This is Part 2 of my tips to take advantage of your new LinkedIn profile. Last week I shared important strategies relating to the top section of your profileThis week I will concentrate on one of the best new features for displaying your individual expertise and credibility. 

Gone are the days of the really cool LinkedIn applications (SlideShare, Box.net files, Amazon Reading List, Google Presentations, etc.). Lots of people were hopping mad about this elimination, but the news is not all bad.

The replacement for many of these applications is all in one handy dandy place called Your Professional Gallery. I refer to it as The Big Differentiator--because differentiating yourself from the rest of the pack is one of the main objectives of a well-crafted LinkedIn profile. 

In your Professional Gallery you can share hyperlinks to various media, such as video, images, documents, and presentations. Most media file types are supported by this feature, but they must have a specific URL or web page.  Of course, the best place to send people is your website, but other good sites include You TubeGoogle Docs, Scribd, and SlideShare

 

Professional Gallery hyperlinks can be placed in your Summary, Experience, and Education sections. I like this much better than the old applications features, because the hyperlink is displayed right in the applicable profile section. And adding information to your Professional Gallery is fast and easy. 

 

Go to the top toolbar, scroll over the word "Profile," and select "Edit Profile." Go to the specific profile section in 

add media icon which you'd like to add media and click the "Add Media" icon. Type or paste the link to your content in the "Add a link" field. 

 

An image of your content should appear. The Title and Description fields will automatically fill with information from the web page, but you can change or delete this information if you prefer.

 

Here is an example of how I display various types of media in one of my Experience sections on my LinkedIn profile. The descriptors of my files and links should help get your creative juices flowing as to what you might include in your gallery. 

professional gallery example   

The Professional Gallery is a great place to include those all-important calls to action on your profile. For more ways to call your readers to action, check out "Best Ways to Use Calls to Action in Your LinkedIn Profile."

 

What other ways are you using your Professional Gallery?

 

LINKEDIN SURVEY

 

This is the last call to participate in this year's LinkedIn user survey. It will take you just a few minutes, and upon completion you can request a copy of the results and learn how your uses and habits on LinkedIn compare to those of other smart folks. Don't miss your chance to be a part of the group--and register to win a fantastic prize.   

                                  
                                 Take 2013 LinkedIn User Survey Now