While LinkedIn is in the process of making a variety of changes to update its pages, the first page changes - which will immediately affect you - are its upcoming change of the Profile Photo size; providing you with a larger frame for your photo. The second is several sections will now be hidden in the background. Such as website address, email, and several other sections. Leaving you more space for Summary creation.

First, what can a larger photo frame mean to you?

Dressing more professionallyTaking more time with grooming before a photo shootSpringing for a professional photographerChoosing a less casual photo

In the past, you may effectively used Adobe or snagged your face from a family, friends or group biz photo. With the new larger photo frame, you'll need one which shows only you. Making it more difficult to crop yourself from current group photos.

Do photos really matter? Do members and visitors even look at them?

The answer is yes. LinkedIn stats show members consider people who don't upload a photo don't care enough about their presentation. Suggesting that pages with no photos are often skipped over.

In order to stand out from your competition and the crowd, to make a good impression with potential clients who likely don't meet you before hiring, you should provide a clear, current, professional looking profile photo of yourself. How you create that photo, or whether you have a pro snap you, is your choice.

Regarding attire for photos:

While dressing for success has always been essential when job interview time comes 'round, when meeting new or potential clients, LinkedIn is now upping its professionalism and yours. By providing you with a larger frame, for your photo. Allowing you take center stage on your Profile Page.

A 2010 national poll by the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pa. provided the following invaluable information:

"Appearance" ranked second only to "communication skills" when respondents named qualities most often associated with professionalism."

Further - Virginia Tech's Division of Student Affairs tells students applying for all types of jobs - "Your choice of attire reflects your judgment. Your choices regarding your attire and appearance: Show how you choose to present yourself. Are a form of communication to the people you encounter". This is such good advice, it can aptly be applied to almost anyone appealing or applying to clients or companies to hire them.

LinkedIn Summary Changes:

More emphasis will also be placed on your Summary. When it comes to businesses, this should not be presented resume style. And will require more thought and presentation to hit the mark and get you hired.

Not only that, because competition is so fierce your Summary will require some search engine optimization to reach those who want your unique services and products.

Getting that done means doing some keyword research to discover what words potential clients actually search for to find you. If you're unfamiliar with keyword search, use Google's Free Keyword Search Tool.

In a recent LinkedIn workshop I hosted, I explained that LinkedIn is similar to Google in that it can be considered a type of search engine. Though considerably smaller, you are still using it as one when you type names, groups and other info into the search box at the top of each page. This search box helps members refine the search process.

There are several other Profile Page changes:

Job titles will be removed from the area next to your photo. That spot will show education and experience. Website info, emails, for example, will now be found by clicking the 'contact' button.

The two changes you should be most concerned with, and having the most impact, are your profile photo and Summary.

Think about scheduling an appointment with a professional photographer. One whose expertise is snapping business professionals. Though technically a business expense, it's also an investment. Don't think it's necessary or can't fit it into the budget? Get creative. And discover a way to use a pro looking photo you have on file. No kids, no pets, no family - just you.

Second to that, yet no less important, is fleshing out, and search engine optimizing your summary. Taking some extra time to rethink, reorganize and/or rewrite your Linkedin Profile Summary, along with a great profile photo, will allow you to present yourself as the best professional for the job. One ready for immediate hire.

One last word regarding dressing professionally. Here's some sage advice from Image Consultant Sandy Dumont: "If you are not professionally attired, you won't get the job, even if you are the most qualified. Always dress better than required for an interview. Never dress down, because it is insulting to the other person. It says, 'I don't have to impress you; I dress for my own comfort.' When you dress to impress, they get it, and you will stand out from all the other candidates."

LinkedIn allows you to reach your exact audience. Businesses and entrepreneurs interested in YOUR business, YOUR products, YOUR services. Discover how you can quickly become a LinkedIn Expert and easily tap into this HOT professional social networking site to build your biz, get new clients. Get your Free "7 Invaluable Tips to Help You Build and Successfully Market and Brand Your Biz Harnessing the Power of LinkedIn" - http://www.womensmarketingandbusinessnetwork.com/ Click on "LinkedIn Info" on top nav bar.

View the original article here

There is one case where a person got too big for their own social profile. A director of marketing at an agency gained 76,000 public subscribers to her feed. However, she did not find this to be helpful. She actually found this to be harmful to her privacy. This is because many of the people who followed her did not have constructive things to say on her feed, and made her feed full of comments that were not appropriate.

The other side of this massive gain in followers is that there were many men making inappropriate comments on her feed and she could not control them fast enough. This made her profile very spammy and hard to control. Eventually she had to shut down comments on her feed so that she could control her posts again.

However, the damage was already done because those same people looked through her lists and requested to be friends with her female friends (which included her own mother). This caused those women to have trouble with the social networking system as well. This meant that the social networking experience for all these women became out of control. Therefore, their social networking privacy was compromised and they could not get it back. This is all because one person in their network gained too many followers too quickly.

Many people think that having a lot of subscribers in their feed is a good thing. However, the previous paragraphs show how things can quickly get out of hand if a person is not careful with their social media privacy. A person that does not pay attention to this crucial area of their social media privacy campaign can easily put themselves in similar situations.

A person not only has to worry about their own social media privacy. They must worry about the privacy of their friends and family (with evidence from above). Any person who has a less than innocent purpose for friending or following a user of the social media programs is able to do so if the user does not manage their social media profile with an eagle's eye. The social media profiles allow users to friend or follow anyone without discrimination unless the user lets the social media program not to allow such a use. Therefore, a person must be very careful with their default settings.

In the end, every user of the social media systems must be very careful about what they do or say on the social networks because the popularity on the social networks may just bleed over into real life. This means that people can show up at inopportune times for whatever reasons they want to show up. This makes people very vulnerable to any type of attack that person wants to have on them. This is a bad situation that a person should rectify as soon as possible.

The best thing to do is to select a social media platform that allows a user to have as much privacy as they want by default. If a user cannot do this for some reason, then the social media user must be very careful about what they say on the social networks. The social media user has all the power as it relates to their social media profile and a person who does not want to be exposed on the social networks has the power to make sure that does not happen.

Scott Buendia consults for Bizbuilt.com. All the views and tactics in this article are tactics and ideas of the author; they do not necessarily represent the ideals, beliefs, or trademarks of Bizbuilt.com. Visit his card on Bizbuilt here, https://www.bizbuilt.com/socialmediaprivacy.

View the original article here