Fix Your LinkedIn Profile Headline in 5 Minutes Flat!
It's been forever since you updated your LinkedIn profile. You know it's time for a refresh. That headline of yours no longer fits. Do you have 5 minutes to update it?
Your LinkedIn profile is the face of your personal brand and your business on LinkedIn. If it's not aligned with your current professional or business objectives, it's time for a refresh.
If you could only change ONE section on your LinkedIn profile, it should be your headline.
Join me LIVE for this episode of Mondays with Mindi where we'll dig into the LinkedIn profile headline. Plus, I will share my three favorite headline formulas that are working now, how to know which one to choose for your profile, and how to craft your headline in 5 minutes flat!
Your LinkedIn Headline = Your Elevator Pitch
Do you ever freeze up when people ask you to give them your elevator pitch? It’s something many of us stumble over or muddle our way through (yours truly included!)
And the people can give it well either have practiced it over and over to get it right or are just super sales-y and we move on...
Your LinkedIn headline is like your elevator pitch on LinkedIn.
The headline follows your name around LinkedIn.
Every time you send a connection invitation, comment on a post, share something on LinkedIn, the first several words of your headline are visible.
What should you say here? A lot of us struggle with getting this section just right, and because we cannot concoct the magnetic headline we imagine is possible, we just wing it or ignore it altogether.
If you are not paying close attention to what you put in your headline, you might experience one of the following:
Nobody knows quite who you are, what you do or why they should connect with you.
When you try to build your network with thoughtful connection invitations, people aren’t accepting.
You may be trying to squeeze in ALL the things that you do and confuse people.
Your current job title and company seems like a safe option - not ruffling any feathers.
...or, you’ve tried again and again to get it right, and it just doesn’t feel good to you!
Let’s get to what makes a compelling LinkedIn headline today - if you’ve got this one section nailed down on LinkedIn - your potential connections, industry peers, and perfect prospects will know instantly if they want to connect with or follow you on LinkedIn.
You Are Not a One-Dimensional Professional
I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard a ton of branding experts and sales superstars make a HUGE deal about narrowing down who you are into a pithy tagline that is focused on ONE THING ONLY.
How many of us are actually one-dimensional?
Not many that I’ve met, well, there might be a few wannabe-pro athletes down the street from me who really are “just about their sport” and do nothing else.
For the rest of us, we often have more than one interest, likely have a passion project, might be running a business but also going back to school. (That’s me at the moment!)
One of the questions I’ve been asked by hundreds of clients I’ve worked with over the past few years to reboot their LinkedIn profiles is, “How do I position myself if I wear multiple hats professionally? I am not just one thing and have multiple audiences on LinkedIn.”
At first, this question threw me off because I just wanted them to PICK ONE and go with it. Then, I started listening, really listening, to how we could use this “multiple hats thing” as a major differentiating factor for them.
We’re all told that we need to “be different” “be unique” “stand out”
So, it goes to reason that positioning yourself as “not just ONE thing” can actually be advantageous in some cases.
It’s your secret weapon. You’re not just so caught up in your niche that you - what is that saying - cannot see the forest for the trees?
And for those of you who are very much ONE thing types of people, I’ve got you covered, too.
No matter what your professional landscape looks like now, you can use your LinkedIn headline to bring it to life, to make it clear, to help people instantly know who you are, whom you can help, how can you help them, and the results you can help them to generate.
Sound good?
One Shot, One Opportunity
Okay, I want you to imagine that someone is getting to know you for the very first time. You have one moment, one opportunity to make an impression, to potentially impact a new person you can help, and if you don’t make the most of it, they may never cross paths again. Dramatic, right?!
Any Eminem fans out there? The song that comes to mind for me is “Lose Yourself” with the lyrics around the fact that you’ve got one shot and one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted.
That’s often what it feels like on LinkedIn with your headline.
When someone comes across something you’ve shared on LinkedIn or commented on or have been tagged by someone they trust on LinkedIn, their cursor hovers over your name.
What are those first few words they are seeing?
Will they click over to your profile to learn more?
Or, do you just look like everyone else?
Those first few words can be the dealbreaker in whether or not you start a new business relationship.
Okay, it’s time to look at your headline. If you’re watching the replay or here with me live, I want you to go to your LinkedIn profile and copy-and-paste what you have in your headline into a Google Doc or a Word Doc.
Yes, right now.
I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere just yet.
3 LinkedIn Profile Headline Fix-It Formulas
Here are three formulas I like to use when I’m helping people craft great LinkedIn headlines. I’ll share the formula and how I like to use them in specific situations.
Option #1 - This is the most tried-and-true formula I’ve come across. I usually default to this formula whenever I want to help a thought leader develop an audience and they’re crystal clear on their messaging. It’s the formula I use myself.
Who You Are + Whom You Help + How You Help Them + Results You Generate
Let's take a look at an example of my own profile.
Who You Are - We start with your job title - what is it? what do you want it to be? are there certain keywords here that are critical for LinkedIn search? Some people are a bit more straightforward here, while others like to be a bit more creative to pique interest.
Whom You Help - This is usually a bit more straightforward because you should know who your target audience is. Be specific here, especially if you're getting ready to promote a new service, reach out for one-to-one conversations, or launch a book or product. Call them out here!
How You Help Them - You may need to think about this section a bit because "how you help" may change and evolve over time. Think about what you're doing NOW or what you're planning/gearing up to do moving FORWARD. This should be current and not something you used to do. Choose powerful keywords - try not to look like everyone else, just say it differently if you need to, without losing clarity.
Results You Generate - This is a bit more of an optional section, as the "how you help them" may already include the results you generate. If and when it makes sense to call out the results you generate, do that here. For example, if you have an offer that gets people results in 30 days - you might want to mention it here.
This works best for those of you who are on a mission to build a base of connections in your network, launch a book, sell an online program, or attract your perfect prospects. You really cannot go wrong.
Option #2 - Telling them all the things you do.
This is a great option if you have multiple offerings or services in your business, and you’re looking for a way to use all 220 characters with solid keywords.
An example I love comes from the ah-maz-ing Joyce Feustel (follow her for baby boomer social goodies - she won’t disappoint!)
In this example, she leads with a good number of keyword phrases that her audience would be searching for, and then follows it up some credibility about being the most recommended LinkedIn coach in her area.
Lots of activity here, but it suits her audience and gives them multiple ways to engage with her.
Option #3 - The Consummate Professional.
For those of you who want to focus on the major professional accomplishments that you have and use more official job titles, using a formula that has the right keywords and positions in it can be very advantageous.
This example comes from highly accredited Board Member, Lorraine Akiba, and one of my LinkedIn rebooters who’s been using the same headline for a number of years now:
This headline speaks to her target audience and demonstrates her experience in the field. Because she has a robust background and LinkedIn profile to back up the claim, it works well for her.
So there you have it, all three of the formulas that I recommend when trying to rework your profile. Again, if in doubt, go with Option #1 - it’s the most straightforward and easy to use formula.
Now, go back to your Google Doc and spend five minutes (a few more if you need them) reworking your headline with your chosen formula.
I’d LOVE to hear what you come up with! Feel free to DM me a screenshot of your new headline.
If you’re looking for that extra edge to get your started on the right path with your profile, check out my FREE LinkedIn profile guide that will help you dial in the most important sections of your LinkedIn profile to kickstart your personal brand today.
I’ll see you next week on Mondays with Mindi - we’ll be talking about how big your LinkedIn network actually needs to be if you want to grow your business or scale your impact! Feel free to leave questions or comments below - and my inbox is open if you want to message me directly! :)
