LinkedIn has evolved into one of the most powerful tools for design professionals looking to build visibility, credibility, and meaningful connections. Yet many architects, engineers, and operations leaders aren't leveraging the platform to its fullest potential. During our final EDConnect25 session, marketing strategist Josh King—founder of Tinderbox Marketing and instructor at Whitworth University—shared practical, actionable guidance tailored specifically to professionals in the A/E/C industry.

Why LinkedIn Matters More Than Ever

LinkedIn is no longer just an online résumé—it's your digital storefront. It's often the first place clients, colleagues, future employers, and industry partners go to learn who you are and what you do. A strong LinkedIn presence helps design professionals:

• Communicate their expertise
• Showcase meaningful work
• Strengthen firm visibility
• Build lasting industry relationships

In today's competitive landscape, a well-managed profile isn't optional—it's a core part of building both personal and firm-wide reputation.

About Josh King

With a career spanning digital media, brand strategy, and corporate marketing, Josh King brings deep insight into how creative and technical professionals can communicate with clarity and impact. His session focused on simple, sustainable steps anyone can take to strengthen their LinkedIn presence—no marketing or social media background required.

1. Build a Strong Personal Profile

Your profile is the foundation of your professional brand. Josh emphasized several essentials that design professionals should update immediately:

• Professional Photography: A clean, high-quality headshot provides an immediate boost in credibility. Skip the selfies and casual crops.
• Meaningful Headlines: Move beyond job titles. Use your headline to communicate your role, specialty, or what differentiates your work.
• Updated Contact Information: Make it easy for people to reach you—especially clients, partners, and recruiters.
• A Clear, Third-Person Bio: Your About section should function as both an introduction and a professional summary. Write it in the third person to make it easy for others to share, reference, or repurpose when needed.

A polished profile builds trust and sets the tone for your interactions across the platform.

2. Post Content With Intention

You don't have to post every day, but consistency matters. Josh recommends posting two to three times each week, focusing on content that:

• Highlights recent projects or milestones
• Offers behind-the-scenes insights into your process
• Shares lessons learned or best practices
• Responds to industry trends
• Elevates colleagues or celebrates team achievements

For those unsure where to start, even short audio notes, project reflections, or meeting takeaways can be transformed into posts using generative AI tools. The goal is progress, not perfection.

3. Strengthen Your Firm's Presence

A firm's LinkedIn presence is often one of the first touch points for prospective clients and talent. Josh encouraged firms to:

• Assign ownership of the company page to designated staff
• Maintain branding consistency, especially across visuals and messaging
• Encourage employees to engage, share content, and amplify company updates
• Repurpose long-form content into shorter posts to extend reach

A cohesive firm presence reinforces brand identity and showcases the human side of your work.

Quick Tips You Can Put Into Action Today

• Start your morning with a 5–10 minute LinkedIn check-in. Engage with posts, comment thoughtfully, or share a quick insight.
• Ask a colleague or leader to record a 30-second voice note about a recent project—turn it into a post.
• Review your headline and About section. Updating these two areas can dramatically improve your profile in minutes.
• Consider a weekly "LinkedIn Power Hour" where your team posts, shares, or updates profiles together.

Small, consistent actions create momentum and make the platform feel manageable rather than overwhelming.

4. Track What's Working

LinkedIn offers valuable metrics—profile views, post performance, follower growth, and engagement trends. Reviewing these regularly helps you understand what resonates with your audience and refine your content strategy accordingly.

Your Next Step: Refresh Your Presence

Josh's message was clear: your LinkedIn presence deserves intentional care. A few small updates can dramatically improve your visibility and impact in the A/E/C community. Whether you're a marketer, business operations professional, emerging designer, or firm leader, your profile is one of the easiest and most effective ways to strengthen your professional voice.

Want to Learn Directly From Josh? Share the Full Session With Your Team

This article only scratches the surface of the insights Josh delivered at EDConnect25. If you want to explore his full strategies—including live examples, profile walk-throughs, and deeper implementation tips—you can purchase the complete session recording here. SDA Member Price: $59 (be sure to log-in for member pricing).

Many firms use SDA recordings for:

• Team lunch-and-learns
• Marketing and business development training
• New hire onboarding
• Professional development credit
• Skill-building for emerging leaders

It's an excellent resource for individuals and teams looking to elevate their LinkedIn presence and strengthen their professional brand.