Is your LinkedIn profile working hard enough?

Let us help.

I spend a significant amount of my working life helping clients get the most out of LinkedIn. Content calendars, carousels, event posts, articles, profile optimisation – the works. And yet, if you searched for me on LinkedIn you’d find a profile that doesn’t fully practice what I preach.

I’m not sharing this to be self-deprecating. I’m sharing it because I suspect a lot of people reading this are in exactly the same position – either personally, or in business. You know LinkedIn matters. You’ve heard it enough times. But between the day job, the client work, the endless emails, it keeps slipping down the list.

So here’s what I’ve learned from helping our clients actually use LinkedIn well.

Start with the basics, they matter more than you think

The number one thing we recommend to every single client is a proper headshot. Not a selfie from a night out or a blank silhouette. A real photograph of a real person, where you look like someone a potential client would feel comfortable talking to.

Beyond the photo, your headline and banner image are doing (or not doing) a lot of heavy lifting. Your headline shouldn’t just say your job title, it should tell people what you do and who you do it for. Your banner is free advertising space that most people leave completely blank. Use it. 

When it comes to what to put there a branded banner that reflects your company colours and messaging will always look better than a generic stock photo of wind turbines. It says “We’re a professional outfit with a coherent identity” rather than “I think I should have something here.” 

If you’re doing it yourself, Canva has LinkedIn banner templates that are a decent starting point, just make sure it looks like you.

Your profile should be regularly updated

A common thing to see is an out of date LinkedIn profile from years ago. The world has moved on. Their business has grown, pivoted, won new clients, developed new services. 

Your About section is your chance to tell your story, not list your responsibilities. Actually communicate why you do what you do and what makes you different. In the offshore wind and energy sector, where relationships and trust are everything, this matters enormously. Buyers aren’t just evaluating your services, they’re evaluating you.

I am talking here about your personal profile, not your company page. The two serve different purposes and both matter, but people buy from people, and in a sector as relationship-driven as offshore wind and energy, your personal profile is often the first thing a potential client looks at.  

The Featured section is often completely overlooked too. This is where you can pin your best work from a key article, a case study to a project you’re proud of. Think of it as your shop window.

Consistency is key

When clients ask us how to ‘crack LinkedIn’, they often expect us to reveal some secret formula for going viral. There isn’t one. Or rather there is, but it’s not very exciting. It’s showing up consistently, posting content that’s actually useful to your audience and doing it week after week.

This is why a content calendar is non-negotiable. Without one, LinkedIn becomes the thing you post on when you’ve had a great event, then forget about it for six weeks. With one, you show up consistently, and consistency is what builds trust.

For our clients, we typically build out a mix of content formats:

•       Articles that demonstrate expertise on sector-specific topics
•       Carousels that break down complex ideas into digestible slides
•       Event posts – before, during, and after – that capture the moment and extend its life
•       Short, punchy posts that share a perspective or start a conversation

Different formats work for different audiences and different objectives. The key is variety and regularity, not posting five things in a week and then going quiet for a month.

Events are a goldmine

In the renewable energy sector, events are important. Whether it’s Global Offshore Wind, FOWT or a regional networking evening, these are the moments where deals are seeded, relationships are deepened and reputations are built. 

Used properly, a single conference can fuel weeks of LinkedIn content. Here’s what good event coverage looks like:

•       Before: Let your network know you’ll be there. Who are you hoping to meet? What sessions are you looking forward to? This is also your opportunity to set up meetings in advance.
•       During: A photo, a quick observation, a key quote from a speaker (with a tag if you can). Real-time posts from events have strong engagement.
•       After: This is the most underused opportunity of all. A proper write-up. What you learned, what struck you, what conversations you’re still thinking about. This positions you as a genuine industry voice, not just an attendee.

Stu’s written a blog all about how to follow up after an event. If you’ve not read it, it’s a must read!

And if you’re speaking at an event, please promote it. It probably feels uncomfortable, like you are showing off. It isn’t. It’s letting your network know that you have something worth saying, and that people in your sector trust you enough to give you a platform.

The discomfort is the point

Here’s the honest part. Most of the things I’ve described above, putting yourself out there, promoting your own work, sharing your opinions publicly can feel uncomfortable, especially at first. I know this from experience.

The technical founders and engineering leads we work with are some of the most knowledgeable people in their field. But they’ve often built their careers on letting the work speak for itself. The idea of writing a 500 word post about their opinion on floating wind policy or tagging themselves in a photo at a conference can feel alien.

But the conversations that happen in between sessions, over a drink at the end of the day or on the drive home are often genuine reflections and real passion about where the sector is heading. People say things in those decompression moments that are far more interesting than anything that ends up on LinkedIn. And yet somehow, writing it down and sharing it publicly feels like a step too far. It shouldn’t because that unfiltered perspective is exactly what people want to read, and it’s what sets a genuine industry voice apart from the noise.

We’ve seen, time and again: the discomfort fades quickly. The first post feels exposing. The second is easier. By the fifth or sixth, it just becomes part of how you operate.

And the results of being present online we’ve found increased inbound enquiries, stronger relationships, being seen as a go-to voice in your space. It’s worth far more than the awkwardness of getting started.

Where to start

If your LinkedIn profile or your team’s LinkedIn presence isn’t where you want it to be, start small. This week, do one thing:

•       Update your headshot
•       Rewrite your headline so it actually says what you do
•       Write one post about something that happened in your working week

That’s it. One thing. And then build from there.

If you’d like help developing a LinkedIn strategy for yourself or your business, we can help with content calendars, profile optimisation, event coverage, thought leadership. Let’s talk!

Get in touch at hello@makethebreak.co