LinkedIn Profile Checklist: How to Create a Profile That Drives Sales and Followers

Most LinkedIn profiles are incomplete. Not because people don't care, but because they set up their profile once and never came back to it. The result is a profile that looks like a half-finished resume from three years ago.

This checklist covers every section of your LinkedIn profile. Work through it once and you'll have a profile that's complete, optimized, and actually working for you.

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TL;DR

A strong LinkedIn profile needs a professional photo, a custom banner, a keyword-rich headline, a compelling About section, detailed experience with quantified results, listed skills, certifications, and regular content activity. Work through this checklist section by section. Start with photo, headline, and About. Those three alone will dramatically improve your profile's performance.

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LinkedIn Profile Checklist

LinkedIn Profile Checklist #1: Start with a Professional Profile Picture

Your profile photo is the first thing anyone sees. It's the one element that appears everywhere on LinkedIn: in search results, next to your comments, in connection requests, and in messages. A bad photo undermines everything else on your profile.

• Photo is recent (taken within the last 2 years)
• Your face fills 60-70% of the frame
• Background is clean, solid, or blurred
• Lighting is good — natural light or a well-lit environment
• Expression matches the tone of your industry
• No group photos, no heavy filters, no sunglasses
• Photo is at least 400x400 pixels

A few things worth knowing: natural light from a window beats a dark room with an expensive camera. Solid or blurred backgrounds outperform busy ones because distracting backgrounds pull attention away from your face. And match the energy of your industry. A startup founder can smile casually. A corporate attorney probably shouldn't. Neither is wrong, just be intentional.

LinkedIn Profile Checklist #2: The Cover Image Counts as Well

The banner is the large horizontal image behind your profile photo. Most people leave it as the default blue gradient. That's a missed opportunity.

• You have a custom banner (not the default blue gradient)
• Banner reflects your professional brand, industry, or company
• Text in the banner is readable on both desktop and mobile
• Banner dimensions are 1584x396 pixels
• Key content is in the center 60% of the image (safe zone for mobile)
• Banner is consistent with your headline and overall profile message

A custom banner signals intentionality. It shows you've put thought into how you present yourself. Use Canva's free LinkedIn banner templates to create something professional in 20-30 minutes.

LinkedIn Profile Checklist #3: Don't Skip the LinkedIn "About" Section

The About section is where you tell your story. It's the one place on your profile where you have room to explain the thread connecting your experience, communicate your value proposition, and give visitors a reason to reach out.

• About section is filled in (not blank)
• Written in first person
• Opens with a strong hook in the first 1-2 sentences (these show before the "see more" fold)
• Explains what you do and who you help
• Mentions the problems you solve, not just the things you do
• Includes relevant keywords for search visibility
• Has a clear call to action at the end
• Uses short paragraphs with white space for readability
• Between 150-400 words
• No third-person writing, no buzzword soup

The first two lines are the most important. They show before the "see more" fold. Make them count. "I help B2B SaaS companies build outbound pipelines that actually convert" is a hook. "I am a results-driven professional with 10 years of experience" is not.

Also check your headline while you're here:

• Headline goes beyond your job title
• Includes keywords relevant to your role or target audience
• Speaks to the value you create, not just the role you hold
• Under 220 characters
• First 60 characters are the most important (mobile truncation)
• No buzzwords like "passionate," "innovative," or "results-driven"

LinkedIn Profile Checklist #4: Keep Your Job Experience Info Up-to-Date

Your experience section is where LinkedIn's algorithm looks for keywords, and where visitors look for proof that you can do what you say you can do. A list of job titles with no descriptions is a wasted opportunity.

• All current and relevant past roles are listed
• Each role has a description (not just a title)
• Descriptions focus on achievements, not just responsibilities
• At least one quantified result per role (numbers, percentages, outcomes)
• Job titles match what recruiters or prospects search for
• Company names are linked to their LinkedIn pages
• Employment dates are accurate
• Media or links added to relevant roles (presentations, articles, projects)
• Older roles are kept shorter (2 lines is enough for a job from 10 years ago)
• Current role is updated regularly (LinkedIn's algorithm rewards fresh content)

Write bullet points that start with verbs: "Led," "Built," "Reduced," "Launched." Not "Responsible for" or "Tasked with." Numbers are credible. "Grew pipeline by 40%" beats "Improved sales performance."

LinkedIn Profile Checklist #5: Display Your Awards, Certifications, and Licenses

Certifications and licenses are searchable on LinkedIn. If you have them and they're not listed, you're invisible to anyone filtering by those credentials.

• All relevant certifications are listed
• Certification names match how they appear in job postings
• Expiration dates are current
• Issuing organizations are linked
• Honors and awards are included in the Accomplishments section
• Publications, patents, or projects are listed if relevant

This section also includes your education:

• All relevant degrees and institutions are listed
• Graduation years are included
• Relevant coursework, honors, or activities added where appropriate
• Certifications from online courses added if relevant

LinkedIn Profile Checklist #6: List Your Skills

Skills are one of the most underused sections on LinkedIn. They directly affect your search visibility. If you want to show up when someone searches "product management," that phrase needs to be in your skills section.

• At least 10 skills listed (50 is the maximum)
• Top 3 skills are pinned and reflect your most important expertise
• Skills match the language used in job postings or client searches you're targeting
• Skills are endorsed by connections
• Outdated or irrelevant skills have been removed
• Skills from the job descriptions or client profiles you're targeting are included

A practical approach: look at three to five job postings or client profiles for the roles or contracts you want. Note the skills they list. If you have them, add them. This aligns your profile with the exact language your target audience uses.

Also check your recommendations here:

• At least 3 recommendations visible on your profile
• Recommendations come from a mix of managers, peers, and clients
• Recommendations are specific and speak to real work
• You've given recommendations to others (reciprocity matters)

LinkedIn Profile Checklist #7: Don't Forget to Add Interests

The Interests section shows the companies, people, groups, and schools you follow. It's a subtle signal about your professional focus and the communities you're part of.

• You follow relevant companies in your industry
• You follow thought leaders whose content you actually read
• You're a member of relevant LinkedIn Groups
• Your interests reflect your current professional focus (not just what you followed years ago)

Groups deserve special attention. Being active in a LinkedIn Group puts you in front of people who are self-selecting as interested in your topic. It's one of the quieter ways to build visibility without posting your own content.

LinkedIn Profile Checklist #8: Post Engaging Content

Your profile is a static document. Your activity is what makes it dynamic. Every post you publish is a potential entry point to your profile. When someone sees your post in their feed and clicks through, your profile needs to be ready to convert that visit into a connection or a conversation.

• You've posted or shared content in the last 30 days
• Your recent activity reflects your professional interests
• You're engaging with others' content (comments, reactions)
• Creator Mode is turned on if you post regularly
• Featured section is active with your best work: articles, posts, projects, or links
• Featured items are current and relevant

Content that generates discussion drives the most profile views. Posts that ask questions, share contrarian takes, or tell a specific story tend to outperform generic advice. Commenting on posts from people with large followings also puts your name in front of their audience. A thoughtful, specific comment gets more clicks than a generic "great post."

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LinkedIn Profile Checklist: The Bottom Line

Don't try to fix everything at once. Work through this checklist section by section over a week. Start with the highest-impact items: photo, headline, and About section. Those three alone will dramatically improve your profile's performance.

Then come back every quarter to review. Your profile should evolve as your career does. A profile that was perfect six months ago might be outdated today.

A complete profile is the foundation. What you do with it is what matters.

If you want to go beyond a great profile and actually use LinkedIn to generate leads, build relationships, and grow your network on autopilot, Outly is built for exactly that. Plans start at $39.99/month.