Your LinkedIn Profile is Your Brand: What Message Are You Sending?

Introduction: Your Brand is Bigger Than You Think

For ADR professionals—whether you’re an attorney, mediator, arbitrator, or firm owner—your brand is more than just your qualifications. It’s the way others perceive you, the trust they place in your expertise, and the reputation you cultivate. And yet, many in the field hesitate when it comes to personal branding, seeing it as self-promotion rather than a tool for credibility and connection.

But here’s the reality: branding isn’t about bragging—it’s about clarity and credibility. For ADR professionals, branding helps establish trust with potential clients, law firms, and organizations seeking dispute resolution expertise. It positions you as an authority in your field, showcasing not just your experience but also your approach, philosophy, and the value you bring to those you serve. When your online presence, particularly your LinkedIn profile, is optimized and intentional, you help clients, colleagues, and decision-makers understand who you are, what you stand for, and why they should trust you. The problem? Many ADR professionals unknowingly send the wrong message with an underwhelming or outdated LinkedIn presence.

Having a LinkedIn profile is just the starting point. Many professionals create one and leave it untouched, assuming their credentials will speak for themselves. But, in reality, an unoptimized profile can work against you, failing to attract the right connections or showcase your expertise effectively. In fact, most professionals’ LinkedIn profiles fall into one of five common profile types—each of which is holding them back. Do any of these sound familiar?

5 Types of LinkedIn Profiles (And How to Fix Them)

Having written the book, LinkedIn Profile Optimization (For Dummies) and worked with thousands of professionals over the years, I’ve seen the same LinkedIn pitfalls come up time and time again. While every career journey is unique, the ways people underutilize LinkedIn tend to follow predictable patterns. If your profile isn’t delivering the opportunities you want, you may recognize yourself in one of these five common types. The good news? Every one of them is fixable.

1. The Time Capsule Profile
   Your profile reads like a historical document—outdated job titles, old headshots, and an About section that doesn’t reflect your current expertise or aspirations.
   1. Consequence: Potential clients and connections assume you’re either inactive or no longer evolving in your career. Your opportunities are stuck in the past because your profile is, too.
   2. How to Fix It: Refresh your headline and About section to reflect where you are now and where you’re heading. Ensure that your most recent roles are detailed and compelling, rather than just a list of job titles.
2. The Golden Skeleton Profile
   Your career is impressive, but your LinkedIn profile is just a bare-bones outline—job titles without descriptions, no context, no personal story.
   1. Consequence: You appear in fewer searches, miss out on valuable connections, and fail to establish trust because people don’t see the depth of your expertise.
   2. How to Fix It: Flesh out your Experience section with key accomplishments and insights. Use the Featured Section to showcase articles, thought leadership, or past cases (within confidentiality limits).
3. The Frankenstein Profile
   Your career has grown, but your profile hasn’t been updated strategically. You’ve piled on new positions and achievements without aligning them into a clear narrative. For example, I once worked with an experienced mediator who had built a strong practice over two decades. His LinkedIn profile, however, still positioned him as a litigation attorney, failing to reflect his transition into full-time ADR work. Because of this misalignment, he wasn’t attracting the high-value mediation cases he wanted. Once we restructured his profile to emphasize his dispute resolution expertise, the right opportunities started coming his way.
   1. Consequence: Your profile is confusing, making it hard for potential clients, firms, or colleagues to understand your career trajectory and expertise.
   2. How to Fix It: Ensure older roles are pruned or reframed to support your current direction. Your About section should create a seamless story that connects past experiences with your present expertise and future goals.
4. The Identity Crisis Profile
   Your profile doesn’t match where you want to go. Maybe it still reflects an old practice area, or it’s too generic, failing to position you as an ADR expert.
   1. Consequence: You attract the wrong kind of connections—irrelevant job offers, inquiries outside of ADR, and missed opportunities with those who truly need your expertise.
   2. How to Fix It: Align your headline, About section, and skills with your ideal opportunities. Use keywords and language that reflect the work you want to attract.
5. Inactive Profile
   You set up your profile years ago and haven’t touched it since. No posts, no updates, no engagement.
   1. Consequence: People wonder if you’re even active in the profession. Potential clients and referrals may pass you by in favor of someone with a more engaged presence.
   2. How to Fix It: Commit to engaging with your network—comment on industry trends, share articles, and post insights. You don’t have to post every day, but even one thoughtful post per week signals that you’re active and relevant.

Your Profile is a Work in Progress—And That’s Okay

It's completely normal to see yourself in one or even a few of these profile types. Writing about yourself isn’t easy. The truth is, if you’re growing and evolving in your career, it’s hard to keep your LinkedIn profile updated in real-time. But your profile is important, and you are worth it. You have earned your reputation, and people do care about your journey. Making the effort to refine your LinkedIn presence ensures that your expertise is recognized, your voice is heard, and the right opportunities come your way.

Branding Extends Beyond LinkedIn

While your LinkedIn profile is an essential foundation, your brand extends beyond it. Once your profile is optimized, the next step is action—building connections, engaging in conversations, and showcasing your expertise through content. Your brand is not just what’s written on your profile; it’s how you show up, contribute, and interact with others in your industry. Your brand exists across multiple assets, including:

• Your resume, bio, and board resume
• Thought leadership articles and posts
• Networking brief, career walking deck, or professional website
• Your client case studies and testimonials
• Your firm-wide branding strategy (if you run a firm)
  
  

For firm owners, this extends even further. If your employees’ profiles are outdated or inconsistent, it affects your firm’s credibility. A strong firm-wide branding strategy ensures that clients see a cohesive, trustworthy presence across all touchpoints.

Your Brand Is Your Future

Taking control of your narrative is an investment in your future. Your brand isn’t just about where you are now—it’s about where you’re going. A well-crafted LinkedIn presence positions you for new opportunities, meaningful connections, and long-term success. By refining your profile and aligning your brand with your goals, you’re setting the stage for a career that grows with you. 

The legal world is competitive, and you deserve to be seen for the unique skills, achievements, and value you bring. Don’t wait for opportunities to come knocking—build the brand that brings them to you. People want to know your story—why you chose this field, what drives you, and how you can help them. Your brand should make it easy for them to understand that.

If you’re struggling to write your LinkedIn profile or finding it hard to articulate who you are and what sets you apart, it’s likely because you haven’t fully clarified your personal brand. If you’re struggling to write your LinkedIn profile or finding it hard to articulate who you are and what sets you apart, it may be because you haven’t fully assessed how your brand measures up in today’s competitive market. That’s where the R.I.S.E. Personal Branding Assessment comes in. It provides a clearer view of your brand's strengths and areas for improvement.

The R.I.S.E. Assessment is a free tool designed to help you discover and refine your personal brand.

Owning Your Brand, Owning Your Future

Your professional reputation isn’t just built on your credentials—it’s built on your good work and how people perceive you. Whether you're an independent ADR professional or leading a firm, the way you present yourself online shapes your future opportunities. You’ve worked hard to build your expertise—your online presence should reflect that. A strong brand helps you build trust, attract the right connections, and position yourself for meaningful opportunities.

The best part? You don’t have to do it alone. Take the time to refine your brand, strengthen your presence, and step into the future you’re working toward. Because when you take control of your brand, you take control of your career—and the opportunities that come with it.