Your LinkedIn profile is a chance to add some personality to your professional story, so don’t make the mistake of copying your resume verbatim. Take a minute to think about your target audience. Is it a potential employer? New clients? Tailor your voice accordingly, and try not to be too dry. If you want your profile to stand out, you’ll need to update it often with examples of your work output. Papers you’ve written, projects you’ve completed, and presentations you’ve nailed are all good options.

The driving idea is to get your audience to engage with you in real life. A really successful profile makes a person want to do something — send a message to your inbox or email you, click a link to a website, download a white paper. All in all, your LinkedIn profile should work for you.

Join RYP Professional Development as Jessica Lewis of LaLew Public Relations (www.lalewpr.com) outlines the importance and purpose of LinkedIn.