Why You Need To Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile Headline To Get More Sales
LinkedIn is the perfect platform to start building your personal brand. In short, a personal brand builds trust and recognition as a go-to expert in your industry and is 1 of 5 ways you can get more sales and leads.
Before you get started on content ideas, the number one step is making sure that you have a strong headline to hook your target audience and get more sales.
What is a LinkedIn profile headline?
The MOST important piece of content on your LinkedIn profile that describes who you are, what you’re an expert in, and who you help.
Aside from your name and photo, your headline is what helps make that first impression. We all know first impressions are key.
Make sure that your headline utilizes SEO-optimized keywords to enhance your visibility and reach on the platform. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and essentially uses key phrases and keywords that are important to your ideal client and subject matter. By including these keywords in your headline, you have a higher chance to appear at the top of search results. People tend to focus on the top few search results on page 1. Keywords help you stand out at the top, instead of being buried past pages 3-4.
For example, if you were to build a LinkedIn profile around sales, you’d likely want to use keywords like sales, lead generation, profit, social selling, etc.
By default, LinkedIn prepopulates your headline section with your current job title and company name. This is not a bad start, however, it’s important to note that you have the ability to change this section to your liking. We strongly recommend that you do.
Crafting your LinkedIn profile headline
There is a ton of real estate to use to craft a catchy headline that will lead to more sales. As of last August, LinkedIn expanded the character count for headlines from 120 to 220 characters.
When crafting your LinkedIn profile headline, it’s important to ensure that it contains the following:
- Common job titles – Simple is always better. Oftentimes, we get too caught up in fancy titles. So if you’re the Director of Sales, just say that instead of trying to use a less common title like King Of Sales & Generating Leads.
- Relevant keywords – this is where SEO comes in handy! Use keywords that are relevant to you and your business to expand your searchability. If you’re in sales, you may want to use keywords like B2B Marketing, Digital Strategy, Lead Generation, etc.
- Your USP – your USP is your unique selling position, a.k.a. your WOW factor. Having a strong USP is an essential part of every business to define who you are, who you help, and how you do it. It also sets you apart from the competition.
- Facts or statistics – people love numbers and if something is data-driven. Feel free to share stats, but don’t brag too much – it’ll come off as arrogant and that will hurt your profile.
- A talking point – personal branding is key to building connections. Your headline is a great place to insert something personable. It can be anything from “Adventure seeker” to “Bookworm” to “Collector of stuffed animals”. Throw in a bit of personality and it can also make for a great talking point to start a conversation.
LinkedIn sales profile headlines in action
Using the above elements to craft your headline, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd and speak to your target audience. Having a catchy headline will attract more leads and then it’s up to you to sell your services and close the deal.
Here are examples of sales-related LinkedIn profile headlines:
Example #1
Morgan starts off with his USP where we know he targets sales reps to cut through the noise and gain more leads. He follows with a title and an achievement to demonstrate authority. Then he ends his headline with a CTA to connect with him on Instagram and Twitter.
Example #2
Amy also starts off with her headline with her USP and makes sure that it has a dash of personality to make things memorable. She includes two titles and then two achievements. Using “$100MM+” is a great way to demonstrate her impact and success (people love numbers).
Having A Strong LinkedIn Profile Headline Is Key But Not Everything
A strong LinkedIn profile headline is only the beginning. With this, make sure that you also have a great, personable profile photo and cover image. These are the three most seen elements of your LinkedIn.
Once you’ve made that initial first impression, you should ensure that you have an All-Star LinkedIn profile, practice a consistent content strategy, and that your network daily! Doing these things will help you get more exposure and lead to closing more sales.
