We all know how important LinkedIn is for prospecting and recruiting. LinkedIn today has 900 million users, with 310 million monthly active users and about 141 million daily active users – meaning, to stand out from the crowd, you need to know how to have a catchy, engaging, and effective profile headline.
While there are many strategies that can help you develop your personal brand, network, and engagements, we always recommend starting simple – with the profile headline. In this article, we’ll walk you through the A-Z of writing a killer LinkedIn headline.
What & Where Is Your LinkedIn Headline?
Your LinkedIn headline is the first thing a viewer sees when they land on your profile page. That means it’s pivotal for you to have an engaging title that catches the eye of your future customers and prospects.
For a LinkedIn headline, you only get a total of 220 characters – meaning you need to use it very wisely. In short, instead of describing who you are and what you do, use your headline to describe how you can benefit the viewer.
Your LinkedIn headline can help you pick up more leads. If you’re seriously in the game of prospecting, check out how to safely automate lead-gen.
What Should Your LinkedIn Headline Say?
Your LinkedIn headline should include these things:
- Your value proposition (what you bring to a company or individual).
- Something that sets you apart (typically a niche skillset)
- Why some should connect with you (that connects to your value proposition.
In general, a LinkedIn headline is 46% more important than your job experience. That’s because, depending on your LinkedIn headline, your invites, prospects, and connections will decide if it’s worth viewing the rest of your profile.
Your LinkedIn headline is also one of the most noticeable aspects of your profile as well. In fact, it appears in the snippet when prospects or recruiters are looking through possible applicants. For the best results, we recommend using this simple formula to create an engaging LinkedIn headline:
How To Write an Effective LinkedIn Headline:
Here are the things we recommend keeping in mind to write an effective, engaging, and click-worthy LinkedIn headline:
- Keep it concise: Use up to 220 characters for your headline.
- Focus on benefits: Highlight how you can help the viewer, rather than just describing who you are and what you do.
- Use keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords related to your industry, skills, and expertise.
- Be specific: Clearly mention your role, specialization, or unique selling proposition.
- Use vertical bars or commas: Separate phrases or keywords using hyphens or commas for readability.
- Be creative: Stand out by being creative and unique, but avoid using special characters or all uppercase letters.
- Avoid contact information: Do not include email, phone numbers, or URLs in your headline.
- Check out competitors: Look at the headlines of leaders in your industry for inspiration, but avoid copying them. Be original.
- Review and revise: Write a draft, seek feedback from friends or colleagues, and proofread before publishing.
But, wait, there’s more. Since LinkedIn uses an algorithm just like any other type of social media or search platform, you should be aware of popular keywords that can be used to boost your search results (think of it like SEO for your LinkedIn).
You can use a lot of these same principles when sending mass messages to invites on LinkedIn – here’s how we recommend increasing your success rate.
The Best Keywords For Your LinkedIn Headline
Choosing the right keywords for your LinkedIn headline is crucial as it helps your profile get discovered by the right audience. Here are some ideas on how to find keywords to attract customers and clients:
- Industry-specific keywords: Include keywords that are relevant to your industry, such as “software engineer,” “marketing specialist,” “financial analyst,” etc. These keywords will help you appear in search results when people are looking for professionals in your field.
- Skill-based keywords: Highlight your key skills in your headline using relevant keywords. For example, if you are skilled in project management, data analysis, or content marketing, include those keywords in your headline.
- Job title keywords: If you hold a specific job title, include it in your headline. This makes it clear to others what your current role is, and it can also help you connect with others in the same field.
- Specializations or niche keywords: If you have specialized expertise or work in a particular niche, include relevant keywords in your headline. For example, if you are a “Certified Scrum Master,” “Digital Marketing Specialist for E-commerce,” or “HR Consultant for Startups,” use those keywords to highlight your unique selling proposition.
- Industry-related keywords: Include keywords related to your industry or field, such as “technology,” “healthcare,” “finance,” “education,” etc. These keywords can help you appear in searches specific to your industry.
- Location-based keywords: If you are targeting a specific geographic location or region, include relevant location-based keywords in your headline. This can be helpful if you are looking for opportunities in a specific location or if you want to connect with professionals in a particular region.
Remember to use keywords that are relevant to your skills, expertise, and target audience. Avoid keyword stuffing or using irrelevant keywords, as it may negatively impact your profile’s credibility. A well-optimized headline with appropriate keywords can help you increase your visibility, connect with the right professionals, and improve your chances of being found by potential employers or clients on LinkedIn.
You need the perfect summary to match your headline. Learn how to write a LinkedIn summary here.
How To Change Your LinkedIn Headline
Changing your LinkedIn headline is a straightforward and simple process. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: Locate Your LinkedIn Profile
If you’ve just opened your LinkedIn account, your profile will be completely blank. If you’re not new, you may just be updating your headline. Either way, the first step in the process is to navigate to your LinkedIn profile.
If you’re just setting up your LinkedIn profile for the first time. Make sure you have a clear and professional profile picture – as that’s one of the things future contacts will take into account.
Step 2: Find the Edit Icon
Next, you’ll need to go to the edit icon. You can find it in the top right of your screen – it looks like a pencil.
Step 3: Edit Your Headline
In the edit section, you can edit your name, education, pronouns, industry, and headline. Scroll down until you find “headline,” and type your new eye-catching headline.
10 Examples of Our Favorite LinkedIn Headlines:
Now we’ll cover 10 of our favorite LinkedIn headlines that can inspire you.
1. The Bracket Headline
The bracket headline is a fantastic way to share notable achievements, specialties, or niches with your audience. It breaks down the copy to keep the information concise and easy to read. This headline also depicts what the users specialty is which is fantastic for prospects.
2. The Company Mission Headline
This profile follows a different train of thought – detailing the role of the individual and the mission of the company. This headline choice is perfect for those in leadership positions or C-suite roles at a company – especially for anyone who hires often and whose profile is viewed by potential candidates.
3. The Influencer Headline
This headline is straight to the point. It shares what the person is doing and why you should follow. However, this influencer profile goes one step further to provide the viewer with something in return for following them (and subscribing to their newsletter). Additionally, this headline shares social proof that 16k other people are subscribed to their newsletter – which is important when asking something from a viewer.
4. The “I Help” Headline
This headline uses what we call the “I help” method. That means the individual explains how they help their clients in their headline. This is a perfect example because it explains what type of audience they help, and how they can help – it’s both specific, and simple.
5. The Personal Branding Headline
To some extent, all LinkedIn headlines are personal branding. However, unless you’re a freelancer or own your own business, you’re most likely working for a company. For those who own their own business (or freelance), it’s important to explain exactly what you do and how your brand can benefit future clients. Additionally, we like the use of capital letters and emojis at the end of the headline.
6. The Two-Fold Headline
This profile uses a two-fold approach – explaining how the individual helps those that connect/follow him and how he benefits companies. This approach is perfect if you’re an up-and-coming influencer, or trying to start your own personal business.
7. The Location Dependent Headline
If you work in a position that depends on a location (real estate is a great example here), then you should include that in your headline. This profile uses that exact approach to explain what they do, where they do it, and a few other keywords that relate to their job experience.
8. The Founder/Co-Founder Profile
This headline manages to achieve its goal in only two lines. The first is dedicated to the role, the second is dedicated to the mission of the company. That makes prospecting a lot easier as a company – since invites are able to understand what your company does without leaving the website. Ultimately, this works to improve your response rate.
9. The Catchy LinkedIn Headline
This headline breaks the rules. While it still manages to share the job title of the individual, it uses a catchphrase rather than a value proposition. We don’t recommend this for everyone – however, it works great for anyone looking to gain a following on LinkedIn.
10. The Former Company Headline
If you’ve worked for some notable companies in the past (and are interested in joining similar organizations), then including those former companies is a good idea. Again, it gives your profile the social proof that you’re competitive enough, skilled enough, and experienced enough for a role at a high-end company.
Writing a LinkedIn Headline Is Pivitol
In conclusion, creating an engaging LinkedIn headline is a crucial aspect of building a strong personal brand on the platform. A well-crafted headline not only captures the attention of potential employers and professional contacts but also communicates your unique value proposition and expertise in your field.
By using keywords that highlight your skills and accomplishments, as well as a clear and concise message, you can increase your visibility and credibility on LinkedIn. Remember, your headline is often the first thing people will see when they come across your profile, so make sure it accurately represents who you are and what you have to offer. With a strong headline, you can stand out in a competitive job market and attract the right opportunities to advance your career.
Of course, a headline is only half of it, however. If you truly want to increase your reach, we recommend using a LinkedIn Automation Tool, like We-Connect. You can test the product for 14 days completely free right here.
