One of the most noticeable aspects of your LinkedIn profile is your headline. It not only covers the top of your profile page, but it also appears in newsfeed items, the “People You May Know” area, and job applications on LinkedIn.
Your LinkedIn headline is key in developing a great impression and describing exactly what you bring to the table, whether it’s being viewed by your business contacts or a recruiter.
I realize it’s tricky to condense your skills, objectives, and experiences into a few words for an effective headline.
It’s no surprise, then, that the majority of users choose the platform’s default option of their current work title. The thing is that a well-crafted LinkedIn headline can help you stand out in a “sea of same” and attract the attention of prospects and recruiters a lot better than the simple default headline.
I’ll go through what makes a great LinkedIn headline and some very good LinkedIn headline examples in this article, so stay tuned!
What is a LinkedIn headline?
The most visible part of your LinkedIn profile is your headline. It shows wherever your name appears, giving recruiters and potential customers a fast snapshot of who you are and why they should look at your profile.
LinkedIn automatically adjusts your headline to your current job title and employer.
Most individuals leave their headline as is, either because they are unaware that it can be modified or because they are unsure why they should or how to do it.
Why is your LinkedIn headline so important?
Your LinkedIn headline is a great marketing place: it displays everywhere your name and photo do, whether in search results, comments on articles, or LinkedIn messages.
The first thing a potential recruiter or prospect will see while viewing your profile is your headline.
The headline serves as both a first impression and a marketing tool, informing people why they should connect with and follow you.
It informs visitors of your primary skill/job as well as your capabilities. Furthermore, it displays you as a reliable member of your field.
Your headline persuades people to visit your profile in order to learn more about you – in a sense, it’s a ‘Call to Action,’ which, when executed properly, can yield solid results.
All this directly translates to increased employment, internship, and client opportunities.
What are keywords and why do they matter?
One of the most crucial reasons to have a great LinkedIn headline is to get people to go into your profile. There is another reason: a strong LinkedIn headline can help you rank higher in search results.
If you’ve ever done a LinkedIn job search (for example, ‘Java Developer’) you’ll see that LinkedIn instantly looks through their database of millions of individuals and finds you cca 500 thousand Java Developers.
Have you ever wondered how LinkedIn manages to rank over 500K profiles in a matter of seconds?
LinkedIn basically examines these profiles for search terms, or ‘keywords,’ (such as ‘Java Developer’). It will not show your profile to the recruiter if your headline does not contain the same keywords as the recruiter’s search query.
One of the most essential factors that LinkedIn considers when ranking profiles is the headline. This implies LinkedIn considers your headline when deciding whether or not to include you in search results.
How to use keywords to optimize your headline
Our advice is to incorporate keywords in your headline that you think recruiters and prospects will be looking for. As a result, you’ll be more likely to show up in search results when someone types in those keywords.
The key is to be specific.
If you’re a job seeker, include keywords, acronyms, and certifications that are relevant to the position you’re seeking for, as well as terms that your buyers and prospects are likely to search for.
You have up to 120 characters in your title on LinkedIn; make the most of it! Top LinkedIn headlines are typically 7 to 14 words lengthy and take use of the character limit.
How to write a professional headline
What should you write on your LinkedIn headline?
Here are a few tips:
1. Keep your LinkedIn headline simple and to the point
Keep in mind that you’re attempting to persuade folks to click on your profile. So why not come up with a headline that people can relate to?
‘Combining creativity with digital marketing to turn chances into sales,’ for example, could be your LinkedIn headline if you’re a creative digital marketer.
It explains what you’re good at and how you approach your work.
👍 Pro tip: In a LinkedIn headline, speak straight to your visitors. Don’t write anything that will be difficult to understand. It will simply make them avoid interacting with you.
2. Keep it clear and specific
You have only 120 characters to describe yourself on LinkedIn. While you are free to employ any of them, it is critical to be clear and detailed about your job.
In a few lines, a LinkedIn title like ‘Translator with Marketing and Localization knowledge for the Japanese Market’ explains what you’re good at.
A recruiter seeking suitable candidates will want to scroll down further on this LinkedIn profile to see what else the individual has to offer.
After all, no one has time to decipher puzzles in a LinkedIn headline, so make it simple yet interesting.
👍 Pro tip: Use keywords that visitors are looking for. In the example LinkedIn headline above, notice how they employed the keywords ‘Translator’ and ‘Japanese.’
3. Offer unique value
When individuals come across your profile, there has to be something special that you can give them, which might be your expertise.
‘Managing Director at [company name] Corp.,’ for example, is a common phrase many people would use. That, on the other hand, does not impart anything meaningful to the viewer.
Here’s what you could say instead:
- Closed over $500K in new business for [company name] businesses,’
- ‘Delivered 100+ lectures in [your area of expertise],’
- ‘Reduced customer churn rate by 20% for B2C companies’
Each of the headlines above describes what makes you stand apart.
👍 Pro Tip: Make sure your title is a call-to-action. Your profile is more likely to attract visitors if you include action-oriented terms like created, sold, managed, designed, and assisted.
4. Be just the right amount of boastful
It may sound outrageous, but there is no harm in bravado because it is the most effective means of attracting attention. Show off any prizes you’ve received or patents you’ve filed.
In a Linked title, bragging about your honors and achievements is one technique to inform people about your accomplishments and persuade them to visit your profile [check out the example below].
LinkedIn headline ideas
What is a LinkedIn headline example? Below are a few viable options, depending on the person’s expertise.
An example of a LinkedIn headline for a seasoned employee:
| CPM-certified Product Manager | Experience creating value from data and delivering products used by 10M+ users |
An example of a LinkedIn headline for a person that sells a mobile IT solution that allows IT managers to control their infrastructure on the go:
| Sales Representative: Assisting IT professionals provide support anytime, anywhere. |
A person whose speciality is enabling B2B companies to drive net revenue retention, could use this headline:
| Helping B2B SaaS companies drive net revenue retention. Top 100 Customer Success Strategist 2019 |
Keywords like ‘customer success strategist’ and ‘revenue retention’, and being a little boastful can help this person stand out among many LinkedIn profiles with similar job descriptions!
2 LinkedIn Headline Mistakes to avoid
I’d like to call attention to a few LinkedIn blunders that I see a lot of people make.
- Mistake #1: Only mentioning your current job title and/or company.
Most people choose this kind of headline. The problem is that it doesn’t help you sell your worth or set you apart from the competitors. Why would someone choose you above the other 100+ people that have the same headline as you when they search for [Job Title]?
You get 120 characters for your title on LinkedIn; make the most of it by including keywords and selling yourself!
- Mistake #2: Writing things like “Seeking Opportunities,” “Looking For New Opportunities,” or “Currently Unemployed.”
“Seeking New Opportunities” is neither captivating nor inspirational. Using LinkedIn’s Open Candidates function, you can let companies know you’re actively looking for new opportunities.
Then you can use your headline to highlight your previous experience as well as the things you’ve been doing to improve your skills.
Conclusion
While creating a captivating LinkedIn headline is no rocket science, you do have to put a little thought and effort into it if you want to make an impact.
Now you know who to do it, so it shouldn’t take long before your new LinkedIn headline starts attracting new leads!