As a small business owner or entrepreneur, your LinkedIn presence is a crucial part of establishing your professional brand. An impressive 87% of professionals are active LinkedIn users according to LinkedIn‘s 2022 data. With over 875 million members, it‘s the world‘s largest professional networking platform.
Keeping your account information accurate ensures you get the most out of LinkedIn for networking, job opportunities, and connecting with clients or investors. Your primary email is the main email LinkedIn associates with your account for sending notifications and enabling profile access.
If your email changes for any reason––like taking on a new company domain or switching personal accounts––you risk missing important LinkedIn messages if you don‘t update your primary email. Fortunately, LinkedIn makes it easy to change. Here‘s a detailed walkthrough on updating your account‘s primary email address.
Why Change Primary Email on LinkedIn?
Beyond avoiding missed messages, here are two key reasons to update your primary email on LinkedIn:
1. Maintain branding and connections
Your LinkedIn profile serves as a professional online resume and personal brand. Out-of-date information like an old email can appear outdated or irrelevant to visitors.
2. Enhance job search opportunities
LinkedIn is used by over 70% of companies during hiring searches according to Undercover Recruiter. As an entrepreneur or job seeker, the right email keeps your profile visible.
Step-by-Step Guide to Updating Email
Changing your primary email only takes a few minutes by following these seven simple steps:
1. Access account settings
Click your profile icon > Settings & Privacy.
Click the Account tab > Email addresses.
3. Add new email
Click Add email address and enter the new email + password > Send verification.
4. Confirm verification
Check inbox for LinkedIn‘s verification email and click the link inside.
5. Set new email as primary
Next to the verified email, click Make Primary.
6. Remove old emails (optional)
Click Remove to delete former email addresses.
7. Check settings
Confirm new email displays as primary account email.
[insert screenshot of LinkedIn account settings]And you‘re all set! Those seven steps are all it takes to successfully change your primary email and ensure your LinkedIn account stays current.
LinkedIn Platform Comparison
While the above instructions work for LinkedIn‘s free version, users upgrading to premium accounts unlock additional email features:
| Features | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Custom email address | ❌ | ✅ |
| Email search filters | ❌ | ✅ |
| Larger inboxes | 500 max | 10,000+ max |
Premium accounts allow more customization for $29.99/month. However, the primary email update process remains the same across all versions.
Best Practices For Changing Emails
When altering account information, it‘s also vital to keep privacy and security in mind:
- Enable two-factor authentication for an extra login safety net.
- Review account access history for suspicious logins from unknown locations.
- Use a strong and unique password—consider a password manager app to track multiple complex passwords.
Stay Connected and Discovered
An accurate, professional primary email helps position your personal brand and entrepreneurial business ventures for success on the world‘s largest professional networking platform.
It only takes minutes to change while optimizing your discoverability, opportunities, and connections. Follow the steps in this guide to take control of your LinkedIn presence and unlock all the platform has to offer.
