12 Ways to Make More Money Through LinkedIn It's not enough to just complete your profile. To really stand out, you must understand how LinkedIn works -- and whom it rewards. Ted Prodromou, author of the book Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Business, explains how.

With approximately 610 million members and growing, LinkedIn is the world's largest business-oriented search engine. But most LinkedIn members see it as nothing more than a place to post their online résumé. According to the company, only 40 percent of members log in more than once a month. The other 60 percent, apparently, hope that others will simply find their résumés among the digital pile.

But the truth is, that's not how LinkedIn works. To really gain value on the platform, you need to provide value to it in exchange. For example, having a complete profile -- we're talking info on your background, education, and areas of expertise -- can help you achieve what LinkedIn calls All-Star status. That's much more than a moniker: the more complete your profile, the higher you rank in searches on the platform. In fact, LinkedIn says that members who list five or more skills receive as many as 17 times more profile views. And don't forget that LinkedIn profiles rank high in Google searches, too. Here are 12 simple things you can do to boost your visibility -- from engaging with the LinkedIn community to optimizing every feature.

1. Brand your profile header.