I have some big news to share: I’ve recently become a plant mom! Okay, obviously not as time-consuming, or even rewarding, as actual motherhood, but this is seriously no easy job. I had to go through quite a few succulents before I allowed myself to graduate to a fully grown lush beauty.

I realize I’m milking this for all it’s worth, but some plants are super high maintenance and really do require a TON of care and attention. (do you have any good plant care tips?) More care than I ever realized I was committing to!

There are some things in life where you can “set it and forget it” (any pressure cooker fans in the crowd?), and others that require a little more TLC. Like plants and LinkedIn!

That’s right. I just put plants and LinkedIn in the same sentence. But stay with me.

If you don’t water your LinkedIn profile, give it some sunlight, or sing to it, it won’t grow! I warned you I was going to milk this analogy…

I realize that not everyone is a LinkedIn junkie like me, but I’m happy to share my green thumb with you guys. In the spirit of the season of giving, I’ve outlined my top 5 must-haves to make sure you’re LinkedIn profile is getting the love it deserves so you can watch that baby grow!

1. A professional photo. This is a MUST! If you’ve been scraping by with a cropped photo of you in a wedding from 2009 featuring someone’s arm around you, we need to have a heart to heart. Ask a photography friend or someone in your HR department to help you out. Heck, you could even pop on to Thumbtack and easily find a headshot photographer in a matter of minutes.
   
   After you’ve got your new photo, make sure it’s set to public so potential clients and recruiters can put a face to your name. I know this seems like an incredibly basic concept, but you would be very surprised how tricky LinkedIn can make this simple feature. It’s an unaddressed mistake I see fairly often when working with clients so definitely double check. Here’s a quick “How To” straight from their support page.

2. A concise “About” section. This portion of your profile is super crucial and should be around 3-5 sentences tops! Explain exactly what your areas of expertise are and how your experience and focus benefit others - clients and employers alike. You never know who’s stopping by to learn more about you! Be quick to get to the point, but don’t be afraid to show a little personality here. This is likely one of the first things people will read on your page, so take a second to virtually shake their hand! 

3. Share the knowledge. Forbes Article catching your eye? Exciting things happening at your company? Is this blog really blowing your mind? I’m flattered! Share these kinds of things on LinkedIn as they come into your view. Don’t forget to include a blurb on why you think people would benefit from giving it a look and/or your personal take on the info. YAY for more intros to your awesome personality and expertise! 

4. Publish your know-how. The best way to establish yourself as an expert is to publish an article. You can do this directly through LinkedIn! It doesn't have to be anything crazy, 500 words or less will do the trick. LinkedIn's algorithm rewards articles published on their platform by giving them visibility to a larger part of your audience. Take that Instagram!
   

   For this task you might want to brainstorm around topics like “how to” x, y, or z, common mistakes in your industry, or a best practice you've recently had success with. People love personal stories, but don’t forget to have a clear value-add or call to action for your readers. 

   This is, yet again, another opportunity for them to get a feel for your personality over the web and through the woods. We’re bringing the social back to social media networking y’all!

5. Engage. Going along with that same energy, don’t be so caught up in giving your profile an extreme makeover that you forget to socialize! Check out what other people are posting and sharing. Like, comment and chime in on conversations where you feel inclined. Maybe even plan some meet-ups IRL! Call me crazy!

We’re quickly approaching 2020, make updating your LinkedIn profile your first completed resolution! Between that and never throwing out another dead cactus, you’re totally going to make 2020 your year! 

Did you find this article helpful? Feel free to share on LinkedIn as your first act of reviving your profile. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, let’s continue the conversation in the comments below!

Holly works with professionals to create services-based businesses using expertise and strengths they already have. Holly is the creator of The Consultant Code, a program will have you up, running, and profitable with your services-based business in 60 days or less! Want to learn more? Drop her a note at: holly@hollyknoll.com