As the clock resets to a New Year, so does our excitement and energy to build something new and fresh for our businesses.  The New Year is also a great time to look at our LinkedIn profiles, and give them a quick “refresh”.  Taking some time to update your LinkedIn profile in the New Year is an important exercise for a variety of reasons.

LinkedIn is a powerful inbound marketing tool that can help you elevate your “know, like and trust” factor with your clients.  From your profile information, to your content strategy, to how you connect and grow your network, LinkedIn can help you create and strengthen relationships so that you can achieve your business goals.  If you have not yet considered LinkedIn as one of your business tools, this blog playlist here can help you with tips on how to get started.

If you already have a LinkedIn profile and you’re ready to hit the “refresh” button on both your profile’s content and on your LinkedIn strategy, let’s get you ready for an exciting New Year on LinkedIn!

Why you should update your LinkedIn Profile in the New Year:

1. It allows us to “look back” – you can find new and fresh content for your profile by looking back at the past year and all that you accomplished.  These projects and accomplishments can be infused into your LinkedIn profile
2. It signals to our community that we’re still here!  Our clients will return to work in January and will need help with their upcoming goals and projects.  Let them know you’re still around as their guide and support with a fresh LinkedIn look.
3. It signals to your community that you are continually learning – by updating your job description, your projects, your certifications etc, you are signalling to your community that you are a life-long learner and you spent the past year growing your skills.   
4. It helps you set goals for the upcoming year – by taking a look at your current profile, your current activity, your current Social Selling Index (https://www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi) and your current connection and follower counts, you can start to set some yearly goals about where you’d like to be by year-end

How do we update our LinkedIn profile in the New Year:

1. Schedule some time to do it!  First things first, let’s get this into your calendar so you don’t forget.  Take an hour to do this refresh, and add a calendar appointment each month to revisit your profile again.  
2. Ensure your profile still speaks to your target audience – your yearly goals will help direct how your LinkedIn profile should look, from the language and keywords you use, to addressing your target audience in various sections.  Ensure each part of your profile is speaking to your ideal community member, so that when they land on your profile, they know they’re in the right place, and you’re the right person to help them with their challenges.
3. Add accomplishments to your Featured Section – add your past year’s projects and accomplishments to your Featured Section so that your clients can see what you’ve been up to.  The project may just help solve the problem they have, thus making you the go-to authority that can help them with their new goals
4. Update your Profile Picture – Yes, another year has gone by, and for many of us a few more wrinkles and laugh lines.  By updating your profile pic, you signal to your community that you are someone that is authentic, that can be trusted, and someone who takes the time to present a professional and up-to-date image to your community.
5. Update your Banner – known as your personal billboard, update your banner to reflect your new vision as you head into a New Year.  Speak to your target audience and encourage them to reach out to you to talk business and collaborations
6. Update your job description and certifications – add your new skills, recognitions and certifications to your profile.  Hint: if you’re updating your title, a notification can go out to your network showcasing this new title change, thus drawing more eyes to your profile.
7. Revisit your LinkedIn strategy – January is a great time to revisit your LinkedIn goals and some of the strategies you implemented last year.  Whatever your business goal may be, your LinkedIn activity can be tied to that goal.  Create some new LinkedIn goals and reset your LinkedIn activity to help achieve that goal.
8. Create a “wish list” of LinkedIn connections – January is a great time to revisit the individuals in your extended network that can either help you achieve your business goals, or individuals that you can collaborate with to mutually achieve your goals.  Spend some time researching these individuals and create a plan to connect with them in the upcoming year!
9. Make note of your Social Selling Index score and your follower/connection counts – this allows you to set some goals about where you’d like your score and follower counts to land a year from now.  With intentional LinkedIn activity, these numbers will be on the rise, putting your content and profile in front of more eyes on the platform.

And finally, enjoy this “refresh” activity!  LinkedIn can be such a powerful place to connect and learn with people; take some time this year to discover all the treasures that the platform holds for you and your career.

Cheers!

Follow Leanne on LinkedIn

Looking to create more content on the platform this upcoming year? My 5-day challenge can help you discover some of the most popular content types on the platform, and how you can get started with each one!

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