Having an effective headline on LinkedIn is crucial for making a good first impression and standing out from the crowd. Your LinkedIn headline appears right below your name on your profile and is one of the first things people see when they view your profile. A good LinkedIn headline clearly communicates who you are, what you do, and what makes you unique in a compelling way. Here are some tips for crafting an excellent LinkedIn headline.
Keep it concise
LinkedIn headlines are limited to 120 characters, so you need to make every word count. Get straight to the point and focus on the key details you want to highlight. Avoid filler words and fluff. A tight, scannable headline will capture attention and showcase your value proposition.
Emphasize keywords
Incorporate important keywords related to your industry, job title, skills, and experience. This helps ensure your profile pops up in LinkedIn searches for relevant terms. For example, “Digital Marketing Manager | SEO | Social Media | Email Marketing” or “Product Designer | User Experience (UX) | User Interface (UI)”.
Describe your current role
Start your headline by clearly stating your current job title and organization. This gives people immediate context. For example, “Director of Sales at ABC Company” or “Accountant at Smith & Jones Accounting Firm”.
Highlight specialized expertise
If you have niche skills, certifications or specialized expertise, feature those prominently in your headline. For example, “CPA | Audit Specialist | 10+ years experience” or “Crane Operator | Certified on Tower Cranes | OSHA 30 Certified”. This helps you stand out.
Communicate your value
Briefly explain how you deliver value, not just what you do. For example, “Leadership Coach | Empowering Executives to Maximize Their Potential” or “Digital Marketing Expert | Generating Leads Through SEO and Paid Ads”. This provides more context about your capabilities.
Add personality and flair
While your headline needs to be professional, you can showcase your unique personality and style. For example, “Enthusiastic Educator Cultivating Tomorrow’s Innovators” or “Passionate Technologist Building a Better Future Through AI”.
List multiple areas of expertise
If you have experience across multiple disciplines, list your top 2-3 areas. For example, “Marketing Manager | Digital Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Content Marketing”. Just keep it tight and scannable.
Avoid overused terms
Don’t use vague, generic terms like “expert” or “specialist” that nearly everyone includes. Only highlight areas where you truly have deep expertise. Similarly, avoid overused buzzwords that don’t communicate anything meaningful.
Tailor for different audiences
You can customize your headline for when you’re job searching vs employed. When looking for work, emphasize your capabilities. When employed, emphasize your current organization. You can also tweak your headline when networking with different groups.
Examples of effective LinkedIn headlines
Here are some examples of LinkedIn headlines that do a great job showcasing the person’s value:
- Digital Marketing Manager | SEO | Google Ads | Social Media Marketing
- Product Design Leader | User-Centered Design | Agile Methodologies
- Software Engineer | Java | Python | Cloud Architectures
- Accountant | CPA | Financial Analysis and Reporting
- Recruiting Leader | Technical Sourcing | Building Diverse Teams
Headline mistakes to avoid
Here are some common mistakes people make with their LinkedIn headlines:
- Too vague or generic – “Marketing Professional” or “Finance Expert”
- Overly wordy or long – rambling headlines that go over the 120 character limit
- Spelling or grammatical errors
- Stating outdated information – “Director at XYZ Corp” after changing jobs
- Repetitive phrasing – “Strategic thinker and thought leader”
- Superlatives like “best”, “greatest”, “world-class” – these come across as bragging
- Using passive voice – “Trained by the top experts” vs “Trained top experts”
- Listing every skill – “Photographer | Videographer | Graphic Designer | Animator”
Tips for updating your LinkedIn headline
Here are some tips for keeping your LinkedIn headline updated over time:
- Review it every few months to make sure it’s still accurate and reflective of your current role and skills.
- When you take on new responsibilities or earn a promotion, update your headline.
- If you’re job searching, tweak it to focus on your most relevant strengths and capabilities.
- When you start a new job, immediately update your headline with your new title and company.
- As you gain new skills, certifications and expertise over time, add those to your headline.
- If you notice your existing headline isn’t generating views, try an updated version with new keywords.
- Ask trusted colleagues or mentors to review your headline periodically and provide feedback.
Tips for writing a LinkedIn headline
Here are some additional tips for crafting a compelling, click-worthy LinkedIn headline:
- Grab attention with power words like “transform”, “accelerate”, “leader”, “pioneer”.
- Use active voice – “Manages social media campaigns” not “Social media campaigns are managed”.
- Focus on areas where you have depth of expertise vs a wide range.
- Quantify accomplishments or impact when possible – “Increased sales 72%”.
- Emphasize specializations tailored to your target audience.
- Read your headline aloud to ensure it flows well.
- A/B test different versions of your headline and see which gets more profile views.
Sample headlines by industry
Here are examples of effective LinkedIn headlines for different industries:
Technology
- Senior Product Manager | Delivery Innovation | Agile Leader
- Software Architect | Cloud Computing | Microservices
- Cybersecurity Engineer | Vulnerability Management | Risk Assessment
Marketing
- Digital Marketing Director | SEO Strategist | Content Marketing
- Email Marketing Specialist | Lead Generation | Automation
- Social Media Marketer | Brand Storytelling | Community Building
Sales
- Enterprise Sales Executive | Contract Negotiation | Client Relations
- Business Development Leader | Partnership Growth | Strategic Alliances
- Sales Manager | Territory Expansion | Winning New Logos
Human Resources
- Talent Acquisition Leader | Technical Recruiting | Sourcing Top Talent
- Organizational Development Consultant | Change Management | Leadership Training
- HR Business Partner | Employee Relations | Total Rewards
Finance
- Finance Manager | Budgeting & Forecasting | Financial Reporting
- Investment Banking Analyst | Financial Modeling | M&A
- Tax Accountant | Individual & Corporate Tax | Tax Compliance
Healthcare
- Nurse Practitioner | Acute Care | Emergency Medicine
- Clinical Research Coordinator | Study Start-up | Patient Recruitment
- Physical Therapist | Orthopedics | Sports Medicine
Using LinkedIn headline analyzer
LinkedIn provides a handyHeadline Analyzer tool that gives suggestions to improve your headline. Here’s how to use it:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile
- Click “Edit public profile & URL” on your intro section
- Scroll down and click “Headline analyzer”
- Enter your desired headline and click “Analyze”
- Review the tool’s recommendations for using more SEO keywords, power words, metrics, etc.
- Iterate and refine your headline based on the suggestions
- Confirm the updated version passes the analyzer
- Save your new, improved headline!
This built-in tool provides real-time feedback to help create a compelling, keyword-rich headline optimized for LinkedIn search.
Sample LinkedIn headline analyzer results
Here is an example headline run through the LinkedIn Headline Analyzer, along with the tool’s suggestions:
Original Headline
Experienced Nursing Professional
LinkedIn Headline Analyzer Feedback
- Add key skills like “registered nurse” or nursing specialty
- Include your job title like “Registered Nurse” or “Nurse Practitioner”
- Add metrics or specifics about your experience like “10+ years experience”
- Consider adding your employer name
- Emphasize expertise areas like “pediatrics”, “ICU”, or “oncology”
Improved Headline
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner | Lakeside Children’s Hospital | 10+ Years Experience
By incorporating the analyzer’s suggestions, this headline is more compelling, informative and optimized for LinkedIn search.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn headline is valuable real estate to quickly communicate who you are and grab attention. Craft a headline that highlights your current role, areas of expertise, skills, accomplishments and unique value. Keep it concise, scannable and keyword-rich. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s built-in Headline Analyzer to refine your headline. Revisit your headline regularly to keep it updated. With a compelling, informative headline, you’ll make a great first impression and get found more easily on LinkedIn.