A Simple 5-minute Edit that will give Instant Appeal to your LinkedIn Profile

If you’re looking to revamp your personal brand, show up higher on LinkedIn search results and get more (hiring) visitors, the process may not be as hard as you think it is. Just like in digital marketing, your LinkedIn headline has the power to revamp your entire profile image.

Let go of the default

If you don’t have a LinkedIn headline, the platform uses your current employer and job title as your headline and many people choose to stick with this. However “Email Marketing Specialist at XYZ Advertising” is a very boring headline to have. It doesn’t offer the audience new information that can’t be gleaned from your profile.

Why you should have a real headline

Sure, your headline can certainly include what you do and where, but it should also communicate your field, expertise and what makes you different. This should be done in a way that grabs attention. Regardless of your goal for your LinkedIn profile – getting hired, networking, recruiting or building credibility – you need to stand out. And it’s as simple as doing the following.

1. Include your speciality

Instead of just writing “Freelance writer” if that’s what you do, include your speciality area e.g. lifestyle, personal finance etc. Programmers, for instance, could also include programming languages they are proficient in.

2. Integrate your future

Include your future interests/goals for a future career. For instance, if as a freelance writer you hope to go into mobile or social media marketing in future but have no real experience in it as yet, you can say “Mobile Marketing enthusiast.” This lays the work for your job search, and it will also allow you to rank for searches related to your field of interest i.e. the jobs you want in addition to the job you have.

3. Say what you do

This does not mean add your job title. Instead, highlight the value you add by virtue of the work that you do e.g. as an Account Manager for Example Bank. Your work may be to improve customer experience. So say “Improving customer experience as Account Manager for Example Bank.”

4. Display any accolades and features

If you have appeared in, been mentioned by or written for some noteworthy source, including it in your headline boosts your credibility instantly. People will want to know more about you if your headline features a big name. Just don’t make it up.

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