Sean E. Nelson notes in the Community Marketing Blog, that it is as important to consider the mistakes that people make on LinkedIn as well as the strategies to effectively utilize LinkedIn.  Here are some of the seven commonly made mistakes and how you can correct them:

1.  Bad Photo Choice

One of the first things most people do when they visit a profile is look at the photo.  It’s natural to want to see the person behind the profile.  People connect to people and a photo helps improve your visitor’s perception.

One of the worst mistakes is to not include a photo.  What does it say about you as a business professional if you don’t understand the importance of the profile photo?

Don’t include a family photo, group shot, or your dog.  That’s fine on Facebook but on a professionally based network it misses the point.  If someone can’t see your face or recognize you then you have a problem. Avoid including a logo or product shot.  The same advice goes for cartoon photos.  Its a professional site.  You’re a professional.  Your photo should support your brand.

The Fix:  Hire a local photographer and get a professional quality headshot.  If you choose to take your own photo make sure you have proper lighting.

For a wonderful local resource read this article.

2.  Lack of Detailing Your Profile

Your profile isn’t meant to replace your resume but it should tell your visitors who you are.  There are some key areas that not only allow you to tell your story but provide an opportunity to add keywords naturally into your profile.

• The summary. Start your profile off with your elevator speech.  This short sentence has been refined to capture attention when presented in face to face networking.  There’s no reason it shouldn’t work the same on your profile.  The rest of your summary should answer the questions of “Who you are”, “How you help people”, and “How they can help you”.

• Previous employment. First people want to know the path you traveled from college to your current position.  Not including this in your profile introduces questions and alters visitor’s perception.  There’s also the lost opportunity to include keywords in your job descriptions.

• Specialties, Interests, Awards. These are key areas to add other information and it’s a great place for keywords.

• Personal contact information. Don’t forget to include your phone number and your address.  You never know how someone will find you

» Read more: Career Tips: The Worst LinkedIn Mistakes and Fixes