It is, essentially, a global marketplace with opportunities for you to boost your business and/or career.

If you want to get the most out of LinkedIn, it’s imperative that a) you stop procrastinating and get on LinkedIn right now, if you haven’t already; and b) when you do get there, that you optimise your profile fully to make yourself professionally attractive, whether that’s to a recruiter or a potential client.

Here are four quick ways you can improve your LinkedIn profile to make sure it’s showing you at your best.

1)  Have a great profile picture.

They say a picture says a thousand words – your profile picture can say a lot about you without you uttering a word.

Your LinkedIn profile picture is one of the most important self-marketing tools you have at your disposal as it lends itself heavily to your “personal brand” (and we all have one, whether we’re aware of it or not).

It’s also a great tool for building connection and trust, so it’s extra important that you find and use a good quality professional photo that reflects the image you want to present to the wider world.

2)  Write a killer headline.

A killer headline is one that clearly summarises who you are and what you have to offer the world in no more than a few sentences.

Outside of your profile picture, your headline is the first thing people notice about your profile so it’s important to make sure this is clear, specific and targeted to the industry you want to work in, or the types of clients you want to attract.

3)  Get recommendations.

Recommendations are a real treasure on LinkedIn – they are the public equivalent of job references if you’re job hunting, and a really great way to showcase client testimonials if you’re in business. As such they are very important for boosting both your profile and your credibility.

The best way to get recommendations is to ask for them! Ask people you’ve worked with in some capacity, whether as a colleague or client, to write a quick message endorsing your skills / experience / services etc. Most people are happy to oblige when sent genuine, personalised recommendations requests from people they know.

4)   Claim your vanity URL.

There’s no point having a nicely optimised LinkedIn profile if you can’t share it easily – this is where the so-called ‘vanity URL’ comes in. LinkedIn makes it possible for users to change the URLs of their profile from the custom automatically-generated lengthy URL to one that is shorter and directs people straight to your profile.

It’s fairly quick and easy to personalise your URL – just search “change LinkedIn URL” online for widely available tutorials. Once you’re in possession of your unique vanity URL, be sure to also include it on your CV and email signatures to show off your new-found social media savvy.

Overall, putting these four steps into action will help you quickly improve your LinkedIn profile and take full advantage of all the great opportunities this platform has to offer. Don’t delay – start today!

About the author:

Mildred Talabi specialises in helping mid to senior-level professionals change jobs or careers via CV and LinkedIn profile makeovers, job search support and more. She is also an author and a speaker, and blogs about culture, careers, life, and everything in between. For help with your LinkedIn profile, contact Mildred via her website (www.cvmakeoverexpert.com) or connect with her on LinkedIn.