How to Create a LinkedIn Badge for Your Website

LinkedIn is an affordable, effective resource for home business owners to make strategic business connections, find new clients and customers, and locate support and resources. But like all other Internet assets, it only works if people are able to find and connect with you.

While there are many ways you can harness the power of LinkedIn within the network, you can and should also promote your profile outside of LinkedIn. You can easily include a text link from your website to LinkedIn, but a graphic badge will more likely be seen and clicked. 

What is a LinkedIn Badge?

A Linkedin Badge is a graphic representation of your LinkedIn profile. You can create it from your LinkedIn account and then paste a special code into your website or blog so that your visitors can see it, and click on it to visit your LinkedIn profile.

Before Creating a LinkedIn Badge

Before you start telling people about your LinkedIn profile, you want to make sure it's ready to do its job in showing off your expertise. If don't yet have a profile, you want to create a LinkedIn login and get started.

Once you have a LinkedIn account, complete all sections of the basic profile and any additional features you want to add to put you and your business in the best light. LinkedIn is like an online resume and a great place to not only tout your past accomplishments and present work, but to showcase your work such as books you've written, projects you've managed, and more.

You should also decide how much of your profile you want visible to non-LinkedIn members. LinkedIn allows you to control what outsiders can see on your public profile. Consider creating a custom LinkedIn URL to personalize your link.

Once your profile is complete and ready for viewing by potential connections, it's time to create a LinkedIn badge for your other online properties.

How to Create a LinkedIn Badge

The LinkedIn badge can be used on your website, blog, and in emails to let others know about and connect with you on LinkedIn. To put your badge on your website, you'll need to know how to copy and paste a line of code into your online text editor. Or, if you have a webmaster, you can send him the code and he can add it for you.

Here's how to create a LinkedIn badge:

1. Log into your LinkedIn account, and go to your Profile page.
2. On your Profile page, click on Edit Public Profile & URL on the right side of your profile.
3. Scroll down and look on the right side of the page for the Public Profile Badge box and click on Create a Badge.
4. Follow the steps on the page that includes copying a script code and pasting anywhere on the page you want to add the badge to. Next, select the graphic option you want your badge to be. You have several options of widths and styles to choose from. Copy the code under the badge option.
5. Go to your website, blog or another page where you want to display your LinkedIn badge and paste the code you have just copied. Make sure you're in the text editor or the code—instead of the badge itself—will appear on your web page or blog. Put your cursor in the spot where you want the badge to appear. Right-click and select Paste. Click on Save and check that your badge is appearing correctly.

How to Use the LinkedIn Badge

The LinkedIn badge can be used anywhere you can use a graphic link. You can paste it in the sidebar of your blog or have it appear at the end of all your blog posts. You can use it on your website. Another option is to add it to the signature line of your email if you use HTML email.

Once your LinkedIn profile is done and you've added links to it using your URL and badges, you can then use LinkedIn to market your home business.