Hi BoTs,

Most of the time, LinkedIn makes me feel like a loser. Everyone else’s jobs seem impressive, their profile pictures seem snazzy, and the people that post a lot seem to have their lives together in a way I do not.

However, LinkedIn serves its purpose for me anyways: I get interesting DMs on occasion, I can quickly look up old friends (and exes!) to see what they are doing these days, and I don’t need to spend that long to make my profile look up to date. The lack of time stamps also means I can update my profile at the start of the year, and only need to do it again if my job changes or the mood strikes.

So with January here, it’s the perfect time for a refresh. I turned to LinkedIn experts to find out:

What can someone change on their LinkedIn profile in under 60 seconds to stand out?

Answers below….

1. “In under one minute, updating your LinkedIn headline to include credibility works wonders! Social proof is a hot topic and works well in psychological selling. Examples could be “Certified in x”, “as Featured in x”, “15 years of experience”, or “speaker at x”.” - Virginia Stockwell

2. “Create a < 60-second vertical video of yourself, the expert, sharing one thing (tip, truth, mistake not to make, trend) with your ideal audience. Use your phone to record and upload to LinkedIn. The vertical LinkedIn Video Feed is yielding huge ROI right now!” - Dorien Morin-van Dam

3. “Customize your profile’s URL. Why? Because the URL assigned to you by LinkedIn ends with a long string of random numbers and letters that make it hard for you (and others) to memorize or type. Your default URL doesn’t fit nicely on a business card or your signature block on your email and it is cumbersome when you have to look it up to post it in the Zoom chat with the customized URLs of others. Also, using the default URL signals that you are not in the know. To the right of your profile, you’ll find Edit Public Profile and URL.” - Carol Kaemmerer

4. “Share a post that aligns with your values or interests and add your personal comments or a thoughtful question. This gives others a natural prompt to engage in conversation with you. Such regular engagement not only boosts your visibility but also paints a clear picture of your expertise and interests, solidifying your personal brand. By making this a habit, LinkedIn becomes a powerful tool that continuously works for you, bridging your digital presence with in-person opportunities.” - Leah Nauseda

5. “Get a clear picture of you smiling and put it as your profile picture. It makes a huge difference.” - Nixon Lee

6. “Create a Custom Background Banner: Stand out by adding a banner to showcase your brand:— Anne Irene Ryan 

   1. Go to canva.com.

   2. Search for "LinkedIn banners" and choose a simple template.

   3. Add your name, contact info, or tagline, then upload it to LinkedIn.”

7. “I look at a lot of LinkedIn profiles in my day-to-day as a recruiter with Summit Search Group. My best tip for professionals to make their profile stand out is to request a recommendation from one of your connections. You can do this straight from their LinkedIn profile and it only takes a minute or so to fill out the details and send your request.” — Matt Erhard

8. “Add a Featured Section Item: Showcase a key accomplishment, a portfolio piece, or a standout article by adding it to your Featured section. It’s a quick way to highlight your expertise or impact visually.” - M. Shannon Hernandez 

9. “People are selfish creatures and they constantly ask, “What’s in it for me?” To make your LinkedIn profile sticky, you need to answer that question front and center in your profile’s headline. Don’t just use this space to reiterate your current position—use the formula “I help [audience] [achieve result] with [types of content you share or work you do].” That way everyone will know why it’s worth following you.” - Vassilena Valchanova

Happy refreshing!

-Molly Beck