Last week’s episode was Part I of the workshop, which was all about your profile photo. If you haven’t listened to that yet, go back and check it out. I definitely recommend that you listen to these in order.
Thanks for your feedback on that episode, by the way! So many of you reached out to thank me for giving you the confidence you needed to finally upload a photo. Some of you told me that you realized you needed to change your photo. It’s fun connecting with you - Definitely reach out and send me a connection request! I’m always up for connecting on LinkedIn and sharing my network with you.
Okay - you have your profile photo all set. Today I’m going to tell you everything you need to do to get your Headline and Banner image up and running.
Are you ready? Let’s do this.
Your LinkedIn headline is the text that appears underneath your photo. Get this: The LinkedIn algorithm prioritizes the Headline above anything else in your entire profile. It’s more important than your Experience section, your About section, your Education section - all of it. So, what you put in your Headline matters - and you have 120 characters at your disposal.
Most people don’t make proper use of their Headline, because, by default, LinkedIn takes your current job title and plugs it into your Headline.
You’re going to want to change this. A great LinkedIn headline will be attractive to recruiters - if you’re looking for a job or just want to be noticed by recruiters - as well as to people in your industry or prospective industry.
The secret to a great Headline is Keywords, keywords, keywords.
The biggest keyword to include is the job title that you want.
If you’re looking for a copyeditor position, then put the word Copyeditor in your headline.
Then you’re going to want to include words that appear over and over again in a copyeditor job posting. Keywords you’ll find may include: Writer, Proofreader
If you’re targeting a specific industry you can include that. So, if you want to be a Copyeditor in the “Medical Industry” , you’d include Medical Industry as a key phrase in your Headline.
Separate these words with a vertical bar or bullet.
These keywords will get you far because when someone searches for a copyeditor, or a writer or a medical copyeditor, you’ll pop right up!
If you want to catch the eye even more, I recommend including a tagline that tells you who you are and what you do. Use keywords here too. One way to think of this is - if you were given a billboard that you could put up to tell people something about you, what would it say?
For example, one of my clients who is a copyeditor has a Headline that reads, “I make your writing shine with clarity and style, in your words.” It tells you a little more about her - and gets you excited about what she can do. Plus, it incorporates keywords found in a copyeditor job description including, writing, clarity.
Her complete Headline, if she were applying for a copyeditor position in the Medical industry could read: I make your writing shine with clarity and style, in your words. | Medical Industry Copyeditor | Writer | Proofreader (with vertical bars separating the key words and phrases.
Some “don’ts” for Headlines:
Don’t write: Open to new job opportunities in your Headline. That’s about what you want, not about what you have to offer
Also, don’t write, “I’m a Student at such-and-such University studying such-and-such”. That doesn’t tell anyone about what you want to do and what you can offer. Remember, at the very least, list the key words of the job you want to land.
I’m going to stop right here so you can write your Headline! Let me know how it goes - share your Headline with me on LinkedIn by sending me a connection request! I’m excited to see what you come up with and am excited for YOU to get out there and be found by recruiters and other interesting people in your field.
I’ll see you next week for Part III of the LinkedIn Profile Workshop! Until then, take good care and know that I’m cheering you on!