Have you added the Featured section to your profile yet?

I am simply confounded by how many people I help with a one-on-one virtual consultation have not taken advantage of this powerful section. And even those who have added it, many of them haven't included their most current and important information.

I often refer to this feature as the carousel of your best stuff. It's a can't miss visually and the easiest, most functional way to drive people from your profile to your website. In addition, you can upload your most important documents or media files. It works kind of like the old-school slide projector, but instead of clicking to bring up the next slide (document), you slide left to unveil more and more goodies about you and your company.

Effectively using the Featured section is one of the key profile lead generation strategies I will be sharing at my upcoming virtual workshop Using LinkedIn to Generate a Steady Stream of Sales Prospects on January 30. Check out the details and register here.
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How do I get the Featured section and how does it work?

Loading it on your profile is super simple. On your profile, click the blue Add profile section bubble, then the down arrow next to Recommended, then Add featured, and then click the plus sign.

You can then select any of the four items you can feature in your Featured section (LinkedIn post, LinkedIn article, link to a webpage, or a media file). LinkedIn will then take you through the specific steps for adding the item you choose.

The items are loaded with a title and description which you choose, along with a thumbnail visual of the item to grab the reader's attention. LinkedIn does not allow you to adjust or change the visual. Therefore, if you don't like the way it appears, you may want to feature a different item.

By default, they display in the order you loaded them, but you can rearrange them so the best two are always up front. Simply click and drag the item using the hamburger icon (four horizontal lines), which appears after you click the pencil in your Featured section. Play around with this. I think you're going to find it works as intuitively as anything LinkedIn has ever come out with.
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What should I feature in my Featured section?

You should feature the kind of content you wouldn't want your target audience to miss and things you can't explain or adequately emphasize with words alone. Here are some examples of what you may want to feature.
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Business Growth
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  • PDF file or presentation of your products and services
  • Videos of people using your product or service
  • Written or video testimonials
  • Case studies
  • Job openings
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Looking for Work
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  • Resume (written or video)
  • Presentation of important accomplishments or recommendations
  • Examples of your best work
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Improving Personal Brand
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  • Articles you wrote or were mentioned in
  • Links to important projects or samples of your work
  • Information about your favorite nonprofit
  • Alumni news
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Increasing Nonprofit Impact
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  • Annual or impact reports
  • Articles highlighting awards and honors
  • Signup sheet or link to volunteer page
  • Videos previewing upcoming events or a wrap-up of completed events
  • Press releases

As I mentioned, based on the one-on-one LinkedIn consultations I do each week, most people have either failed to find the Featured profile section or haven't really been strategic about what they include in this section. Don't let this be you!

If you'd like to learn more simple but powerful ways to use LinkedIn to sell more products and services—or, if you're not directly selling something, maximize LinkedIn for yourself or your organization—join me on Monday, January 30, for my virtual workshop Using LinkedIn to Generate a Steady Stream of Sales Prospects.

This is your chance to learn how you can make 2023 your best year ever.