LinkedIn Strategy #1: Profile Settings

Once you have completed all the sections of your LinkedIn profile and believe your profile represents the best “you,” it’s time to engage the LinkedIn community.  

 

This is the first in my series of LinkedIn Strategies. With the goal of increasing your professional network through LinkedIn, over the course of the series I will share a number of tips including profile settings, the importance of connections, activities and networking, joining groups, and how to use special features to help you stand out and be noticed.  

#1:  Profile Settings:  
        Set your profile to notify your connections of your updates 

Both the Member Feed Visibility and Profile and Status Updates settings are accessed through the “Settings” tab on the very top right of the LinkedIn screen.     

Select "Yes, notify my connections" for both your profile and status updates

Set Member Feed Visibility to "Everyone"

Set these three simple settings properly for maximum exposure and impact.        

   Member Feed Visibility displays a condensed version of your recent network update activity including status updates, connections, and recommendations.  To see your recent activity, click on “View Profile.”  A list of your activities appears on the right side of your profile.                

The Profile Updates setting will let your connections know when you have received a recommendation, made a change to your profile (including adding a new position and changing a title  as well as editing changes). Your connections will also know when you choose to follow a company.           

Status Updates are key to engaging your connections. Status Updates are an easy way to tell your connections what you are working on — the final touches to a major project, research you are conducting, meeting preparations, and seminars you are attending. The  Status Update area very valuable PR real estate that can be used to promote you, your image, your products or services and your company. 

• In keeping with the rule for all social media, this is NOT the place to sell. This is the place to share what you know and what you are working on. Subtle self-promotion is acceptable.
• Begin each Status Update with a lower case action verb. 
• Include links, if appropriate, to your website, an article that highlights your point, registration information for a seminar you are conducting, or a presentation you gave.

In addition to being displayed in the top portion of your profile, Status Updates are also sent to your direct connections and posted on your direct connections’ home pages under Network Updates. This feature is similar to the way Facebook posts are displayed on your Friends’ pages. Connections on LinkedIn are also able to comment on your Status Updates.           

Recommendation:  Turn these three settings to “Nobody” and “No” when you are initially creating and editing your profile. When your profile is complete, turn the settings back to “Everyone” and “Yes.”          

The power of LinkedIn starts with the proactive use of the Member Feed Visibility and Profile and Status Updates. Checking these three settings is an easy first step to ensure you receive maximum exposure for your time and activity on LinkedIn.