IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding the role of a background photo

Finding the right image that illustrates your brand

Uploading an optimized image

LinkedIn profiles used to be so plain, especially when compared with Twitter and Facebook where you are able to upload large, eye-catching banner images. LinkedIn eventually came around and now allows you to upload a background image to visually spice up your profile.

Strangely enough, most users have not taken advantage of a background photo. Not sure whether you have or not? All you need to do is view your LinkedIn profile, and if you see a blue-green image that looks somewhat like a constellation behind your profile photo, you are still using the LinkedIn default. Even if you do have a custom background photo, don’t ignore this chapter because odds are, you can improve what you already have.

When a person looks at your LinkedIn profile, there are two images that immediately pop: the profile picture and the background image. Without reading a single word, the visitor to your profile is forming an impression of you. Let’s make sure that your background image is helping and not hindering your profile.

Finding the Right Image to Showcase Your Brand

When choosing a LinkedIn background image, make sure the image matches your personal/professional brand and conveys your unique message. Choose images that inspire you or reflect what you do.

Here are some ideas:

• An image of the products you sell or produce
• A picture of your office building or interior
• A team photo
• An illustration or photo that shows an analogy of what you do (lighthouse, magnifying glass, owl, tree, and so on)
• A picture of you at a podium or presenting in front of an audience

The image you choose must be professional and it must reflect your professional brand.

Spend time thinking about how you want to be seen on LinkedIn. The biggest issue I find is that typical users will find an image that speaks to them personally. I’ve seen images of beaches, fields of flowers, and snowcapped mountains. For that executive who loves to surf and surfing is a part of his brand, an image of the beach might work fine for him. But for the hard-working professional who wants to be seen as an integral force within the manufacturing industry, rather than a stock image of a sandy beach, an image of the 3D printer she was instrumental in bringing into her organization may be the better option.

There are always exceptions to this rule. You may decide to use a background image to spark conversation and commonality and upload an image that showcases something personal like a hobby. For example, a client of mine is a cyclist — one of those get up super early, don bike shorts, and bike 100 miles before 6 a.m. types. After 6 a.m. he works in advertising and is responsible for pitching his agency to Fortune 500 accounts. He and I discussed the importance of his background image and he considered using a gorgeous photo of his office’s conference room overlooking New York City, but instead he decided to upload an image of himself on his bike. He knew that many of the accounts he has closed were forged because of this hobby. And sure enough, he later told me that this background image spurs conversations and gets people interested in wanting to talk to him. Did the background image on its own generate revenue? No, but it certainly helps put him in a position where he could do what he does best.

If opting to use a more personal image, think in terms of how others will view it. Will they understand your connection to the image? Will they feel connected to the image? If you aren’t sure, it might be best to opt for something more professional.

Ideally, you want to choose an image that immediately conveys to the reader who you are and what you do. Take a look at Figure 8-1. Looking at just the background image, you can surmise what the person does for a living. What profession do you think each image represents?

The top image shows a man working on an architectural drawing. Did you guess architect? The second background image shows a man in front of a classroom. You immediately thought teacher, right? The third background image is a computer monitor showing code. You may have thought computer programmer or someone who works in IT. The bottom image shows the Wall Street sign in NYC. I bet you thought investor or stockbroker.

Working with a Professional Graphic Designer

Depending on your goals and budget, you may want to reach out to a graphic designer for assistance. If you are on LinkedIn as a business owner or leader, working with a graphic designer is a great way to differentiate yourself from the masses and prove to others that you are successful and polished. You can find a local graphic designer by calling your local Chamber of Commerce or doing a Google search for Graphic Designer [Your City, Your State]. You can also try fivrr (www.Fivrr.com), Upwork (www.Upwork.com), or 99Designs (www.99Designs.com). These sites allow you to find graphic designers outside your local area.

A graphic designer will seek to understand what you are trying to convey and then craft an image that captures the spirit of your brand, company, or expertise. Make sure the graphic designer you work with asks questions and gets your input.

If working with a graphic designer is outside your budget, don’t worry! It’s easy to create a background graphic yourself using free, online tools, which I discuss in the next section.

Using Online Graphic Tools to Create an Image

When looking for an image to turn into your LinkedIn background, you must be careful not to steal. Just because you saw an image on Google search or on another person’s website doesn’t mean it’s ripe for the picking. If you found an image you truly love and is perfect for your background image, you can attempt to reach out to the creator of the image and ask permission to use it. Rather than get caught up in finding email addresses and asking permission, it’s actually easier to simply visit websites that provide royalty-free stock images.

A few of my favorite sites that specialize in free images are:

• FreeImages (www.freeimages.com)
• Pixabay (https://pixabay.com)
• UHD Wallpapers (www.uhdwallpapers.org)
• Unsplash (https://unsplash.com)

Have you ever heard of the old saying, “you get what you pay for?” With royalty-free stock images, the quality of images isn’t always grade A. If you aren’t finding any free images you like, you may decide to shop for images instead.

Here are a few sites where you can search and purchase professionally rendered images:

• GraphicRiver (http://graphicriver.net)
• iStock (www.istockphoto.com)
• ShutterStock (www.shutterstock.com)

Are you interested in getting a branded image from your company’s website? You can grab images off your company’s website fairly easily. Using a print screen tool like Microsoft’s Snipping Tool, which is available in the Accessories folder (if you are on a Mac, press Cmd+Shift+4), you can capture images from your website. Depending on how the website is coded, sometimes all you need to do is hover your mouse over the image, right-click your mouse, and choose Save Image As.

Regardless of how you obtained the image, you must resize it to the requisite dimensions of 798 wide by 192 pixels tall, although I recommend you double up on those pixels — 1,584 by 396 — because many desktops and laptops, and most devices, have twice the pixel density than usual. Images sized incorrectly look blurry or pixelated and that comes across as very unprofessional.

My favorite free online tool for resizing images and creating interesting, personalized photo montages is Canva (www.canva.com). Canva is an online graphic design application that offers access to free and paid design tools and templates.

Here’s how to use Canva to create an interesting background image for your LinkedIn profile:

1. Visit www.canva.com in your favorite browser.

   If you have never used Canva before, you need to create an account. It's easy to sign up with your Facebook account.

2. Click the Custom Dimensions link that appears on the right side of the screen.
3. In the Width field enter 1584. In the Height field enter 396.

4. Click the Create Design Button.

   You can also open this link with your browser: http://bit.ly/linkedin-background-template.

5. Click the Uploads tool that appears in the left sidebar.

6. Click the “Upload an image or video” button.

   An Open dialog box appears.

7. Locate the background image you want to resize, highlight it, and click the Open button.

   The image uploads to Canva.

8. Locate the uploaded image and click and drag it to the white canvas on the right side of the screen.

   The image fills the canvas.

9. If the image is too small, expand the image by clicking a corner and dragging to resize it, or add another image so that it becomes a montage of images.

10. Click the Text tool in the left sidebar to add words to your image.

    Make sure the text is located in an area that is visible.

11. Once you are finished designing your image, click the Download button at the top of the screen, and in the drop-down box that appears, click Image:high quality (PNG).

    A Save As dialog box appears.

12. Select where on your hard drive you would like to save the image and click Save.

    You can see an example of a beautiful background image in Figure 8-2.

Adding a Background Image to Your Profile

Now that you have a beautiful background image, here’s how to add it to your LinkedIn profile:

1. Open your LinkedIn profile.
2. Click the pencil (edit) icon in the intro section of your profile.

3. Click the pencil (edit) icon that is located in the upper-right corner of the Background photo.

   If you do not have a background photo uploaded, an Open dialog box appears.

4. If you have a background photo uploaded that you want to replace, click the Change Photo button.

5. Locate the background image file from your hard drive and click Open.

   The image is uploaded and appears in preview mode. You can zoom or align the image by clicking on the Zoom and Straighten sliders.

6. Once you are happy with the look of your image, click Apply.

   Your background image appears at the top of your profile.

In the next chapter, I show you how to let the world know you are open to new opportunities and whether you have services to offer.