Like it or not, LinkedIn has become the go-to source for information about people who are employed or self-employed.

If you’re looking for a job, your profile is your online resume.

If you’re looking for clients, prospects will check your profile before returning your call.

If you’re an author hoping to be interviewed by the press, reporters will use LinkedIn to make sure you’re the right source.

9 reasons why you should update that profile

William Arruda, co-author of Ditch, Dare, Do: 3-D Personal Branding for Executives, explains why you need to update that profile now in a must-read article on Forbes.com, “9 Reasons Why You Must Update Your LinkedIn Profile Today.”

The article’s key point is that LinkedIn has become a personal branding tool for authors and others. If you’re an author looking to build buzz about your book, you should update your profile even if your book’s target audience isn’t using LinkedIn because the journalists who might interview you will use it to vet you as a resource.

Don’t overlook these 3 profile elements

When updating your profile, take these tips into account:

• Pay special attention to the headline you use in your profile. (The “headline” appears under your name in your profile; most people put their job title in that space.) Make sure it includes the keywords that journalists and others will use to find you in a search engine or LinkedIn search.
• Use a professional headshot, not a photo of you and your spouse with your spouse cropped out (or worse, with your spouse included). This is a professional networking site, not Facebook.
• Work to blend your author persona into your work persona in the “Summary” section. Since many authors are employed full-time, their profiles emphasize their jobs. Find a way to work in that you’re also an author and describe what you write about. This is especially important if your books are related to your profession.

In addition to working on your behalf as a personal branding tool, LinkedIn has book marketing value for many authors. For example, you can join the LinkedIn book marketing groups to learn more about that topic. If your book’s target audience is on LinkedIn, the network can help you become known and recognized by them.

For more information on how authors are using LinkedIn for book marketing, read “How are authors using LinkedIn to promote their books?” and listen to the audio program with LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth, “How to Use LinkedIn to Sell More Books.” (And before you go too far, read “Don’t make these four common author mistakes on LinkedIn.”)

LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for authors. It all starts with a great profile.

What’s your best tip for a great LinkedIn author profile?