Exciting news! The print version of my book, How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile, has been uploaded to cyberspace (Ingram Spark for those in the know) and will be available any week now on Amazon.

Plus, the 12^th edition of the e-book of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile is in the works!

Thankfully for those who purchase either the print or the e-version of the book, it comes along with a link to get my free lifetime updates. LinkedIn is constantly changing, and the last several months have been no exception.

Here are a few of the top changes I want you to be aware of. These will all be in the 12^th edition of the e-book, and some of them made it into the print book too.

Also note, I will be talking about some of these changes as well as tried and true LinkedIn strategies on Chicago’s WGN Radio with Rob Hart on Wednesday, October 28, 7:30pm Central! Tune in to WGN Radio 720 AM, WGNRadio.com or the WGN radio app.

Here come the changes:

1. You can now send customized messages via mobile!

Up until recently, I recommended never to connect with people via the LinkedIn mobile app because it did not support customized invitations. That advice is changing for those who have newer phones (both Android and iPhone). But be careful! The platform is not intuitive. And you must have the latest operating system installed.

Since I have an iPhone now, I only have screen shots for you of how to do this on an iPhone. But you can do it with Androids too!

NOTE: Never send an invitation from the People You May Know feature. These invitations can’t be customized.

To send a customized invitation via iPhone 6, go to your contact’s profile and click the “…” button in the upper right (do NOT click on CONNECT!!):

Then click “Customize invite”:

And write your message.

On Android devices with an updated operating system, after going to a member’s profile, tap either the Menu or More button, then Customize Invite, then write your message and Send! (If you mess up, you can always send another message with a customized invitation later.)

2. Groups

There are multiple changes happening in LinkedIn groups, most of which people don’t like so much. As of September 22, 2015, LinkedIn says they have “simplified” group features and made the experience “easier.” You can view all these changes at LinkedIn’s New Groups Features help page.

Some highlights:

• All LinkedIn groups are now private and can’t be seen by non-group members (and they are no longer searchable on Google).
• Conversations will automatically be posted without requiring manager approval (striking fear in the hearts of many group managers).
• The Promotions tab has been removed (good move—no one ever looked at it anyway)!
• There are no more subgroups (another good move) and you can now join up to 100 groups!
• You can mention people in Group conversation using the @ symbol (I believe this feature will encourage more interaction in conversations).
• Images can be posted to conversations. (Yay! We like pictures!)

It’s also worth noting that LinkedIn fairly recently limited the number of one-to-one emails you can write to group members to 15 per month if you are not directly connected with the members.

For one blogger’s opinion on the changes in LinkedIn Groups, see Donna Serdula’s article, Big Changes Coming.

3. Inbox & Messaging

You’ve probably noticed if you are even an infrequent user of LinkedIn that your inbox looks a lot different than it did three months ago! LinkedIn has created an Updated Messaging Features help page which will give you the details.

Here’s some of what’s new:

• Mail is organized by conversation rather than by sent vs. received mail, so your entire conversation with someone will show up in the same place (Sent messages will have a blue background, left aligned, and received messages will have a gray background, right aligned).
• You can now manage your invitations from the People You May Know page. (I’m not sure of the value of this. Why move these from the messaging center?)
• Deleting a message really and truly deletes it. Forever. No archiving option (so be careful)!
• There is now a choice to Send messages by hitting the Enter key. Apparently due to this option, I’ve gotten up to five separate messages that were meant to be one single message! Hopefully the kinks in this feature will be worked out soon.

4. Introductions

LinkedIn claims that you “can request to be introduced to someone from a mutual connection’s profile page. When you click Request an Intro, you’ll now be taken to a pre-populated messaging template that can be customized as needed.” This feature appears not to be working correctly. When I click on Request an Intro, I am taken to the most recent conversation in my inbox. Hopefully LinkedIn will correct this bug soon.

5. How you View Content Feeds

You can now choose to organize the content feeds that come into your box either by Top Updates or Recent Updates. Go to your Home Page and click on the 3 dots below “Publish a post” to choose your preferred way of viewing current content.

6. Limit on Number of Searches Per Month

Although LinkedIn hasn’t said HOW many searches each member can make per month, they have capped the number at something or another (I believe this happened in January but (slap on hand) I did not report it.

Thankfully, another change is that you can now see the first and last name of everyone who appears in your search results list, rather than being blocked from seeing full information on certain members. Here’s what LinkedIn has to say about their new Commercial Use Limit on Search. Theoretically this system will do better at sussing out people who are overusing LinkedIn for commercial purposes, and making them pay for enhanced services, rather than penalizing the average user.

Note I am not able to provide an image of the bar that says 30% of my searches are left, because I have not approached that limit. The waters are still safe for the average, or even the active, LinkedIn user!

OK savvy LinkedIn users, have fun with all these changes. As soon as you get used to this bunch, there will be more. And if you have questions about any of these changes or others you are noticing, let me know and I’ll do my best to address them in future blogs and e-books!

I do hope you’ll be able to tune in to my spot on WGN Radio this Wednesday at 7:30pm Central. I will also be speaking for the Yale Club of Chicago next Thursday, November 5 at 7:00pm Central, so if you live in Chicago please come see me LIVE! Here’s information on that event:

How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile – with Brenda Bernstein

Where: Dentons US LLP, Downtown Chicago, 233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 5900
When: Thursday, November 5th, 7-8:30PM
RSVP: Click Here

Whether you are an executive, a professional, a student or a business owner, LinkedIn plays a central role in your career path. Are you getting the value you want from your LinkedIn profile? Join us to learn the latest tips on LinkedIn in a workshop tailored specifically to you. Brenda Bernstein (’91), author of the bestselling book How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile, will teach you how to maximize your LinkedIn visibility and impact, while communicating your unique value to your audience. Register early and you might have the chance for Brenda to coach you on your LinkedIn profile during the session!