Today LinkedIn has 900 million users, with about 141 million of those users being daily users. No matter if you’re on LinkedIn to find a job, message new leads, or just trying to expand your network, you need a profile that’ll stand out among the crowd.
The first thing someone sees when they’re looking at your LinkedIn profile is your profile photo. Second is your headline. So, if you want to secure that new job, one of the best things you can do (besides tidying up your resume) is to improve your LinkedIn headline.
We can’t stress the importance of your LinkedIn headline. Sure, you could just make it your job title, but among a sea of other qualified professionals, job titles don’t stand out. So, here are 10 LinkedIn headline examples that will make your profile pop.
What Is Your LinkedIn Headline?
Your LinkedIn headline is the first thing someone sees when they land on your profile page. It also appears on the “people you may know” page, LinkedIn searches, recommendations, and invitations to connect. That means it’s pivotal for you to have an engaging title so anyone who browses you’re profile knows what you’re about.
Just like most search engines, LinkedIn uses keywords to determine what profiles appear in their search results. What this means is that having a strong headline can improve your search appearance – even if you don’t have many connections or followers.
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.
Why is a LinkedIn Headline Important?
In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “You’re only as good as your LinkedIn headline.” Okay, maybe that wasn’t a Ben Franklin quote, but we got your attention right? Now here are four reasons why a LinkedIn headline is so important:
- Your LinkedIn headline is one of the first things anyone visiting your profile sees. Before reading your experience, volunteer work, achievements, or recommendations, someone will see your LinkedIn headline. That goes for everyone from job recruiters, hiring managers, colleagues, new connections, and prospects.
- Your LinkedIn headline is shown in LinkedIn’s search results. That’s right, alongside your profile photo and name, your LinkedIn headline is the only other thing that’s shown in the search results. So, if you want people to click on your profile, you need a catchy headline.
- Your LinkedIn headline shows in Google. Yes, your headline also appears on Google. If someone looks you up online, your LinkedIn is going to be one of the first results. That means you want it to be professional.
- It’s a vital part of your profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn headline, you’re missing one of the most parts of your profile. Even if you haven’t filled out the experience or summary sections of your profile, you need to have a headline.
How Long Should Your LinkedIn Headline Be?
Your LinkedIn headline can be up to 220 characters.
Prior to 2020, LinkedIn only allowed headlines to be 120 characters. Since they added an additional 100 characters, headlines can now include more detail and personalization. That means you can share how you add your value proposition to highlight why someone should hire or work with you.
LinkedIn has quite a few other restrictions when it comes to actions you take on your account. It’s best to stay up-to-date so you know what you can and can’t do.
Should You Keep the Default LinkedIn Headline?
The short answer to this is no, you should not keep your default LinkedIn headline.
When you create a LinkedIn account, LinkedIn will automatically create a headline for you. This headline is your job title + your company name. For example, a default LinkedIn headline may be: Marketing Manager at Hubspot or Sales Development Representative at We-Connect. While the default version is arguably better than not having a headline at all, it’s not up to par with a headline you could create for yourself.
That’s because you can create a more detailed headline that uses search-related keywords.
Using the examples above, we could expand upon the LinkedIn headline to create something that’s a bit more fulfilling. Instead of “Marketing Manager at Hubspot,” we could say “Digital marketing & content expert building bridges at Hubspot.”
How To Write a LinkedIn Headline
We’ve covered the basics. You know that you need to explain your value proposition as well as include a few keywords if you want your profile to appear in the search results. Now let’s take a look at how this is done in practice!
1. Highlight Your Value Proposition
We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again. The most important thing you can do in your LinkedIn headline is showcase the value you bring to a company or client.
But you’re probably wondering what exactly a value proposition looks like in real life. Here’s a real-life example:
HR Director at Amazon. Keeping the workplace professional & safe for everyone
Of course, you should tailor your value proposition to your own experience and beliefs. This is a great place to mention the niche you specialize in.
2. Find the Proper Keywords
You’ve heard us mention keywords a few times already. That’s because they’re that important.
As you’ve heard us say before, the reason keywords are so important is that they boost your ranking in the search results. Say a hiring manager is looking for an accountant at their law firm. If you have the phrase CPA, financial planning, accounting, A/R consultant, or any other keywords that relate to their search, you’re a much better match.
You don’t want to use any keywords, though. Instead, think of two or three phrases commonly searched in your niche.
Here are a few good examples for some inspiration:
- Job titles
- Industries
- Tools you’re fluent with
- Location-based keywords
- Functions you’re exceptional at
3. Keep it Detailed & Specific
For the best results on LinkedIn, you want to target a narrow selection of your audience.
For example, rather than looking at any BDR jobs in the entire tech world, you could look for BDR roles at B2B startups with less than 50 employees. To target a more specific role (or audience), we recommend focusing on some of the following:
- Hard skills
- Certifications
- Achievements
- Personal values
- Value proposition
- Job title
- Location
4. Honesty is the Best Policy
Unless your ethical compass has been thrown out a metaphorical window, you should always be honest in your LinkedIn headline. Don’t say you’re proficient in a tool you’ve never used or with a skill you’re unfamiliar with.
This should be straightforward for everyone, but we’ll explain it anyway. You don’t want a job you’re not qualified for. That quickly leads to finding a new job again.
5. Make it Relevant
What do we mean by make it relevant?
We mean that if you’re niche is using industry-specific terminology (like most industries do), you want to include that in your LinkedIn headline. This helps position you as someone who can talk the talk (and hopefully walk the walk) of someone in your industry. Here’s an example:
If you’re working in the SEO world, there are a lot of acronyms. You could mention you’re experienced in PPC (pay per click), CVR (conversion rate), or GSC (Google Search Console).
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.
How To Find the Best Keywords For Your 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.
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
To change your LinkedIn headline, first navigate to your profile. From there, hit the edit button in the top right-hand corner of your screen. Once the edit window opens, you’ll see the different sections of your profile you can edit. Scroll down until you see “Headline” and type in your brand new LinkedIn headline.
You should include your job title and value proposition in your headline. For a more detailed headline that will increase your search presence on LinkedIn, think about including things like your location, industry, hard skills, achievements, and tools you’re fluent with.
The default LinkedIn headline-only uses your job title and company. When writing your own LinkedIn headline, you can include up to 220 characters to depict how you are valuable to a team, company, or client. Additionally, using niche-specific keywords can help your appearance in LinkedIn’s search results.
As a student, you should include your degree and university, hard skills, dream job, academic honors and awards, scholarships, thesis, and achievements that you are proud of.
5 Steps To Writing A Knockout LinkedIn Summary
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.
