LinkedIn for the Win

Every first Wednesday at one o’clock, Hudson Valley Women in Business gathers online for real talk and practical tools you can use the same day. This month, career coach and longtime talent acquisition leader Robin Fischman led a lively, hands-on session about making LinkedIn work for you, whether you are growing a business, pivoting roles, or simply sharpening your digital presence.

We opened with a quick check-in and a prompt that set the tone.

Before you touch your profile, Robin said, get clear on who you serve. Write one or two sentences about your ideal client and how they describe their problem. That language becomes your North Star. It shapes your headline, your About section, and the way you tell your story across the platform. Without that clarity, it is much harder to write anything compelling.

From there, Robin walked us through the profile top to bottom.

• First impressions matter. Choose a warm, professional headshot.

• Use the cover image with intention. A short testimonial, a simple offer, or a clean brand graphic tells visitors they are in the right place.

• Your headline should be unmistakably clear about what you do and for whom. Clever titles can be fun, but clarity converts.

• The small Contact Info link does big work. Add a direct path to take the next step, whether that is your website, a portfolio, or a scheduling link for consultations. Robin uses a short consult as her call to action, and the link sits right where visitors expect to find it.

Then came the heart of the profile. The About section is not a biography. It is a conversation with the person you want to help. Open with a few crisp lines that speak to their situation. Describe how you help and the outcome they can expect. Invite them to act. Robin’s own About reads like a door opening. You know who she helps, what changes when they work together, and how to begin.

Evidence matters, too. The Featured section is prime real estate for proof. Pin a couple of wins, a case study, or a brief client quote that shows results. In the Experience section, list roles with the first two lines doing the heavy lifting. Keep it scannable and friendly to skim-readers. This is where LinkedIn’s search also starts to notice you. Keywords in your headline, About, and Experience help people find you. It is not about stuffing phrases. It is about using the words your clients use to describe the work.

Then the conversation naturally shifted to growth.

LinkedIn is social. Likes do not build relationships. Comments do. Thoughtful comments spark conversations, increase visibility for the original post, and introduce you to new circles. Connecting with a short note is worth the extra minute. Mention why their work resonated or how you hope to collaborate. If a direct note is not available, engage on their posts in a genuine way. Over time, this is what builds a network that responds.

We also talked about what LinkedIn tends to reward. On-platform writing that keeps readers engaged performs well. Carousels made from simple slides encourage people to click forward. A steady cadence is enough. One or two posts a week alongside regular commenting can grow reach without becoming a full-time job. Timing depends on your audience. Post when your people are naturally scrolling. For some, that is early morning. For others, it is later in the evening after a long day.

A few useful nuances surfaced in the Q&A. Hashtags still help when they are very specific to a topic or campaign, but LinkedIn increasingly reads natural language, so focus on clear writing first. Profiles and even posts can appear in search results, including on Google, so the words you choose carry weight beyond the platform. Premium features can expand outreach and filters. They are helpful if you are actively prospecting at scale. If you are testing the waters, try a month, measure what changes, and then decide.

One of the sweetest moments was the reminder to connect with each other.

Many attendees sent connection requests during the session and added short notes to say hello. It is a simple way to expand your second-degree network and keep conversations going after the call ends. Small, consistent actions like this make LinkedIn feel less like a chore and more like a community.

Robin closed by sharing how she works with clients. She offers a short consultation to see if coaching is the right fit and a focused ninety-minute LinkedIn tune-up where you refine your profile in real time. Her approach is empathetic, practical, and results oriented. It matches the spirit of our series. Learn together. Take one small step you can use today.

We will add the recording to our Educational Library. If you have follow-up questions for Robin, post in the HVWiB Facebook group or reach out to her directly.

Up next

Join us on the first Wednesday of next month at 1:00 PM for Helen Jonsen’s session, Excuse Me, I’m Speaking: Develop Your Signature Remark Tool. If you run a business, lead a team, or simply want words that land when it counts, you will leave with a sharper, stronger way to introduce yourself and your work.

Bring a notebook. Bring a goal. We will bring the community.