3 New LinkedIn Features You Need to Know About

LinkedIn has been busy lately, issuing a number of updates and new features to its platform. Last month, the social network announced the “Professional Portfolio,” which lets you upload video and images to enhance your profile. It also added the capability to mention colleagues in status updates like you can on Facebook and Twitter.

In the last few weeks, LinkedIn has release more new features: two-step verification, the capability to add rich media to your status updates and a redesign of the feature “Who’s Viewed Your Profile.”

Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of the new features.

How to Enable Two-Step Verification

“Most Internet accounts that become compromised are illegitimately accessed from a new or unknown computer or device,” says Vincente Silveira, director at LinkedIn. “Two-step verification helps address this problem by requiring you to type a numeric code when logging in from an unrecognized device for the first time.”

To enable LinkedIn’s two-step verification for your account, navigate to your “Privacy & Settings” page by clicking your profile picture in the upper right corner. Select the Account tab and click “Manage security settings.”

On the following page, click “Turn On.” LinkedIn will ask you to set a phone number in order to get verification codes via SMS. Your phone number will not appear on your LinkedIn profile.

Once you receive your verification code via text message, enter it on the next page. You’ll receive an alert on LinkedIn and an email confirming that two-step verification has been successfully enabled.

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How to Add Rich Media to Your LinkedIn Status Updates

LinkedIn’s “Professional Portfolio” allowed you to update photos and video only to your profile. Now you can add these to status updates, too. This feature is still rolling out to members.

To get started, click the paperclip on the right side of your share box on the LinkedIn homepage and attach a file. If you want to attach a video or other content that is hosted on another site, paste in the URL into the share box and add it to your update.

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LinkedIn Updates ‘Who’s Viewed Your Profile’

“‘Who’s Viewed Your Profile’ is more than just a look at who is viewing you,” says Udi Milo, product manager at LinkedIn. “[It] can also give you insights on how often your profile has been viewed and what connections or groups you have in common with them.”

This newly redesigned page is cleaner and easier to read. Premium LinkedIn members can access insights from the past three months; other LinkedIn members will have access to one month of insights.

One new feature: You can now filter search results by weeks, which LinkedIn says makes it easier to identify trends and changes to help you align your professional brand with your professional goals.

Kristin Burnham covers consumer technology, social networking and social business for CIO.com. Follow Kristin on Twitter @kmburnham. Follow everything from CIO.com on Twitter @CIOonline and on Facebook. Email Kristin at kburnham@cio.com