Putting a banner on your LinkedIn profile can be a great way to showcase your brand, promote content, and drive traffic to your website or blog. However, not all banners are created equal. You need to carefully consider your goals, target audience, and banner design to make sure it’s adding value.
Here are some key questions to ask when deciding if a LinkedIn banner is right for your profile:
What are your goals?
Think about what you hope to achieve with your LinkedIn presence and banner. Are you looking to establish yourself as an industry thought leader? Generate leads for your business? Recruit talent? Build your personal brand? Understanding your goals will help shape your banner strategy.
Who is your target audience?
Your LinkedIn banner should appeal to your ideal audience. Think about who you want to connect with and what would catch their eye. LinkedIn banners are visible to your 1st degree connections as well as anyone who lands on your profile, so keep your targets in mind.
What makes a good LinkedIn banner?
An effective LinkedIn banner is:
– Visually appealing – Use eye-catching images, graphics, color schemes
– On brand – Aligns with your professional identity or company visuals
– Clear call-to-action – Promotes your website, offers, events, etc.
– Optimized for all devices – Looks good on desktop and mobile
Do you regularly update content?
Banners work best when they are periodically refreshed with new messages, offers, imagery, etc. Stale banners miss opportunities to engage your audience. Consider if you have the time and resources to update your banner seasonally, monthly or weekly.
Pros of Using a LinkedIn Banner
Here are some potential benefits of using a LinkedIn banner:
Increases brand visibility
A LinkedIn banner gives your personal or company brand constant visibility at the top of your profile. It serves as a constant reminder to connections of who you are and what you offer.
Spotlights new offerings
Banners allow you to dynamically advertise new products, services, content, events or job openings. They are a turnkey promotional channel.
Drives website traffic
Add a strong call-to-action to your banner with a link to your site. Banners boost website click-through rates.
Reinforces thought leadership
Banners can highlight speaking events, published articles, awards, certifications and other credibility builders.
Grabs attention
A well-designed banner attracts more profile views and connection requests by standing out.
Inexpensive marketing
LinkedIn banners are free and provide a low-cost marketing channel compared to paid ads.
Cons of LinkedIn Banners
Here are some potential drawbacks to weigh:
Banner overload
As more users add banners, there is risk of diminishing returns. User fatigue sets in with excessive banners.
Limited design control
You can only customize certain elements of LinkedIn banners. Advanced branding and visuals may not translate.
Extra maintenance
Banners need periodic updating to maximize impact. That takes time and effort. Stale banners are ineffective.
Distracting clutter
Too much text or distracting imagery can undermine your profile’s professionalism. Keep banners clean and classy.
Mobile optimization
If not designed responsively, banners may not look or function well on mobile devices. Test across devices.
Limited click-through data
Unlike paid ads, LinkedIn doesn’t provide performance data on banner click-through rates.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Banners
Follow these best practices to create an optimal banner:
Align with your goals
Create banners that directly support your targets – whether branding, lead generation, recruiting, etc.
Limit text
Too much text overwhelms people. Use brief, bold taglines and calls-to-action.
Use high quality visuals
Invest in professional photography and graphics. Images boost engagement.
Adapt for mobile
Check how your banner adapts on mobile and tweak for optimal display.
Swap in fresh banners
Rotate new banners seasonally or with major initiatives and messaging.
Include a strong CTA
Every banner should have a clickable call-to-action driving traffic.
Check branding rules
Review company branding rules if displaying corporate visuals.
Test and optimize
Try different banner variants and improve based on response.
Banner Ideas and Examples
Here are some banner examples and ideas to spark inspiration:
Spotlight a promotion
“Free Webinar: Secrets of Six-Figure Freelancing”
Feature a publication
“Check out my new book – Dominate Your Market”
Advertise an event
“Don’t miss our SHRM Conference booth #425”
Emphasize expertise
“Certified Digital Marketing Strategist” with certifying logo
Drive web traffic
“Visit our new website ReFreshLeaders.com”
Share company news
“Acme Inc. named 2021 Top Place to Work!”
Promote content
“Download my free guide: How to Ace the Interview”
Brand a campaign
“Join our Green Commuter Challenge!”
Recruit talent
“We’re hiring! Check out our open roles”
Give back
“Proud sponsor of the American Heart Association Heart Walk”
Do LinkedIn Banners Work? Evaluating Effectiveness
It’s natural to question if LinkedIn banners are worth the time and effort. How can you evaluate whether banners accomplish your goals and provide a positive ROI? A few ideas:
Use LinkedIn’s analytics
Monitor profile view and connection trends after launching a banner. Watch for spikes.
Track website traffic
Use Google Analytics to see if LinkedIn banners drive more visitors.
Gather social proof
Ask connections for feedback on your banners. Do they remember messaging?
Assess engagement
Do banners generate more likes, shares, comments?
Review lead/sales activity
Do banners coincide with more leads and revenue? Look for correlations.
See who interacts
Check who is liking, commenting, clicking. Are they your targets?
Test alternate versions
Try A/B testing banner variations to see what resonates most.
Calculate hard ROI
Add up tangible banner results like sales won and divide by cost.
Optimizing Your LinkedIn Banner
Follow these tips to continually improve your LinkedIn banners:
Freshen up content
Update text, graphics, and CTAs regularly to revive interest.
Ensure mobile optimization
Check display on smartphones and tablets. Adjust as needed.
Use analytics insights
Let data guide edits. Double down on what works.
Match to audience needs
Survey your audience for feedback to guide banner changes.
Limit text
Use brief slogans. Cut unnecessary words for clarity.
Boost visual appeal
Invest in new images, logos, icons, color schemes.
Reinforce brand identity
Maintain consistent branding so followers recognize you.
Rotate CTAs
Change calls-to-action regularly to promote diverse offerings.
Highlight achievements
Update with awards, credentials, press mentions for clout.
Conclusion
LinkedIn banners offer a flexible channel to reinforce your brand, promote content, and drive website traffic at no cost. But low-value banners can easily be tuned out.
Follow best practices starting with defining your goals and audience. Create value-focused banners with great visuals and clear calls-to-action. Routinely refresh content to maintain engagement. Use available data to measure results and continuously optimize your approach.
A high quality, regularly updated LinkedIn banner can deliver real ROI by expanding your reach, influence, and website traffic with targeted professionals. But static, diluted banners fail to achieve impact. Be selective about using a banner only if you can commit to managing it properly.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Increases brand visibility | Banner overload and fatigue |
| Spotlights new offerings | Limited design control |
| Drives website traffic | Requires ongoing maintenance |
| Reinforces thought leadership | Can clutter profile |
| Grabs profile attention | Mobile optimization challenges |
| Inexpensive marketing channel | Limited click-through data |
