How to make LinkedIn best practices work for your professional brand

For many business professionals, LinkedIn is one of those things that is easy to put off.

The profile was created years ago. The headline still reflects an old job title. The About section hasn’t been touched in a while. And connecting with people often means accepting a request, clicking “connect” and moving on.

But LinkedIn has become much more than an online resume. It can be a powerful part of a professional brand, particularly when your profile is written with the right audience and the right search terms in mind.

Start with the LinkedIn best practices basics

Before worrying about posting regularly or building a large network, make sure your profile is working for you.

Start by creating a custom LinkedIn URL. Rather than a string of numbers and characters, use a variation of your name or professional brand. LinkedIn specifically recommends this approach because it makes your profile easier to identify and share.

A custom URL also looks much cleaner on a resume, email signature, business card or website.

Next, take a close look at your headline. “Vice President at ABC Company” tells people where you work, but it doesn't tell them much about what you actually do. A stronger headline can incorporate your expertise, industry and the problems you help solve.

Your About section should do something similar. Think less résumé and more professional introduction. What do you know? What have you accomplished? What kinds of challenges do you understand? What would you want a prospective employer, client or business connection to know?

Think about how people search

This has become even more important as AI changes how recruiters and hiring teams use LinkedIn.

LinkedIn now uses AI-powered tools that allow recruiters to search for candidates using natural-language prompts and have the system identify people based on skills, job titles, experience and other qualifications. LinkedIn's AI hiring tools can also use information from a member's profile, including work experience, skills, education, certifications and summary.

That doesn't mean stuffing your profile with every possible keyword.

In fact, LinkedIn cautions against keyword stuffing. Instead, use the words that accurately describe your expertise and the work you want to be found for.

For example, if you're a financial services professional who specializes in wealth management technology, don't simply write “financial services professional.” Consider the terms a recruiter, prospective client or industry colleague might actually search for: wealth management, financial technology, RIA, portfolio management, CRM, digital transformation or whatever accurately reflects your experience.

The goal is simple: make it clear what you do and make it easy for the right people to find you.

Connect like a person, not a salesperson

Building a LinkedIn network doesn't have to mean collecting hundreds of connections.

Start with people you actually know: former colleagues, clients, vendors, professional contacts, alumni and people you've met through industry events. When you don't know someone personally, give them a reason to accept your invitation.

A short, personalized message is often enough:

“I enjoyed your recent post about the future of wealth management. I've worked in this space for several years and would enjoy staying connected.”

That's considerably more effective than sending a generic sales pitch to someone you've never met.

And once you're connected, don't immediately ask for something. Comment on a post. Congratulate someone on a new role. Share an article that might be useful. LinkedIn works best when networking feels like networking.

Your profile is part of your reputation

Think of your LinkedIn profile as the professional version of a first impression. You don't have to become a LinkedIn influencer. You don't even have to post every day.

But your profile should accurately reflect where you are professionally, what you know and where you can add value.

For professionals who know their expertise but aren't sure how to translate it into a strong LinkedIn profile, Content Forward knows LinkedIn best practices and can provide LinkedIn profile writing and content strategy services that turn career experience into clear, credible and searchable professional positioning.

Because sometimes the hardest part isn't knowing what you do. It's finding the right words to make sure other people see it, too.