How to Create a Strong Consultant Profile on LinkedIn

A strong professional LinkedIn profile is a key part of marketing for any business, especially a small business or independent consulting practice. When people search for your services or name, your LinkedIn profile is going to be one of the first things that shows up in Google search results.

Your goal is simple: show potential clients what you have to offer and grab their attention. By crafting an engaging digital resume that highlights your past work, you can land the clients you want and outshine competitors.

How do I optimize my LinkedIn profile?

Write a Compelling Headline

Your headline is the text that appears directly below your name on your profile. Your headline will show up in LinkedIn search and on Google searches. Be sure to incorporate relevant keywords that people might search for when looking for your services. That will help your profile to show up higher in Google search results.

Most people are inclined to use their job title as their headline, but you can get more creative than that. Your headline should describe what you do succinctly, but with key details. Think about the value you can offer, the problems you can solve, the type of clients you want to target, and what makes you unique. For example, rather than saying “Freelance Digital Marketer,” you might say, “Experienced Digital Marketer | Lead Generation | Google Analytics | Content Optimization | SEO”

Explore: 10 Small Business Marketing Strategies That Work

Make Good Use of the About Section

The About or Summary section gives you a chance to explain more about your business and market yourself to potential clients. Here, write a short paragraph or two about the services you offer and your approach. Pretend you are meeting someone for the first time. How would you explain to them what you do? What sort of impression do you want to give to a potential client? At the end of this section, state what you are looking for—a new project, connecting with people in your industry, a collaboration with a fellow independent professional, etc.

Learn More: Ways to Develop Skills and Knowledge for Independent Consulting

Upload a Professional Photo

A professional photo helps to pull your profile together. It allows people to put a face to the information they are reading and personalizes your business. Choose a photo with a plain background where you look professional and personable. Also, consider adjusting your privacy settings to make your profile public. This will better enable your profile to show up in search results and be visible to people who are not already in your network.

Check Out: 5 Ways for Independent Consultants to Reach Their Target Clients

Showcase Your Best Work

When people look at your profile, they are going to want to see the work you’ve done. This falls under the Experience section. Because you are an independent professional, this section will likely look different than a traditional employee’s profile where they list their past and current roles.

Try approaching this section in one of two ways. First, you can list your experience by category such as grouping similar skills together like graphic design, editing, or project management. Second, you could list your experience by client, discussing the specific projects you have done for each client (ensuring you can legally disclose this information).

Pro tip: Whenever possible, upload media such as PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, or links to your website to support the work you talk about. Summarize what you have helped people accomplish, use quantifiable numbers to support your results, and include keywords and phrases that people might be searching for.

Add Your Endorsements

The Skills & Endorsements section of your profile is another good place to focus your efforts. Potential clients will want to get an idea of your specific skills and what past clients have said about your work. Testimonials lend credibility to your business, and people will be more likely to reach out to you if they see positive reviews.

The best way to build out this section is to ask people to endorse your skills or write a short recommendation for your business. Consider writing a testimonial for someone else first, and they will likely return the favor. When sending a request for an endorsement, be professional and personal. Remind the person about the project you worked on and highlight why it was successful.

Discover: 5 Ways to Market Your Client Testimonials

Stay Engaged With Your Audience

Finally, don’t forget to stay engaged. After putting in the work to build a strong profile, make the most of it.

• Share content that’s relevant to your industry or meaningful to you personally.
• Link to your own blog posts, articles, or newsletter.
• Highlight recent developments in your business and ask questions to spark conversation.
• Join relevant LinkedIn groups, stay visible, and connect with others.

The more you invest in building a strong LinkedIn presence, the more it can contribute to the long-term success of your business.

See: 6 Tips for Networking on LinkedIn

Where can I find more work opportunities?

MBO’s talent marketplace can help you discover opportunities tailored to your skills and expertise. You can explore job matches that align with your experience and professional goals. For more information, check out MBO’s website for the latest work opportunities!