How Your LinkedIn Profile Should Look in 2022

Your LinkedIn profile should be a living, breathing snapshot of your professional life. If you’re treating it like a stale resume, then you’re using the platform wrong. It’s 2019 – and your LinkedIn profile should look like it! Lucky for you, we’ve researched the best LinkedIn profiles and what they share in common. By applying the following tips to your own profile, you can take control of your brand image and what it says about you. 

Here is what your LinkedIn profile should look like in 2022 and beyond. Be sure to check back for updates! 

The Essentials 

There is some information that every successful LinkedIn profile needs. Adding these essentials is almost guaranteed to make your profile appear in more results. 

• Education. List your educational background. This tells a lot about you and the areas you studied in college. Plus, you can connect with people who went to the same school as you.

• Location. People often prefer to work with others who live nearby. They understand the local market and can meet face to face. 

• Professional image. Profiles with professional headshots get more views and more messages. Hire someone to take a few photos that you can use in your profiles. People like putting a name with a face. 

• Summary statement. This “elevator pitch” gives you the opportunity to share your skills, motivation and interests. It doesn’t have to be long, but it should catch a person’s eye. 

• Headline. Another space that should capture attention is the headline. Gear your headline towards the people you want to attract, such as clients, recruiters or hiring managers. 

Lively Community 

LinkedIn is just as social as Facebook or Instagram. Aside from setting up a killer LinkedIn profile, you should also be active on the platform. The difference is that instead of sharing what you’re having for lunch or how you’re feeling at the moment, you’re engaging in business talk. 

Here are some tips for being social on LinkedIn. 

• Like, comment and share. When others post content to LinkedIn, take the time to check it out. Like, comment and share the content that you find most valuable. 

• Send invitations. When you connect with others, send them a personal message along with your invite. Let them know if you’ve met them before and why you want to connect. This helps build an effective and engaged network. 

• Accept invitations. If you receive invitations, accept them! If you do end up with a spam request, you can delete the connection and they won’t be notified. If you choose not to follow someone, simply press the Ignore button. 

• Download the mobile app. With the LinkedIn app, you can network with people at any time of day. This makes it easy to build your community when you’re away from your computer. 

• Join groups. LinkedIn has tons of groups to join. When you find a few that interest you, be an active participant. It’s a great way to increase brand awareness and share company insights. 

Humanization 

LinkedIn leaves plenty of room for your personality. By showing your tone and voice, you can separate yourself from others in your industry. 

Some of our favorite profiles are written in the first person. This tone sounds warm and personal. After all, no one knows you better than yourself! You can describe what skills and experience you have as well as what drives you. 

Second person works, too, especially if you work for an agency or firm. “We” and “us” sound inclusive and shows others that you are part of a team. If you have a lot of accomplishments and experience but don’t feel comfortable writing in the first person, use the third person instead. 

Whichever tone you choose to write in, make sure it’s friendly and human. Avoid being bland or predictable. Show that there is a real person behind the profile and how it might feel to work with you. 

Regular Activity 

Once your LinkedIn profile is set up with the right ingredients, you need to continually update it. Publish the content you’ve written. Share the projects you’ve completed. Invite people to your events. Showing your work is the most effective way to boost your brand reputation and control your online presence. 

When you do post things to your profile, such as a white paper or how-to guide, make sure you include a compelling call to action. It’s important to let people know what you want them to do next. If you want them to call you, make this known and include ways to get in touch.

Staying active on LinkedIn has other benefits beyond being front and center. A few other ways you can benefit are by: 

• Learning about your target audience. Read the comments being posted by your audience. What pain points are they experiencing? What content do they enjoy most?

• Building a community. As you engage with more people and share your insights, you can become a trusted resource who people will want to know and follow on LinkedIn. 

• Appearing in more searches. LinkedIn uses a search algorithm to show the most relevant results to users. If you have an active, high quality profile, you will be rewarded with higher placement. 

• Gaining authority. An active profile indicates that you are working with clients and making a difference. Over time, people will learn to trust your expertise – enough to recommend you to others or use you themselves! 

Final Thoughts 

LinkedIn is just like any other social platform – it’s a living, growing snapshot of your experience and achievements. As with other channels, you can’t just “sell” on LinkedIn. You need to build relationships with others first. By following the tips above and keeping an active, engaged presence, you can build a friendly and informed brand image on the professional network. 

If you’re struggling to get noticed on LinkedIn, the LinkedIn experts at WSI Net Advantage can help! Let us take a look at your profile and make recommendations that can propel you further. Shoot us a quick message or give us a call at 510-687-9737.