In today’s job market, having a strong LinkedIn presence is essential. But, with soon-to-be 1 billion people on the platform, it can be challenging to stand out among the crowd.
Your LinkedIn summary is the first thing someone will see when they visit your profile. It’s really the best place to make a great first impression and showcase your skills. With a well-crafted LinkedIn summary, you can boost your profile visibility to attract the right prospects.
In this article, we’ll cover the A-Z of building an engaging LinkedIn summary that’s bound to draw prospects in.
Why Does a LinkedIn Summary Matter?
As we mentioned, your LinkedIn summary is the first thing potential clients and prospects see. It’s a brief introduction that tells visitors who you are, what you do, and what you’re looking for. It’s also an opportunity to showcase your personality, values, and unique strengths.
A well-written LinkedIn summary can help you:
- Attract potential employers or clients: Your LinkedIn summary is your digital pitch – so make it unique to you! A strong summary can pique the interest of prospects and encourage them to connect with you.
- Boost your visibility: LinkedIn’s search algorithm favors profiles with completed summaries. By crafting a compelling summary, you increase your chances of appearing in relevant search results.
- Sets you apart: Your LinkedIn summary is an opportunity to showcase your unique value proposition. While there are plenty of LinkedIn summaries out there, there are none for your exact experience and personality.
How to Stand Out in a Crowded Marketplace
If you’re looking for a job, or finding clients, you’re in for some challenge. Seriously, we’re living in a crowded time for sales prospecting and job hunting. Thankfully, if you craft a unique, engaging, and conversion-friendly summary, you’re on your way to setting yourself up for success.
Here are some elements that make a strong LinkedIn summary:
1. Check Your Headline
Your LinkedIn headline is the first thing people see when they visit your profile. It’s a short, attention-grabbing statement that summarizes your professional identity. A great headline can make people want to learn more about you and your work.
If you want to learn more about how to craft a stunning LinkedIn headline, we’ve got just the article for you!
2. Hook Your Readers
Your LinkedIn summary should start with a strong opener that hooks your readers and makes them want to read on. A compelling opener can help you establish a connection with your audience and set the tone for the rest of your summary.
To write a captivating opener, try to:
- Address your target audience: Who are you writing for? What are their pain points or challenges? Addressing your target audience directly can help you establish a connection and make your summary more relatable.
- Start with a question or a provocative statement: Starting with a question or a provocative statement can pique your audience’s interest and make them want to learn more.
- Share a personal story: Sharing a personal story can be a great way to add a human touch to your summary and make it more memorable. You could share a brief anecdote about a challenge you faced in your career or a moment that inspired you to pursue your current profession.
- Highlight a unique value proposition: What sets you apart from others in your field? Highlighting a unique value proposition can help you stand out and make a strong case for why you’re the right fit for a particular job or opportunity.
Overall, a captivating opener is essential to grabbing your audience’s attention and keeping them engaged throughout your LinkedIn summary. By addressing your target audience, starting with a question or provocative statement, sharing a personal story, or highlighting your unique value proposition, you can create a summary that truly stands out.
3. Showcase Your Skills and Accomplishments
Your LinkedIn summary should highlight your skills, experience, and accomplishments. Seriously, if there’s anytime to brag, it’s now. Demonstrate why you’re the right fit for the job and what you can bring to the table.
To showcase your skills and accomplishments, try to:
- Use numbers and stats: Saying “increased web traffic from 5,000 a month to 10,000 a month” sounds better than just saying “increased website traffic.”
- Highlight the most relevant experience: Focus on the experience and skills that are most relevant to your goals (ex., If you’re looking for a sales job, highlight your sales experience).
- Use bullet points: Use bullet points to break up your summary and make it easier to read.
4. Share Your Personality
A lot of LinkedIn summaries are similar. To truly stand out, we recommend adding some personality. That means tell a joke, a personal story, or what you enjoy doing on your weekends.
To share your personality, try to:
- Use an authentic voice: Write in a tone that feels authentic and true to who you are. This will help you come across as more approachable and relatable.
- Share your values and passions: What are you passionate about? What are your core values? Sharing these elements can help you connect with people who share similar interests and values.
We recommend sharing your personality when sending a LinkedIn Connection Request as well. For more details, you may want to read our blog!
4 LinkedIn Summary Tips To Maximize Your Results:
Here are four of our best tips that you can use to get the best prospects viewing your LinkedIn page.
1. Speak to Your Industry Expertise
Your LinkedIn summary should speak to your industry expertise and demonstrate your thought leadership. This will help you position yourself as an authority in your field and attract the right people.
Here are a few ways you can speak to your industry expertise in your LinkedIn summary:
- Share your insights: Share your unique perspectives on industry trends and best practices.
- Show your experience: Highlight your experience and how it’s prepared you to excel in your field.
- Share your successes: Share your accomplishments and how they’ve contributed to your success in your industry.
2. Use Relevant Keywords
Using relevant keywords in your LinkedIn summary can help you appear in relevant search results and attract the right people. Some types of keywords include:
- Use industry-specific terminology: Use terms that are commonly used in your industry. This will help you appear in search results for those terms.
- Use job-specific keywords: Use keywords that are relevant to the job you’re looking for. This will help you appear in search results for those jobs.
- Use location-specific keywords: If you’re looking for a job in a specific location, use keywords that are relevant to that location.
3. Show, Don’t Tell
Rather than telling people that you’re a great candidate for the job, show them. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your skills and experience.
Showing rather than telling can be one of the more confusing parts of writing a successful LinkedIn summary. Here are a few ways you can show:
- Describe specific examples: Use specific examples to demonstrate your achievements and how you’ve added value to your previous roles.
- Quantify your achievements: Use numbers and statistics to quantify your accomplishments. This will make them more tangible and impressive.
- Use testimonials: If you have testimonials from previous clients or employers, include them in your summary. This will help you build credibility and trust with your target audience.
4. Include a Call-to-Action
Including a call-to-action in your LinkedIn summary can help you convert visitors into leads or clients.
Here are some tips for writing a CTA on your LinkedIn summary:
- Be clear and specific: Tell your audience exactly what you want them to do, whether it’s to contact you for more information, visit your website, or connect with you on LinkedIn.
- Provide value: Offer something of value in exchange for their action, such as a free consultation or a useful resource.
- Make it easy: Provide clear instructions on how to take action, and make it as easy as possible for your audience to follow through.
If you’re not familiar with writing a CTA, we’ve got a whole article dedicated to just that.
5. Highlight Your Professional Interests
Highlighting your professional interests can help you attract the right people and opportunities. This will also help you position yourself as an expert in your field (which makes people want to follow you)! Here’s how you can establish yourself as an expert in your field:
- Share your industry passions: What are you passionate about in your industry? Share those passions with your audience to help them understand what motivates and drives you.
- Talk about your goals: What are your professional goals? Share those goals with your audience to help them understand what you’re working towards.
- Discuss your future plans: What are your plans for the future? Share those plans with your audience to help them see where you’re headed and what you’re working towards.
6. Be Authentic and Original
Your LinkedIn summary should be authentic and original, reflecting who you are as a person and a professional. This will help you stand out from the crowd and attract the right people and opportunities.
Luckily, it’s not that difficult to be authentic. Just write in your own voice, in a tone that feels true to who you are. For example, if you consider yourself a funny person, add something humorous to your LinkedIn summary!
Another great way to be authentic and original is to tell stories. These can be professional experiences from your career, or something more personal – either way, connecting life experience to your niche is a great way to get your followers to engage with you.
7. Tailor Your Summary to Your Audience
Your LinkedIn summary should be tailored to your target audience. Some examples of target audiences are recruiters, product managers, and high-level engineering leaders. No matter what your target audience is, speaking directly to them is essential. Here’s what we recommend doing:
- Use language they understand: Use language and terminology that’s familiar to your target audience. Let’s face it, anyone without a degree in language isn’t going to understand what you mean by “resplendent accismus.”
- Address their pain points: Identify the pain points of your target audience and explain how you can help them in your summary.
- Focus on their needs: Focus on the needs of your target audience, rather than your own needs. This will help you position yourself as a valuable resource and partner.
8. Use a Conversational Tone
Gone are the days of extreme professionalism. While that doesn’t mean you should be wearing your 10-year-old Pink Floyd concert t-shirt to a job interview, it means you can get away with using less formal language.
Your LinkedIn summary should be written in a conversational tone, making it easy and enjoyable to read. This will help you engage your audience and make your summary more memorable. Here’s how you can turn something formal into something conversational:
- Write as if you were talking: Write in a tone that feels natural and conversational, as if you were speaking to someone in person.
- Use contractions: Using contractions can help you sound more conversational and approachable (ex., can’t, won’t, shouldn’t).
- Be concise: Keep your sentences short and to the point, and avoid using jargon or technical language that may be unfamiliar to your audience.
LinkedIn Summary Examples for Professionals and Job Seekers:
Now here are some examples to get you started. While I’ve written a few examples that I recommend, I’ve also included some LinkedIn summaries from popular professionals below.
LinkedIn Summary for a Seasoned Professional
“I am a creative and strategic marketing leader with 15 years of professional experience and 12 years of experience in leadership roles within the technology/SaaS space.
Well-versed in all functions of marketing, the areas that I am most passionate about include:
– Marketing Communication
– Creative and Branding
– Demand/Lead Generation
– Sales Enablement
– Field Marketing
– Social Media
– Events
Throughout my career, I have focused on developing well-rounded marketing and leadership skills by taking on diverse experiences, industries, and roles. I have worked for myself, small startups that didn’t make it, stable government organizations, and Canada’s fastest-growing technology company. Each experience has allowed me to grow personally and professionally, building a unique skill set that enables me to thrive in fast-paced environments, effectively manage change, and provide insights-based mentorship to support my teams.
If you’re interested in learning more about my experience and would like some advice for your own career, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
Why It Works: This LinkedIn summary works well in a few ways. First, it includes all the necessary information a summary should have: an engaging first line, a summary of one’s career, specific interests, and a CTA. Additionally, the language in this summary is casual, while remaining professional.
LinkedIn Summary for a Career Changer
“After years of working in finance, I’ve decided to make a career change and pursue my passion for design. While my background may be in finance, my creativity and eye for detail have always set me apart.
As a self-taught graphic designer, I’ve honed my skills through online courses and freelance projects, and I’m excited to take my career to the next level. Whether I’m designing logos, websites, or marketing materials, I’m always focused on delivering designs that are both beautiful and effective.
If you’re looking for a talented and passionate graphic designer, I’d love to hear from you.”
Why This Works: This LinkedIn summary works because it addresses the career change head-on and explains the professional’s background and qualifications in a clear and concise way. The summary also showcases their creativity and passion for design, which can help them stand out from other candidates.
LinkedIn Summary for a Job Seeker
“As a recent graduate with a degree in computer science, I’m excited to start my career in the tech industry.
With a strong foundation in programming languages like Java and Python, as well as experience with web development and data analysis, I’m confident in my ability to make an immediate impact in any organization. I’m a fast learner who thrives in a collaborative environment, and I’m eager to take on new challenges and opportunities.
If you’re looking for a hardworking and talented computer science graduate to join your team, I’d love to hear from you.“
Why This Works: This LinkedIn summary works because it highlights the professional’s qualifications and eagerness to start their career, while also emphasizing their strong work ethic and ability to work well with others. The summary also includes a clear call to action, inviting potential employers to reach out and connect.
LinkedIn Summary Vs. Resume Summary
While a LinkedIn summary and a resume summary may seem similar, there are some key differences between the two. A LinkedIn summary is typically longer and more conversational, while a resume summary is shorter and more focused on the professional’s skills and accomplishments.
A LinkedIn summary is also more public-facing and can be seen by anyone who visits your profile, including recruiters, potential clients, and other professionals in your industry. A resume summary, on the other hand, is typically only seen by potential employers or hiring managers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, writing a killer LinkedIn summary can help you stand out from the crowd and boost your visibility and personal branding. By crafting a captivating opener, showcasing your skills, sharing your personality, and including a call-to-action, you can maximize your results and make a strong case for why someone should work with you.
If you’re looking to up your LinkedIn game (whether that’s sales prospecting, growing an audience, or just meeting other people in your industry), here at We-Connect, we’ve got you covered.
