to the background photo area. Doing so is a powerful way to brand yourself. A few ideas for using this space are:

  • Include your company logo.
  • Show a photo of you in action, such as a speaking to a group.
  • Use an image with words and phrases associated with you.
  • Share a photo of the area where you live, such as a mountain scene if you live in Colorado.

 

Share Stories About Yourself in the About Section

Use this section to paint a picture of you. Think of this section as a narrative about you in the context of your current business or career. Use this section to help develop the “know, like and trust” factor.

Consider doing the following:

  • Share your vision for ways you feel called to help others.
  • Show ways in which you’ve addressed the challenges faced by your clients.
  • Tell the story of how you got into your line of work.
  • Include some of your career highlights.
  • Add a couple of testimonials from your clients or business colleagues.

 

Showcase Your LinkedIn Posts and Articles in the Featured Section

This section provides a wonderful opportunity to visually brand yourself. You can add photos or videos, as well as links to landing pages, and more. One way I brand myself through this section is to feature popular posts and articles I’ve written on LinkedIn.

Some examples of posts and articles you might want to feature:

  • Posts that include a link to a recent episode of a podcast where you were interviewed. Remember to tag the podcast host and share your appreciation for being a guest on their program.
  • Articles about recent trends in your industry and your point of view about those trends.
  • Posts about a recent webinar or speaking engagement of yours. Be sure to tag the person who invited you to speak and thank them.
  • Articles in which you pay tribute to influencers or people who have mentored you.

 

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 55 and up, to become more effective using social media, especially LinkedIn and Facebook. She works with business owners, business development professionals, business consultants, job seekers, and more – ranging from entrepreneurs to people in large corporations. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.