How to Get Your LinkedIn Profile Noticed

Putting together a powerful LinkedIn profile that gets you noticed isn't about simply listing your job history. It's about building a compelling professional narrative that attracts opportunities, recruiters, and clients directly to you. This guide will walk you through exactly how to optimize every part of your profile, step-by-step, to turn it from a passive resume into an active career-building tool.

Your Profile Isn't a Resume, It's Your Professional Story

First, we need to shift your mindset. Your resume is a formal document created to apply for a specific job, it’s a record of what you’ve already done. Your LinkedIn profile, on the other hand, is your living professional brand. It’s a dynamic platform where you can showcase your personality, share your expertise in real-time, connect with peers, and position yourself for the opportunities you want next. Think of it less like a historical document and more like a personal landing page for your career.

Nail the First Impression: Your Profile Photo and Banner

When someone lands on your profile, their eyes immediately go to two things: your photo and your banner. These visual elements set the tone before they read a single word. Getting them right is non-negotiable.

Your Profile Photo: The Digital Handshake

Your photo is the first hint of your personality. It tells people you're a real, approachable human being. A profile without a photo often feels incomplete or, worse, fake. Here are a few simple rules for a great headshot:

• Keep it professional, but not stiff. A clean background works wonders. You don't need a suit and tie unless that's your daily uniform, but you should look like you're ready for a work conversation.
• Use a high-resolution image. A fuzzy, pixelated photo looks dated and careless. Most modern smartphones can take a perfectly crisp photo.
• It's a headshot, not a group shot. Your face should take up about 60% of the frame. Crop out friends, family, or pets. The focus should be entirely on you.
• Smile! A warm, friendly expression makes you seem more accessible and confident. It’s your first step toward building a connection.

Your Banner Image: The Professional Billboard

The default blue LinkedIn banner is a massive missed opportunity. Your banner image is prime real estate to visually communicate who you are and what you do. Leaving it blank is like having a billboard and putting nothing on it.

Use this space to:

• Showcase your brand. If you're a freelancer or entrepreneur, this is a great place for your logo, brand colors, and tagline.
• Illustrate what you do. A graphic designer might display a collage of their work. A developer could use a clean shot of code. A public speaker might use a photo of them on stage.
• Add a call to action. Include your website, portfolio link, or a phrase that encourages people to connect, like "Let's work together to build great marketing funnels."
• Express your professional passion. A shot of your workspace, a quote that guides your work, or an image related to your industry can add depth and personality.

You don't need to be a designer to create one. Tools like Canva have pre-sized LinkedIn banner templates that you can easily customize in minutes.

Your Headline: Making Every Character Count

By default, LinkedIn will set your headline to "[Job Title] at [Company]." This is functional, but it doesn't do any work for you. Your headline appears everywhere your name does - in search results, in comments, and in connection requests. It's your 220-character elevator pitch.

Instead of just your title, use a formula that tells people exactly what value you provide:

[Role] | Helping [Target Audience] Achieve [Their Goal] with [Your Skill/Service]

Let's look at some examples:

• Before: Senior Marketing Manager at Acme Corp
• After: Senior Marketing Manager | Helping SaaS startups reduce churn with data-driven retention strategies.

• Before: Software Engineer
• After: Full-Stack Software Engineer | Building user-friendly and scalable web applications in FinTech.

• Before: Freelance Writer
• After: B2B Content Writer &, Strategist | I write blog posts and case studies that generate leads for tech companies.

This approach immediately tells recruiters, clients, and networking contacts what you bring to the table and makes you infinitely more compelling than someone with a generic headline.

Crafting a Compelling "About" Section

This is where you bring your story to life. Resist the urge to just list skills or talk about yourself in a detached third-person voice. Write in the first person ("I," not "John is a...") to create a direct connection with the reader. A great "About" section tells a brief story and guides the reader on what to do next.

Structure your "About" section like this:

1. The Hook (First 1-2 Sentences): Start strong. Immediately state who you are, what you do, and who you help. This should align with your headline. Example: "For the last decade, I’ve helped e-commerce brands find new audiences and scale their revenue through strategic paid advertising."
2. Your Philosophy &, Approach (The Middle): Briefly describe your professional journey or your unique approach. What problems are you passionate about solving? What makes you different? This is your chance to showcase your personality and expertise.
3. Show, Don't Just Tell (Your Proof): Include a few bullet points of your key achievements or areas of expertise. Use numbers when possible. For instance, "Key skills include:" followed by a list like "• Paid Social Strategy &, Execution • Google Ads (Certified) • CRO &, Landing Page Optimization".
4. Call to Action (The End): Don't leave the reader hanging. Tell them what you want them to do! Do you want them to connect? View your portfolio? Send you a message about a potential project? Be explicit. Example: "I'm always open to discussing B2B content strategy. Feel free to send me a message or connect."

The Featured Section: Your Personal Portfolio

Located right below your "About" summary, the Featured section is your chance to visually merchandise your best work. Many people skip this, but it’s an incredible tool for showcasing proof of your abilities. This is where you can pin content that supports the story you're telling.

Consider featuring:

• Your most successful LinkedIn posts or articles.
• Links to your personal website or professional portfolio.
• Press mentions or interviews.
• A short video introducing yourself or showcasing a project.
• Client testimonials or impressive case studies.

Think of it as a highlight reel of your career. It gives visitors tangible proof of your skills and accomplishments, right at the top of your profile.

Detail Your Experience with Results, Not Just Responsibilities

This section is where most people make the classic resume mistake: they list their job duties instead of their accomplishments. Nobody is inspired by "Managed social media channels." They are inspired by "Grew our Instagram following from 10k to 50k in 12 months through a targeted Reels strategy."

For each role in your Experience section, focus on results. Use strong, action-oriented verbs and quantify your achievements whenever possible. Instead of bullet points listing tasks, frame them like this:

• Achieved X by doing Y, resulting in Z.
• Example: "Increased qualified organic traffic by 150% in one year by developing and executing a content strategy targeting long-tail keywords."

This demonstrates your impact on the business, not just the tasks you were assigned. Don't forget to also add rich media - like links to projects, documents, or presentations related to that job - to make the section even more engaging.

Showcase Your Skills Strategically

The Skills section works as a keyword targeting tool for your profile. Recruiters and clients often search for specific skills, and having them listed here helps you show up in those results.

But you can be strategic here, too. LinkedIn allows you to "pin" your top three skills to the top of the list. Choose the three skills that are most important for the roles or opportunities you’re targeting. If you're a designer looking for UX roles, don't pin "Microsoft Office" - pin "Figma," "User Research," and "Prototyping." You can have up to 50 skills, but those top three send the strongest signal.

The Power of Recommendations

Endorsements are good, but recommendations are gold. A personalized, written recommendation from a former manager, colleague, or client is powerful social proof. Endorsements are just a click, a recommendation takes thought and effort, making it far more valuable.

So, how do you get them? Ask!

When you request a recommendation, don't just use the generic LinkedIn prompt. Send a personalized note reminding them of a specific project you worked on together. Make it super easy for them to write one. For example:

"Hi Jane, I hope you’re doing well! I'm updating my LinkedIn profile and was wondering if you’d be open to writing a brief recommendation about our time working together on the Project XYZ launch. I especially valued your feedback on my presentation skills during that project. Anything you could share would be hugely appreciated!"

Also, make sure you give recommendations. Recommending a colleague you genuinely admire is a great way to build goodwill and strengthen your professional relationships.

Go Beyond Your Profile: Engage and Create Content

An optimized profile is a great foundation, but to truly get noticed, you need to be an active participant on the platform. A fantastic profile that just sits there is like a beautifully designed store with no foot traffic. You need to create some activity.

Engage Intelligently

Set aside 15 minutes a day to interact on LinkedIn. Don't just scroll and "like" posts. Find content from leaders in your industry and leave thoughtful, insightful comments that add value to the conversation. Asking intelligent questions or offering a unique perspective is one of the fastest ways to get noticed by influential people and their networks.

Create Your Own Content

Creating content establishes you as an expert in your field. It can feel intimidating, but you don't have to write a viral essay. Start small:

• Share an interesting article from your industry and add 2-3 sentences with your key takeaway.
• Post about a challenge you recently overcame at work and the lesson you learned.
• Create a simple text post sharing a valuable tip related to your expertise.
• Talk about a project you're working on and your process.

Consistency is more important than virality. Posting just 1-2 times a week keeps you top-of-mind with your network and demonstrates your ongoing engagement with your field.

Final Thoughts

Transforming your LinkedIn profile from a simple online resume into a career-building machine is about being intentional. By focusing on your core message, illustrating your value with tangible results, and engaging with your community, you create a professional story that actively works to bring the right opportunities to you.

Staying consistent with content creation is what keeps your profile alive and lets you build momentum. To be honest, this is often the hardest part, which is why we created Postbase in the first place. I’ve found that seeing my entire content plan laid out on a visual calendar makes it unbelievably easier to schedule posts for LinkedIn and other platforms without the chaos. It helps me focus on showing up consistently and building my brand, instead of worrying about what to post next.