Having an eye-catching and professional banner is crucial for building your brand and making a good first impression on LinkedIn. Your banner acts as a header that appears at the top of your profile page. It’s often the very first thing people notice when visiting your profile, so you want to make sure it looks polished and represents you well. Here are some tips for creating an effective LinkedIn banner.
Use high-quality, relevant images
The visuals you choose for your banner are extremely important. You want high-quality, eye-catching images that also relate to your professional brand and industry. Stock photos of generic businesspeople or abstract shapes don’t make much of an impact. It’s better to use photos of yourself, your business, products/services, team members, office, etc. Images should look crisp and clear on desktop and mobile.
Some image ideas:
- Professional headshot of yourself
- Team photos from work events/meetings
- Shots of you speaking at conferences/events
- Infographics about your business
- Product photos
- Office culture/workplace shots
You can include text overlays on your images to make them more engaging. Optimize images for LinkedIn’s 1584 x 396 pixel banner size. Use high-res photos that won’t look blurry or pixelated.
Align with your brand identity
Your banner visuals should align with your overall brand identity and color scheme. This helps reinforce brand recognition and consistency for anyone who interacts with you on LinkedIn. Some ways to incorporate branding:
- Use branded fonts, colors, and logos on image overlays
- Incorporate visuals that represent your brand, like products, office, etc.
- Stick to color palettes and styles aligned with your brand guide
If you don’t have a clearly defined brand identity, your banner is a good opportunity to establish visual consistency that carries across your LinkedIn presence and beyond.
Highlight your value proposition
Your banner should quickly communicate what makes you or your company unique. Summarize your core value proposition, areas of expertise, and how you can provide value to others. This gives viewers crucial context right away.
Some examples of showcasing your value:
- “Empowering leaders to build high-performing teams”
- “Helping startups launch innovative mobile apps”
- “Creating engaging customer experiences through thoughtful design”
You can highlight your value proposition through strong image choices, subtitles, and text/graphic overlays on your banner image(s).
Include a clear call-to-action
Once you’ve grabbed attention with great visuals and communicated your value, clearly direct viewers on what you want them to do next. This could be visiting your website, contacting you, signing up for a newsletter, downloading content, etc.
Some call-to-action examples:
- “Learn more at [your website URL]”
- “Schedule a free consult today”
- “Join our mailing list for tips and insights”
- “Download our latest eBook”
Place your CTA front and center on the banner visual or as an overlay. Use contrasting colors and bold fonts so it stands out.
Showcase credentials and achievements
Your banner is prime real estate to highlight notable credentials, awards, press features, certifications, and achievements. This builds authority and showcases your expertise. Some examples:
- “Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2022”
- “Certified Public Accountant”
- “Gold Stevie Award Winner 2022”
- “Featured in Fast Company and Wired”
Visually represent achievements with logos, badges, icons, and images when possible. Listing too many details can look cluttered, so pick your most impressive highlights.
Align text with your brand voice
Any text or captions you include on your banner should reflect your brand voice. Is your style more formal, casual, witty, academic, inspirational? Think about adjectives commonly used to describe your content and brand. Then aim for continuity in your banner text.
For example, an innovative tech company might use:
- Conversational, approachable tone
- Industry buzzwords and jargon sprinkled in
- Punchy phrasing and verbs
While a law firm might opt for:
- Professional, authoritative tone
- More formal phrasing and titles
- Qualifications and expertise highlighted
Keep banner text short, striking, and consistent with how you want people to perceive your brand.
Include your name and headline
Make sure to prominently feature your full name and current job title/headline somewhere on your banner. This allows viewers to immediately know who you are and what you do.
You have 1,584 x 396 pixels of banner space to work with. So arrange your name, headline, imagery, and other text strategically. Use clean, simple fonts that are large enough to read.
Test visibility on mobile
Given how many LinkedIn users access the platform on mobile, it’s crucial to preview how your banner will look on smartphone screens. Some tips for mobile optimization:
- Lead with your best, most eye-catching imagery
- Include your name/headline and CTA in the first half of the banner
- Simplify and declutter – strip away non-essential elements
- Use a larger font size for text
You don’t want viewers to miss anything important about your brand as they scroll on a small screen. Check the mobile version and make adjustments to improve visibility.
Change it up seasonally or for promotions
While you want your banner to be consistent with your brand identity, don’t be afraid to change it up sometimes. Consider updating it quarterly, seasonally, or coinciding with promotions.
Some examples of banners tailored to specific occasions:
- Holiday or seasonal images/text
- Event banners (conference, trade show, etc.)
- New product/service launch promotions
- Company anniversary or milestone
Limited-time banners help drive engagement, while your permanent brand-aligned version acts as your homepage. Just don’t change it so often that it seems haphazard.
Use analytics to optimize
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s analytics to see how your banner is performing. Look at impressions, clicks, and interactions. If engagement drops lower over time, it may be time for an update. You can A/B test different versions too.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn banner is invaluable for making first impressions and representing your professional brand. Create a high-quality, consistent banner that engages your target audience. Use vivid imagery, concise text, strategic branding, and a strong call-to-action. Craft a mobile-friendly banner that conveys your story. Then rejuvenate it with timely updates and impactful limited-time versions. With a compelling, optimized banner that aligns with your brand identity, you can boost your LinkedIn presence and achieve your goals.