Customize Your LinkedIn Background Photo

In follow-up to previous blog posts, we are highlighting another topic in the ongoing series of articles in Forbes entitled “The Baby Boomers Guide to LinkedIn.”  

The third topic in the series shifts focus to your LinkedIn Background Photo.

Rule #1 – Customize Your Background Photo/Banner
Take the time to customize your background photo/banner. You are not a “generic” professional, and it is vital that your presence on LinkedIn sends the right message.  By customizing your background photo/banner, you are also demonstrating that your understanding of tech and social media is “current”.

Rule #2 – Choose the Right Image for Your Personal Brand
Choose a background image that supports your personal brand.

Rule #3 – Choose an Image that Complements Your LinkedIn Headshot
Pick an image that works well with your LinkedIn headshot.  You may need to do some trial and error experiments to get this right.

Rule #4 – Know the Right Size
The size of your background photo/banner should be 1584 wide x 396 high.  Canva is a great tool to use for sizing of photos for social media purposes, and it is free.

Click here for more tips and to learn how Bill Gates has customized his background photo!

Mainstream Mindfulness

Last week, members of the Croixstone Consulting crew attended an educational seminar hosted by HopeWay Foundation, a Charlotte-based 501(c)(3) that supports mental health wellness.  The guest speaker was Dan Harris, ABC News anchor and author of 10% Happier and Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics.

Dan Harris has become a huge advocate of mental health wellness, and meditation, following his personal experience with a nationally televised panic attack.

Meditation has become fully mainstream, and companies like Google, Nike, and Apple are proponents of mindfulness training.  Learn more here.

LinkedIn Photo Tips

In February Forbes launched a series of articles entitled “The Baby Boomers Guide to LinkedIn”.  This series provides great insights for the highly-experienced professional. 

The second article in the series focuses on 5 things to know about your LinkedIn photo (and, yes, you MUST include a photo on your profile). Here’s what you need to know:

1.  Headshot Only
Nothing else should be in the picture but your head, neck, and possibly the top of your shoulders.

2.  Professional Attire
You want to convey the right professional image so choose your outfit carefully. For men:  the formal business suit and tie is not seen much on LinkedIn unless that is your normal workday attire. These options are recommended instead: dress shirt open with jacket works very well for a classy look; dress shirt and tie; or just a collared dress shirt with a sweater or dress shirt. No casual shirts, short sleeve polos or t-shirts. For women:  a plain solid color outfit works best. Solid color dress, jacket, sweater or blouse.

3. Smile
It is best to smile to show enthusiasm and zest for life.

4. Lighting
Poor lighting can make any of us look older.  Outdoor lighting can be advantageous – especially on a cloudy, overcast day.

5.  Background
A plain background is best and less distracting.

Learn more here.

Five LinkedIn Tips

Personal branding pioneer William Arruda advises that you work with intentionality to differentiate your LinkedIn profile. 

Here are five personal features that are available on LinkedIn to help you standout from the professional network’s 610 million users.

1.  Specify your industry. 

LinkedIn data shows that profiles of members who include their industry are 9x more likely to be viewed.

2.  Create content. 

Create articles using LinkedIn’s blogging feature.  Here’s a great tip.  Arruda suggests that you commit to writing just one article per quarter.  This will help you to differentiate your profile, keep it fresh and share your thought leadership.

3.  Master multimedia. 

Your LinkedIn summary now allows you to add multimedia including videos, white papers, images and more. A great way to amplify your story while making your profile more visually interesting.

4. Brand your background. 

Do not use LinkedIn’s generic background image.  You need to stand apart from the crowd by customizing your image.  Not sure how to do this?  The Croixstone team would be happy to provide assistance.

5.  Say it with symbols. 

Symbols can be used to add character to your LinkedIn profile.  We agree with Arruda that you must exercise caution with this tip.  The key is to use symbols well and use them sparingly.

Learn more here.

LinkedIn for Baby Boomers

LinkedIn is an essential tool for all business professionals to use. There is both art and science to building and sustaining an impactful LinkedIn profile, and the navigation between these two elements can be tricky – especially for highly experienced professionals.

We love that Forbes magazine has published the first article in a brand new series of articles named “The Baby Boomer’s Guide to LinkedIn.” Read the first article in the series that presents strategies baby boomers can deploy to fight age discrimination on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Live Launched

LinkedIn recently launched its first live video tool, giving people and organizations the ability to broadcast real-time video to select groups or to the LinkedIn world at large.

Launching in beta first in the U.S., LinkedIn Live (as the product is called) will be invite-only. In coming weeks, LinkedIn will also post a contact form for others who want to get in on the action.  Learn more here.

Demand for Older Workers

Croixstone Consulting only hires experience – and demand is rising in the marketplace for older professionals with deep experience. With the labor market at its tightest in two decades, companies are increasingly turning to older workers to meet their talent needs.

Last September, Forbes magazine published an article addressing this trend that benefits older workers with experience.  We found the following factoids to be especially interesting:

  • The unemployment rate for people 55 and older is now just 3.1%, less than the overall jobless rate of 3.9%.
  • Workers 55 and older are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. labor force.
  • Job growth for people 55 and older is up 4.5%, according to ADP. That’s more than twice as high as the 1.7% job growth for workers overall.

Read the full article here.

WHO WE ARE

Croixstone is an Inc. 5000 boutique consulting firm known for connecting the brightest minds in business and community. We drive business outcomes by accelerating and sustaining transformations.

Croixstone is nationally-certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) and a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB).

CONTACT

101 South Tryon Street, Suite 2700
Charlotte, NC  28280

Phone:  704.478.6040

info@croixstone.consulting

       
 

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