LinkedIn Challenge TIP 1: Make your LinkedIn Headline Stand Out
Is your LinkedIn headline drawing in the right people? Let’s begin the ultimate LinkedIn challenge.
LinkedIn Challenge TIP 1 out of 5: Make your LinkedIn Headline Stand Out
The headline is one of the most important parts of your LinkedIn profile. You have 120 characters to tell people a) what you do, and b) how you do it better than anyone else. It should stand out from your competitors in a memorable way. According to an article published by Forbes last year, the headline is the most overlooked part of your profile. Yet, if 97% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find job candidates and if 64% use ONLY LinkedIn to recruit*, then it makes sense that the headline should be the first section that needs to shine.
Your LinkedIn Headline
You have 120 characters to wow anyone who sees you in their LinkedIn search results including folks with whom you are not connected. This is not the time to blend in. For example, there are more than 38K project managers and oodles of senior management executives too. STAND OUT.
So, think about the following questions when formulating your headline:
- What skills & areas of expertise are in the highest demand in your desired industry?
- How many direct reports have you managed?
- What has been your budget ownership experience, or even years of experience?
- What credentials have elicited the most attention during networking situations?
- What major awards and/or positions have you earned while working for top companies?
Measure it: Note how many LinkedIn views you received most recently right before making any updates to your headline and see how often you had appeared in search results before making any updates. This is easy:
1 – Go to “who’s viewed my profile” page
2 – Look at the statistics on the right navigation bar
Test it: Then while considering your answers to any mix of these questions, update your headline with the most impressive or distinctive adjectives or nouns that showcase these qualifications or credentials, separate these words with slashes “/” or “|” pipes in your headline.
Here is a sample headline:
Gold Effie Winner / Media Planner / Senior Partner at MEC / Process Improver / Traditional & Digital / New Business
Here is mine:
Career/HR Consultant/Author/NYU Adjunct/Speaker/ Varney & Co. Show Guest: http://goo.gl/B16O3 [www.melissallarena.com]
Following this update, now see who is looking at your profile and how often people have viewed it a day or two after the update has been made.
You are not just figuring out the best headline for you but also you are generating interest from your connections.
Let’s review:
Update your LinkedIn headline and test the keywords with which you want to be associated!
Email me melissa [at] melissallarena.com with your progress.
I will be posting a total of 5 tips – Look out for them!
Can’t wait to see what you do!
Melissa
*Source: Bull Horn 2013 Reach Social Recruiting Report
