PipeflowWhy the profile comes first
On LinkedIn, as a self-employed person you're not just the sender of posts, you're the face of your business. Anyone who sees one of your posts, gets a connection request from you or looks up your name after a conversation lands on your profile. Within a few seconds that person decides whether they can place you: who is this, what do they do, and is it relevant to me?
That's why it pays to set up your profile thoroughly once before you start posting regularly. A half-finished profile with an old photo and the headline “Owner” wastes every visit a good post brings you. The good news: this is a job for a quiet afternoon, not for every week.
Photo and cover image: the first impression
Your profile photo should show you, not your logo. A friendly, well-lit picture in which your face is easy to recognise is all you need. It doesn't have to be a studio shot. A picture in your own surroundings often looks even more credible: the electrician in front of the switch cabinet, the joiner in the workshop, the tax adviser at the meeting table.
Many people simply leave the cover image, the wide area behind your photo, empty. Yet it's room for a clear message. You can use a photo of your work or your business, or a simple graphic with a sentence about what you do and for whom. Make sure important content isn't hidden by your profile photo and that everything stays readable on a phone.
The headline: more than your job title
The headline under your name is the most important thing on your whole profile. It appears with every post, every comment and in search results. Many people only write “Managing Director” or “Owner at ...” there. But that says nothing about how you help others.
A better headline describes what you do and for whom. Use the words your customers would search for themselves. Space is limited, so short and clear beats complete. A few examples from small businesses:
- Joinery: Master joiner | Bespoke furniture and kitchens in solid wood for private clients
- Tax advice: Tax adviser for founders, trade businesses and small limited companies
- Electrician: Electrical work for new builds and renovations | Solar PV and charging points
- Physiotherapy practice: Physiotherapist with my own practice | Focus on backs and sports injuries
The About section: your story in a few paragraphs
In the “About” section you have room for a longer text. Here, too, only the beginning is visible straight away, the rest only after a click. So your first two sentences should say what you do and why people should come to you.
A proven structure: start with your customers' problem or wish, then describe your offer, briefly say what sets you apart (experience, way of working, region) and finish with a clear invitation, such as “Send me a message if you ...”. Write in the first person. This is your personal profile, not a company brochure.
Avoid empty words like “competent, reliable, solution-oriented”. Everyone writes that. A sentence like this feels much more concrete: “I plan every kitchen myself and I'm there when it's fitted.”
Experience, services and recommendations
Under “Experience”, enter your own business as your current position. If there's a LinkedIn company page for it, link it. Then the logo appears and visitors reach the page with one click. You can keep earlier roles short unless they strengthen your work today, such as your years as a journeyman before your master craftsman exam.
LinkedIn offers further sections, for example for services, skills or featured content. The names and scope keep changing. Use whatever is available at the moment to list your services or pin a good post to the top.
Recommendations from customers or business partners are valuable because they come from others. Ask people you've worked well with directly. If you work in a profession with its own professional rules, for example in a practice, a law firm or as a financial or insurance adviser, check first what is allowed there regarding advertising and recommendations. Promises of cures, promises of success and details of patient or client cases don't belong on your profile.
Small settings that make a big difference
Many people overlook a few details, even though they take only a few minutes:
You'll find most of these settings when you open your own profile and tap “Edit profile” or the pencil icons. LinkedIn moves them around now and then; LinkedIn's help pages are then the most reliable guide. Finally, look at your profile the way others see it and ask yourself: would a new customer understand what I do?
- Profile URL: Set a short address with your name that you can put on business cards and in your email signature.
- Contact info: Add your website, phone number or email so interested people can reach you directly.
- Public visibility: Check in the settings whether your profile is also visible to people without a LinkedIn account.
- Location and language: State your region if you mainly work locally, and write in your customers' language.