The LinkedIn profile page is the foundation for your personal branding. Linkedin constantly evolving to add features that increase its capabilities as a personal marketing platform and give you new ways to signal your skills and motivations. If you haven’t checked your profile page recently, you may find new ways to build your personal brand.

Here are 10 profile features you should check and update ASAP. Some of them are very quick wins, some of them may take a little bit of time – but all of them are very worthwhile. They will help to give you the LinkedIn profile and personal brand that you deserve.

1.  Update Profile Picture & Background Photo - Your pictures are the visual elements of your profile page, they grab people’s attention, set the context and show a little more about you. The right photos help your page stand out, engage attention and stay memorable.

2. Make Your Headline More Than a Title - There’s no rule that says the description at the top of your profile page has to be just a job title. Use the headline field to say a bit more about how you see your role, why you do what you do, and what makes you tick.

3. Make Your Summary Your Story - Your summary is your chance to tell your own story – don’t just use it to list your skills or the job titles you’ve had. Try to bring to life why those skills matter – and the difference they can make to the people you work with. Don’t be afraid to invest some time, try a few drafts, and run your summary past people you know. This is your most personal piece of content marketing – and it’s worth the effort.

4. Grow Your Network - Synch your profile with your email address book. This enables LinkedIn to suggest people you could connect with. Beyond this, get into the habit of following up meetings and conversations with LinkedIn connection requests – it’s a great way of keeping your network vibrant and up to date.

5. Spread The Endorsement Love - Endorsements from other members substantiate your skills and increase your credibility. How do you get endorsed on LinkedIn? For starters, go through your network and identify connections who you feel genuinely deserve an endorsement from you – that’s often the trigger for people to return the favour.

6. Engage with your audience - Stay active on the platform and take the time to become part of the conversation with your network. You will often find if you engage with your network it will be reciprocated when you start your own conversations. The Linkedin algorithm is very clever at connecting the right audiences!

7. Take a skills assessment - A skills assessment is an online test that enables you to demonstrate the level of your skills, and display a Verified Skills badge on your profile. Data shows that candidates with verified skills are around 30% more likely to be hired for the roles they apply for – and displaying proof of your abilities strengthens your personal brand more generally as well.

8. Share media and marketing collateral - The marketing collateral that you produce for your business can add an extra dimension to your own profile as well. Sharing case studies, white papers and other brand content helps to show what the business you work for is all about – and helps people understand what makes you tick. It demonstrates passion and commitment as well. Don’t forget to add a comment to the share as well!

9. Share relevant content from your LinkedIn feed - Appear in your connections’ LinkedIn feeds in a way that adds value for them. Sharing relevant content with your network is one of the most accessible ways of doing this. You can make a start by keeping a close eye on your LinkedIn feed, and sharing content that you find genuinely interesting – and that aligns with your point of view. Use your content as a conversation starter!

10. Follow relevant influencers for your industry - Following relevant influencers on LinkedIn helps to put a range of interesting content in your feed, which you can then share with others when you think it adds value. It also helps to give context to your LinkedIn profile, demonstrating your passion for what you do.

Getting your LinkedIn profile working harder for you doesn’t have to take up hours of your time. Try working through these ideas, building from one to the other – and you’ll find that you can make progress quickly, even if you’re just able to set aside a few minutes over a lunch break or in the evenings. Once you're flexing the full advantages of your LinkedIn profile you’ll be amazed what a difference it can make to both you and your business.

Reference - Linkedin Sales Blog - 20 steps to a better LinkedIn profile in 2021.