How can you ensure your profile is noticed in a sea of LinkedIn users with similar skill sets?
You can stand out from the crowd and attract potential clients by having an impactful LinkedIn headline.
In this post, I’ll discuss 10 tips on creating the best LinkedIn headline with examples.
Let’s dive right in!
What’s a Professional LinkedIn headline?
A professional LinkedIn headline is the first thing that pops up when someone visits your LinkedIn profile page.
It’s the first thing that people see about you, and it has a big impact on whether they click to read your profile.
And your headline should be more than just your current job title.
It should tell them what you do, where you work, and what makes you unique or different from everyone else in your industry.
On LinkedIn, you have more space to elaborate on your professional brand.
Think of your LinkedIn headline as an elevator pitch – it should be clear and interesting and make people click on your profile and want to learn more about you.
What’s the importance of LinkedIn Headlines?
A great LinkedIn headline is important for several reasons:
- LinkedIn headlines are a great way to grab attention and stand out.
- They help you to promote your personal brand and build your online presence.
- They also help you establish yourself as an industry expert and attract new business, job, or career opportunities.
- You can use keywords in your headline to ensure you come up in searches.
- They can be a fun way to show off your personality.
- They can be used to highlight your skills, experience, and accomplishments.
- LinkedIn headlines can help you network and connect with other professionals.
- An SEO-optimized keyword-rich headline will help ensure that your profile comes up near the top of the LinkedIn search results.
So if you want to make a good impression on LinkedIn, start with a strong headline.
Can recruiters or clients find you based on your Linkedin profile headline?
You may think their LinkedIn profile headline is just a throwaway phrase, and recruiters actually pay close attention to it.
Most recruiters use Linkedin to find qualified candidates for open positions within their company.
Your LinkedIn profile headline is the first thing a recruiter will see when they come across your LinkedIn profile.
If your headline is well-optimized, it will increase the chances of recruiters finding you and contacting you about job opportunities.
How to write a great LinkedIn headline?
Follow these tips to write a great headline for LinkedIn :
1. Address your target clients or audience to be more specific.:
Who are you trying to attract with your headline? Keep this audience in mind when choosing your keywords and benefits.
Don’t just say that you’re a “writer” or a “marketing professional.” Describe what type of writing you do or what marketing campaigns you specialize in.
For example, suppose you’re a freelance writer. In that case, your headline might read: “Freelance writer with 5 years of experience in copywriting and content creation.
For example: are you trying to attract clients seeking a specific freelance service?
Let’s say you represent yourself as a blog writer; then, all bloggers will be your client.
And if you represent yourself as a fitness blog writer, then all fitness bloggers will be your clients or audience.
How does it help?
Let me explain with an example: Imagine 100 clients looking for blog writing services who will be interested in the LinkedIn profiles of all blog writers.
What if there are 1000 blog writers?
Will it be easy for the clients r recruiters to check 1000 profiles?
On the other hand, let’s say there are 50 clients (fitness bloggers) who are only looking for a fitness blog writer. And more interestingly, 20 of them are just looking for Freelance fitness blog writers.
How about adding specific terms to address your target clients in this situation?
Instead of just saying blog writer, you include something like:
“Freelance fitness blog writer with extensive SEO knowledge & communication skills”
And “Fitness blog writer who writes at least 2000 words per article daily”. The clients will be happy as they are looking for a specific fitness blogger.
Remember, the more you focus on saving the time of your clients and recruiters. You will get more chances to be hired by them.
And it’ll also help you craft your LinkedIn profile summary per your target audience’s interests and requirements.
2. Use keywords smartly.
Choose words that accurately describe your skills and experience and keywords that potential employers or clients might be searching for.
For example: If you’re a video editor and offer video editing services, you must include a video editor in your headline, not video editing.
If you are looking for freelance opportunities, then include a freelance video editor.
And suppose you want to be more specific for a specific role, for example, video animation. In that case, you can include a freelance video animator.
But avoid including the services you offer in your LinkedIn headline.
Why?
You may be tempted to use your headline to list your services if you’re a freelancer, consultant, or small business owner.
But there are two strong reasons behind it:
First, your headline is an opportunity to introduce yourself as a person, not a service.
You want potential clients and customers to see you as a real person with valuable skills and experience, not just a service provider.
Second, if you list your services in your headline, people may be less likely to read the rest of your profile. After all, they already know what you do – they don’t need to read any further to find out more.
3. Use concrete numbers and examples to highlight your accomplishments.
In your headline, briefly mention some of your most impressive accomplishments to give employers an idea of what you can do for them.
For instance, instead of saying, “I’m a great salesperson,” you could say, “I increased sales by 25% in my previous job.
4. Mention your current role with the company or brand name:
For example: ” Beauty blog writer at XYZ.com” or ” Beauty blog writer at (company name)”
And if you are a beginner freelancer who didn’t work with any renowned clients or companies, you can include names of freelance marketplaces with your current role.
For example:
You can also try mentioning your current freelance profile level.
For example:
Level 1 seller on Fiverr/Upwork/PeoplePerHour
(Or)
Top seller on Fiverr/Upwork/PeoplePerHour
5. Avoid common phrases like “looking for new opportunities” or “seeking a challenging position.”
Also, avoid using generic terms like “professional,” “experienced,” “hard worker,” or “results-oriented.”
6. Use action words to grab the reader’s attention and convey a sense of energy and enthusiasm.
Verbs like “achieved,” “developed,” and “improved” will make your headline more powerful and persuasive.
For example, instead of saying, “I help businesses with their marketing,” say, “I drive results with my creative marketing solutions.”
7. Be unique and creative!
Don’t hesitate to think outside the box regarding your headline.
For example:
You can also include questions addressing your clients’ requirements with your skills.
For example, I helped 50+ authors to edit their books. Do you want me to edit your book?
You can also include a call to action if it doesn’t make your headline too much lengthy!
For example, I’m a Youtube script writer. Do you want me to write your Youtube scripts? Let’s talk about your project.
Or let’s chat! Let’s discuss it!
But skip it if your headline is already around or above 1 line!
8. Keep it error-free, short, and sweet:
Your headline should not be more than a line. Use proper grammar and punctuation to make each word count!
9. Update regularly:
Just like your resume, your LinkedIn profile should be kept up-to-date with your latest experience and skills. A stale headline won’t do you any favors.
10. A simple LinkedIn headline also works:
Most people spend too much time trying to create the perfect LinkedIn headline.
But the truth is, a simple headline that includes a few keywords works just as well.
There’s no need to stress yourself out and waste time coming up with something clever or witty.
Just mention the keywords that accurately describe your profession.
For example, if you’re a web developer, your headline could be “Web Developer specializing in front-end development.”
Or it could also be something like a Freelance web developer at XYZ company.
A simple, straightforward headline is all you need on LinkedIn.
So don’t overthink it – use a few keywords and call it a day!
Now it doesn’t mean the tips I provided are worthless.
They are actually good pointers to remember and include in your LinkedIn headline.
The last tip is for someone who doesn’t want to spend much time writing a headline.
However, you can always experiment with these tips and see what works!
And you can change and update your LinkedIn headline anytime.
LinkedIn headline examples for job seekers and freelancers
In order to help you get started, we’ve put together a list of some great LinkedIn headline examples for job seekers.
- Freelance writer and editor with 10 years of experience in the publishing industry.
- Freelance graphic designer specializing in logos and branding.
- Freelance writer with over 5 years of experience.
- Social media expert and freelance consultant with over 5 years of experience helping businesses grow their online presence.
- Freelance web developer with over 7 years of experience building custom websites for businesses of all sizes.
Now let’s make these examples sound more interesting and catchy!
Instead of writing boring headlines like this,
Freelance writer and editor with 10 years of experience in the publishing industry.
Try something like:
I help authors like you launch a #1 bestseller on Amazon.
Or say something like this: “I help authors like you write a book that will sell by the thousands on Kindle.”
Instead of writing: Freelance graphic designer specializing in logos and branding.
Try something interesting like:
Helping startups like you with branding so you can leave a bigger mark on the world!
Instead of writing: Social media expert and freelance consultant with over 5 years of experience helping businesses grow their online presence.
Try something interesting like:
As a social media consultant, I help businesses create and implement social media marketing strategies that generate results.
Instead of writing: A freelance writer with over 5 years of experience.
Try something interesting like:
As a freelance writer, I create content that helps small business owners find customers and boosts website traffic.
Instead of writing: Freelance web developer with over 7 years of experience building custom websites for businesses of all sizes.
Try something interesting like:
I’m a freelance web developer. I build websites for folks like you.
Linkedin headline for students and freshers:
Here are some examples of effective LinkedIn headlines for students:
- I recently graduated with experience in customer service and am looking for a position in sales.
- In school for marketing and communications, with an interest in social media management.
- Curious and quick-learning student open to new opportunities in the tech industry.
- “A recent graduate with a passion for writing and an eye for detail.”
- “A go-getter with a can-do attitude and a knack for problem-solving.”
- “An organized and efficient individual with great time management skills.
You can make these examples interesting by following the tips I just discussed.
Key Takeaways for creating your own headline
An effective LinkedIn headline should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should give the reader a snapshot of who you are and what you do. And it should be tailored to your specific target audience.
These 10 tips will help you create a catchy and effective LinkedIn headline to help you achieve your goals.
But remember that these are just guidelines; you can always change your LinkedIn headline and customize it to suit your goals and needs better.
So never be afraid to experiment with different headlines.
Now, take some time to craft your headline carefully—it could make all the difference in whether or not you capture someone’s attention—and land that dreams job or client!
