Your LinkedIn headline is arguably one of the most important parts of your LinkedIn profile. It’s essentially both your shop window and your one minute in a networking meeting and because it appears beside your name on all your LinkedIn activity.
A good LinkedIn headline will help people decide whether they want to view your profile and potentially work with you in the future – or if they want to scroll by. So, it’s essential that your headline clearly and succinctly explains what you do and entices people to find out more about you.
What is your LinkedIn headline?
Your LinkedIn headline is the information you display on your profile. It appears under your name and photo. You have a maximum of 220 characters to describe what you do, who you do it for and a personal detail so people can get to know a little about you.
Why is your headline so important?
Along with your profile picture, your LinkedIn headline is the first thing that people see when they visit your profile. It has the power to pique potential customers’ interest and encourage them to contact you. A poor headline that doesn’t get your message across means you’re missing out on a powerful tool to attract the clients you want.
Your headline serves as an introduction throughout newsfeed posts. Every time you publish a post or make a comment, the first part of your headline shows up beneath your name. It also plays a part in giving your profile visibility. LinkedIn’s search algorithm will display profiles with optimised headlines in their searches. Appearing in more searches means more views and more opportunities for you.
LinkedIn will automatically generate a headline for you, but customising your own headline will distinguish you from others in your industry, so it’s well worth taking the time to create one of your own.
What makes a good headline?
A good headline grabs your ideal client’s attention, succinctly tells them how you can help all while showing a bit of your personality.
So, how do you create that perfect LinkedIn headline to get you noticed? Here are 5 steps to follow so you can craft a headline that’s attention-grabbing and memorable.
Step 1 – Know your ideal customer
The first step e is to know who your ideal customer is. If you don’t know who you want to sell to, you won’t know how to appeal to them.
Finding out who your ideal customer is can be a long process and you may need some help. Once you know, however, you’ll not only be able to write a targeted headline, you’ll also create a more competent LinkedIn marketing strategy.
Your ideal customer can change over time; as your business grows and shifts direction. It is vital, however, that you have a specific audience in mind so you can direct your marketing effectively.
Step 2 – Include your target audience
Including your target audience in your headline means that your target audience can identify that you’re there to help them specifically.
Samantha Boffin, for example, says that she’s a voice actor and director helping creatives and production companies tell their stories. If you’re not a creative or a production company, then you’ll probably scroll past Samantha’s profile – which is exactly the response she wants. By clearly identifying her target audience, Samantha reduces the chance of wasting time communicating with people she ultimately won’t want to work with.
Step 3 – How do you help them?
This is an effective way to differentiate yourself from your competitors and highlight how your service or product will benefit others. For example, Jacqui Jagger cleverly mentions how she can help people promoted to a director-level role hit the ground running.
Step 4 – Use plain language
If you’re an expert in your field, you might be tempted to use industry jargon. But, a compelling headline might be lost if your audience has to Google the words you use. Claire’s headline is a perfect example of how to get the information across. Within seconds, you know exactly what she does, who her audience is and how she can help without any acronyms or industry-specific terms.
Step 5 – Add something quirky
A personal detail, especially a quirky one, can be a very powerful way of ending your headline. This can be something that will resonate with future clients, evoke a reaction or simply be extremely memorable.
Nick grabs your attention right away with the words “spirit animal” and “superpowers”, words that generally aren’t associated with video creation but are excellent conversation starters.
And finally…
Getting your LinkedIn headline right can take time. You might need to experiment a few times before you settle on one that you’re happy with. Once you come up with a headline that includes your target audience, how you can help them and who you are as a person, it will be a powerful introduction for you and your services.
