1. Check Your Headline

Take a look at your headline and consider if it represents the most relevant version of your specialties and focus in the current environment.

You have 120 characters to play with here [sometimes more, if you make the changes from your phone]. 

Here’s how I’ve changed my Headline recently, highlighting that I am an Online Educator [I’ve delivered Zoom and webinar training for a number of years now].

What’s your version of this?

At a time when people are not thinking straight, you do not want any tricky or hard to understand versions of what you do and who you serve. Use the headline to make it very clear what your specialty is and who you work with.

2. About

Revise the copy in your About Section. Is it clear, punchy and to the point? Is there a strong call to action making it clear what you want people to do as a result of reading your profile? Trim any fat off your copy and make sure all of the information in this section is relevant and interesting to the communities and people you work with or wish to influence on LinkedIn right now.

If you’re struggling to write this part of your profile, read How to Write a LinkedIn Profile summary (the About section)  for some direction.

3. Featured

LinkedIn has recently changed how it displays your media, and I like it! You may / may not have this feature yet.  It is positioned below your About and above the Activity and Experience section of your profile. If you have it, you can also see it on others’ profiles.

You can add articles, posts, links, media (PDF documents and photos) and it displays so much better than the old format.

Remember – in many ways you should be writing your profile for people who are viewing it for the first time. What do you want them to know about you?

4. Recommendations

When was the last time you requested a recommendation from a happy client or team member? Now is the time to be reaching out to your community and asking them for their praise. Side note – I highly recommend you set this up as a protocol within your business, and if a happy client tells you what a fabulous job you’ve done, ask for the LinkedIn recommendation as well as a Google review [as relevant]. You must be connected with the person to request a recommendation. Here’s how to request a recommendation.  It may also be a good time to review the relevance of the recommendations you have displayed on your profile and stop displaying those that are not relevant right now.

5. Do a Privacy Health Check

Staying meaningfully connected with your online community is more important than ever, but there is some bad behaviour out there. Zoom has recently increased their password security as a direct result of this.  If you are concerned, this article on How to Avoid Spam, Protect Your Data and Improve Your LinkedIn User Experience will help you stay safe on LinkedIn, as will this article on the 10 Ways to Increase Your LinkedIn Account’s Security & Privacy.

6. Check Pre-Scheduled Content

Take the time to review any pre-scheduled content and delete or pause what is not relevant right now.

Clear and concise messaging about your services at the moment is essential, as is demonstrating empathy and kindness.

Check the tone of your messaging and consider what your community needs from you right now.  People still need to hear from you, as long as it is of value and helping them navigate their weekly challenges in the current era.