LinkedIn can feel like that one room at a party where everyone looks like they know what they are doing.

The titles are impressive. The posts look polished. The energy can feel a bit… intense.

So it makes sense that many women running a business either avoid it completely, or dip in and out with a vague sense of, I should probably do more here.

But here is the truth that came through so clearly in our Ask The Expert session with LinkedIn strategist Riya Tiwari.

LinkedIn is not complicated.

We overcomplicate it when we are unclear about what we want, who we are speaking to, and what we want people to do next.

Here, our Masterclass guest expert, Riya Tiwari's shares her practical guide to getting your LinkedIn foundations right, so you can show up with more confidence, get seen by the right people, and create opportunities without burning out.

Start here: clarity beats cleverness

Before you rewrite your headline, redesign your banner, or start worrying about the algorithm, ask yourself three questions:

What do I do?
Who do I help?
How do I help them?

If you can answer those clearly, most of the rest becomes much simpler.

If you cannot, LinkedIn will feel like a foggy maze, because your content and your profile will be trying to speak to everyone. And when you speak to everyone, you often end up speaking to no one.

Clarity does not mean being boring.

Clarity means being easy to understand.

Think of your profile as your mini website

Your LinkedIn profile is not just a CV.

It is a landing page.

People arrive there curious, sometimes from a comment you left, a post they read, or a recommendation. They are scanning quickly to answer one question:

Is this person relevant to me?

Your job is to make that answer obvious.

If your profile is clear and aligned, it can create inbound leads, meaning people reach out to you already interested, already warmed up, already knowing what you do.

And honestly, that is the dream. Especially when you are running a business on your own and you do not have endless time for cold outreach.

The essentials your profile needs to have

Here is the simple checklist, in a sensible order.

1. A profile photo that matches the message you want to send

LinkedIn is a business platform. People want to know they can take you seriously.

That does not mean you need to look corporate or stiff. It means your photo should look professional and intentional.

A small detail that matters: your expression.

A warm, open smile signals approachability. A more neutral expression signals you are more direct and selective.

There is no right answer here. It depends on your personality and the kind of work you do.

2. A banner that tells people what you do in one glance

Your banner is the biggest visual space on your profile. Use it.

Riya’s guidance is simple: your banner should communicate what you do, who you do it for, and how you do it.

A structure you can borrow:

I help X do Y by Z.

Example:
I help women solopreneurs feel confident online by simplifying their messaging.

You can also include credibility builders if you have them, such as logos, publications, results, or a clear call to action like Book a call.

If you are thinking, I do not have fancy logos, do not panic.

Use what you do have: outcomes, clarity, a strong promise, a simple call to action, or a short line that positions you.

3. Keywords that match what people are searching for

LinkedIn is a search engine as well as a social platform.

So your profile needs keywords, meaning the words your potential clients would type when looking for someone like you.

Choose one main keyword phrase you want to be known for, then weave it naturally into key places:

Your headline
Your about section
Your featured section
Your experience

Make sure you’re finable rather than stuffing your profile with awkward phrases.

4. An About section that people actually want to read

Most About sections fail for one reason.

They are written like a formal biography, in huge blocks of text, with no warmth, no white space, and no sense of a real person.

Write it like you are talking to a human.

Use short paragraphs. Leave space. Make it skimmable.

Start with a hook that makes someone want to keep reading. Then build trust and credibility.

A simple flow:

A relatable opening
What you do and who you help
How you help
Proof, credibility, experience
A clear next step

5. A Featured section that guides people to take action

This is where so many people accidentally lose the lead.

If you pin a post in your featured section, people click it, get pulled back into the feed, and you have lost their attention.

Instead, use your featured section to guide someone off the platform or into a clear next step.

Good options include:

A link to book a call
A link to your newsletter
A free resource or lead magnet
A simple landing page

Ask yourself: what do I want them to do after reading my profile?

Then make that path easy.

The confidence piece: storytelling without oversharing

A lot of women hold back on LinkedIn because they are worried about being judged, misunderstood, or coming across as too much.

Riya shared a really useful distinction here.

Share your failures and lessons, because they make you relatable.

But do not share raw vulnerabilities in real time if you are not through them yet.

In other words: share the scar, not the open wound.

That is not about hiding. It is about leadership.

It allows you to be human and real, while still showing you are grounded and capable.

A simple way to approach personal content is to share:

What happened
What you learned
How it changed the way you work or lead
What someone else can take from it

If you are new to LinkedIn: engage more, post less

This is such a practical one.

When you are starting out, you do not yet have an audience that knows you or is invested in what you say.

So make yourself visible by engaging.

Comment thoughtfully on posts by people in your industry. Not random accounts. People whose audience includes your ideal clients.

When you comment with a clear point of view, you get seen by the people already paying attention in that space.

It is one of the easiest ways to build familiarity without posting constantly.

A content approach that does not drain your energy

Riya described a simple content funnel, and it is a helpful one for solopreneurs because it gives you direction.

This funnel happens across several posts, not in one post.

1. Personal story or relatable moment
2. Educational content that shows your expertise
3. Proof that it works, for you or your clients

Then repeat. Because new people are arriving all the time.

And remember, consistency does not mean daily posting. Twice a week can be enough if you are clear and intentional.

The simple post structure that improves readability

A helpful format for writing posts is:

Hook
Re hook
Body
Call to action

The hook is the first line that makes someone stop.

The re hook backs it up or adds intrigue.

Then you deliver the content.

Then you tell them what to do, if you want them to do something.

One more practical tip: avoid putting links in the body of your post, because LinkedIn prefers to keep people on the platform.

Instead, put the link in the comments, or direct them to your featured section.

Using ChatGPT without losing your voice

AI tools can help, but only if you stay in the driver’s seat.

If you ask ChatGPT to write your profile or posts without context, it will often give you generic copy that sounds like everyone else.

Better approach:

Tell it how you speak.
Share an example of your writing.
Ask it to refine, not replace.

Use it like a supportive editor, not a ghostwriter.

Evergreen LinkedIn advice that will still matter in six months

If you only take three things from this, let them be these:

Be consistent.
Be yourself.
Be clear.

And be presentable in a way that fits the platform and your goals.

You do not need to do everything.

You just need to do the right things, steadily, with intention.

LinkedIn rewards momentum.

And momentum comes from making it simple enough that you will actually keep showing up.

This Masterclass was part of The Women Entrepreneurs Group community membership.

Join us for live conversations on Zoom every week that help you run your business with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

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