Have you looked at your profile on MSBA's website or LinkedIn lately? Now that we are getting into the swing of 2024, it's time to see if your online profiles need refreshing.
One of the quickest ways to update your online profiles is to upload a new profile photo, especially if you've gotten a new hairdo, grown a moustache or beard, changed glasses, or otherwise updated your look. If you need a new professional-looking photo, watch for upcoming conferences that may offer a headshot booth you can take advantage of.
Updating MSBA Profiles
There are two places to update your photo with MSBA.
Log in to My Account on the main MSBA website. On the My Account page, select Update Your Profile, then select Manage Profile Images under your current photo.
Follow the instructions that appear to upload a new photo.
While you are on your Edit Profile page, you can also update your Contact Info, About Me, Practice Areas, and other areas seen in the tabs below your photo.
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To update your photo in MSBA's online communities, visit the Communities and select your profile image in the upper right corner. Select "Profile" from the drop-down menu. On the screen that appears, select the Actions button under the large profile photo, then select Change Picture from drop-down menu.
The Communities profile photo can only be 200 pixels by 200 pixels, so if you have trouble uploading a photo, contact me at mwarner@mnbars.org and I'll help you out.
While you are on this page, feel free to update your bio, job history, and any other relevant info. Next to the word "Contact" under the profile photo is a pencil icon (hidden by the Change Picture/Remove Picture box shown above) that will allow you to update your contact info in the Communities.
Update Your LinkedIn Profile
Once you're finished updating your photo and profile with MSBA, head over to LinkedIn.
Here you'll want to update your profile photo, if needed, but don't forget to check your banner image, which is the large rectangular image at the top of the page behind your profile photo. A few weeks ago, I noticed that someone who had recently changed jobs still had an image representing their previous employer in this spot. Oops. If you don't want to risk this happening to you, upload a non-employment-related image.
While you are logged into you LinkedIn profile, check and update the following sections:
- Tagline (this is the short descriptive phrase under your name - you can use it for your title or your personal brand)
- About
- Experience
- Education
- Licenses & Certifications
If you've got more time, you can continue on and update these sections:
- Projects
- Volunteering
- Skills
- Publications
While you're working on this, if you been meaning to ask for recommendations from folks, now's the time to do it.
You can also review your Interests section and drop any companies, newsletters, or groups that are no longer serving you. To bring new voices and ideas to your feed, take a moment to search for new interests to follow.
Update Your Website
If you are part of a solo or small firm and have a website, take a look at pages that include your profile and contact information to make sure these items are up to date. You'll also want to check the hours of operation and location if these have changed in the past year.
If you are part of a larger firm and there is a profile of you on the website, provide any updates to your tech team as needed.
Update Google Business Profile
If you own a firm, make sure to check your Google Business Profile while you are refreshing everything else. You'll want to make sure your firm's hours, contact info, and location are up to date. You can also add more photos of your business to the profile. If you don't have (m)any reviews, invite some of your clients to leave reviews, which will help your business in Google's search rankings.
If your firm hasn't yet claimed its Google Business Profile, go through the process of claiming it. When you search for your business on Google Chrome, a box should appear on the right side of the search results for your business. There will be a link within it to claim it so that you can administer the profile.
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Update Other Online Outposts
If you are using any other online outposts for professional purposes (Facebook, Mastodon, X/Twitter, etc.), be sure to update those, as well.
If one of your outposts no longer serves you, deactivate or delete your account after downloading an archive of your content. There's no sense in leaving an account active but untended, plus you'll close potential avenues for security breaches.
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Advice on Personal Branding
For some advice on personal branding, check out this article from Patrick Patino in Hennepin Lawyer: The Newfangled Lawyer's Guide to Personal Branding.
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