How to Make a Featured Post on LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn profile's Featured section is prime real estate for showcasing your most impactful work, turning your profile from a static resume into a dynamic portfolio. This guide walks you through exactly how to add featured content, what types of work to highlight for maximum impact, and how to optimize this powerful feature to attract the right opportunities.

What is the LinkedIn Featured Section?

Think of the Featured section as a curated gallery right below your "About" summary. It lets you pin specific pieces of content - posts, articles, links, or documents - to the top of your profile so it's the first thing visitors see after learning who you are. Instead of burying your best work deep in your activity feed, you can put it front and center, giving you full control over your professional first impression.

Why is this so important? In a crowded digital space, you have seconds to capture someone's attention. The Featured section allows you to:

• Create a Visual Portfolio: It gives recruiters, clients, and potential partners a quick, visual snapshot of what you can do. It’s one thing to read about your skills, it’s another to see them in action.
• Keep Your Best Work Evergreen: A great LinkedIn post has a short lifespan. By featuring it, you give it lasting visibility and continue to generate engagement and leads from it long after its initial publication.
• Guide the Narrative: You decide what you want people to know about you. A successful case study? A rave review from a client? A link to your personal website? You direct traffic and attention to what matters most for your career goals.

How to Make a Featured Post on LinkedIn: A Step-by-Step Guide

Adding content to your Featured section is straightforward. You can feature existing content you've created on LinkedIn or add new external links and media. Let's walk through the process.

Step 1: Navigate to Your Profile and Find the Featured Section

First, go to your own LinkedIn profile page. Scroll down just past your bio and "About" section. You'll see an "Add to profile" button. From there, select “Recommended” and you’ll find the “Add featured” button. If you already have featured items, you can click the plus icon (+) in the corner of the Featured section box.

Step 2: Choose What You Want to Feature

After clicking "Add featured," LinkedIn gives you a few options for the type of content you want to showcase. This flexibility is what makes the section so powerful.

The Four Types of Content You Can Feature:

• Posts: This allows you to select any of your past LinkedIn posts. Did you have a post that got a lot of engagement? Or one that perfectly summarizes your professional philosophy? You can feature it here. This is perfect for highlighting success stories, announcements, or viral content.
• Articles: If you write long-form articles on LinkedIn using their native publishing platform, this option is for you. It’s an excellent way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
• Links: This option lets you add any external URL. This is incredibly versatile - you can link to your personal portfolio, a company website, a specific blog post, a news article you were mentioned in, or a case study page. LinkedIn will generate a preview with an image, title, and description.
• Media: Want to showcase something without sending people to another website? You can directly upload media files like images, documents (PDFs, Word documents), or presentations (PowerPoints). This is ideal for sharing your resume, a project proposal template, a portfolio PDF, or an infographic.

Step 3: Post, Pin, and Check Your Work

To feature a specific post, you don't even need to use the method above. Simply navigate to the post you want to highlight, click the three-dot menu (...) in the top-right corner of the post, and select "Pin to top of your profile." This automatically adds it to your Featured section.

For links and media, you’ll be prompted to add the URL or upload the file. Once you do, LinkedIn will generate a preview. You can edit the Title and Description before saving. Take a moment to do this - a generic title won't get clicks. Make it clear and compelling.

Step 4: Organize Your Featured Content

Once you've added multiple items, you can and should reorder them. Click the pencil icon on the Featured section to go into edit mode. You can then drag and drop your featured content into the position you want. Remember that the first two or three items are the most visible on desktop, so put your most critical content first.

Beyond the 'How': A Content Strategy for Your Featured Section

Knowing how to feature content is easy. Knowing what to feature is what separates a good profile from a great one. The right content depends on your professional goals. Here are some tailored strategies for different roles:

For Freelancers and Consultants:

Your goal is to build trust and generate leads. Your Featured section should tell a story of competence and results.

• Featured Item 1: A Case Study. Feature a link to a detailed case study on your website that shows a clear "before and after" result for a client. Use a title like: "Case Study: How We Increased [Client's] Lead Gen by 65%."
• Featured Item 2: Screenshots of Client Testimonials. People trust other people. Feature a post where a client praises your services in great detail, or upload a graphic of the testimonial directly.
• Featured Item 3: Your 'Work With Me' Page. Feature a direct link to the page on your site that outlines your services and has a clear call-to-action to book a discovery call.

For Entrepreneurs and Founders:

Use this space to build brand authority, attract talent, and maybe even catch the eye of investors.

• Featured Item 1: A Product-led or Brand-led Story. Feature a post with compelling photos of your brand at work in the real world - a team photo after hitting a milestone or an authentic, behind-the-scenes video from a major event. Photos with happy, familiar faces win online.
• Featured Item 2: A PR Feature or Company news. If your company was featured in a respected publication, link to that article. This third-party validation is incredibly powerful and an excellent way to build new interest.
• Featured Item 3: "We're Hiring!" Link directly to your company's career page or feature a post where you talk about your company culture and the specific roles you're looking for.

For Job Seekers:

This is your chance to stand out from hundreds of other applicants. Show, don't just tell.

• Featured Item 1: Your Portfolio. If you're in a creative or technical field, a link to your digital portfolio is non-negotiable. Make this the very first item.
• Featured Item 2: Your Best Project. Upload a PDF or link to a project that you are exceptionally proud of. In the description, briefly explain the problem, your process, and the outcome.
• Featured Item 3: A LinkedIn Post Highlighting What Others Say About Your Work. Don't leave good work and work ethic to your resume. Surface screenshots of reviews from past clients, or ask a former team lead for a public recommendation. Sharing a post that includes this social proof is a strong move when you're looking for work!

5 Pro Tips to Make Your Featured Section Stand Out

1. Lead with Strong Visuals: First impressions matter, and good or bold design can help stop the endless scrolling of social media content. Use images and graphics that feel consistent with your brand, and consider creating branded thumbnails for each upload.
2. Write Compelling Titles and Descriptions: LinkedIn auto-populates metadata from links, but it’s often generic. Rewrite the "Title" and "Description" for each featured item to be more enticing. For a website link, instead of the default page title, write what visitors will get by clicking it. For example, change "My Digital Marketing Agency" to "Download Our Free SEO Audit Checklist." That instantly makes it more valuable. Remember to treat your title like an SEO headline when possible for additional exposure.
3. Keep it Fresh and Relevant: Don't treat your Featured section as a set-it-and-forget-it feature. Audit it every quarter. Are these items still the best representation of your work? Have you completed a bigger project? Swap out older content with your latest and greatest achievements.
4. Think in Order of Importance: Put your most important piece of content first. This could be your portfolio, your most impressive case study, or your main call to action. Organize your featured items to tell a story that guides your visitor logically from "who you are" to "what you can do."
5. Have Only One Call to Action (CTA): Instead of including links to blog posts, events, videos, podcasts, and more, try to keep your initial call to action as simple as possible. Instead of overwhelming your audience, ask yourself, "What is the single most important action I want people to take?" and focus everything on that one goal.

Final Thoughts

Treating your LinkedIn feature section as a curated portfolio is a key part of your overall profile. It completes your professional story and gives prospects a visual, in-depth look at your experience and successes. If your website content isn't highly visual, consider creating a well-designed, one-page PDF to upload directly - it might be an even better way to capture attention!

Having high-quality, showcaseable content on your LinkedIn profile's Featured Section simplifies your branding and marketing efforts. You’ve worked hard to create content that helps you grow professionally, so display it proudly! Managing this - and all your other social media content - can become overwhelming. That's where social publishing tools come in. With a tool like Postbase, you can plan all your content on a single visual calendar, giving you a bird's-eye view of your entire strategy. This focused approach saves time and keeps you consistent, allowing you to focus on creating your next great piece of featured content.