LinkedIn for Entrepreneurs: How To Master Your LinkedIn Headline

Entrepreneurs: want a way to get more clients, more visibility, and more traffic on LinkedIn?

It all starts with your LinkedIn HEADLINE. 

Why is your LinkedIn headline so important for entrepreneurs?

It’s one of THE most visible pieces of your profile.

Your headline gets displayed beside your profile photo in other LinkedIn members’ Suggested Connections, their News Feed posts and comments, and – of course – on your profile page.

A rock-solid headline will help you to attract your ideal clients (LinkedIn is a gold mine of them!) and also play to LinkedIn’s built-in search feature when you incorporate keywords.

Bonus, your headline will also show up in Google search results for your name.

Give it a try…(it’s ok, I’ll wait here).

When you search your name on Google, your LinkedIn page will show up on the first page the majority of the time (and your headline will be there right after your name).

How to Make Your LinkedIn Headline Stand Out

If you’ve been connected with me for any amount of time, you know by now that I am a HUGE fan of LinkedIn.

I’ve been using LI personally to land $5K, $10K and $15K clients on the regular, and my clients are doing the same.

LinkedIn is friggin’ amazing for getting you highly visible, building your audience, and bringing in a steady stream of leads who come to you.

And a big part of the success equation is your LinkedIn headline.

So I’m sharing my super-effective, proven top tips for writing a LinkedIn headline that makes you stand out and attracts high-paying, high-quality clients.

These LinkedIn headline tips will help to put you at the top of relevant LinkedIn searches, and the top of your perfect-fit audience’s mind.

1. Incorporate Search Terms into your LinkedIn Headline

The first thing to know is…LinkedIn is a search engine. 

Just like Google, when members search for the services you offer, LI will show the results with headlines that match. 

It’s your job to give the people what they’re looking for!

When someone types in the search bar, LI gives them the option of searching in Jobs, Groups, Services, etc. So if you’re an entrepreneur, it’s important that you show up in those Service results.

Start by thinking about the keywords your audience uses when searching for your services. Bookkeeping, copywriting, business coaching, virtual assisting, etc.

Then use those specific terms in your headline — don’t be cryptic. 

If you specialize in bookkeeping for restaurants, for example, say so! Don’t miss out by saying you “work with clients to streamline processes and take control of their finances.” Save the long-tail info for your About section (more on that below).

Instead, be clear and concise with your headline, using the words that matter most to your audience.

2. Hone Your LinkedIn Headline Length

Here’s the deal: LinkedIn now allows up to 220 characters in your headline (as of August 2020).

This can equal a massive four rows of text! 

And while it’s beneficial in some ways to use all that juicy real estate, remember that your headline will get cut off after the first 75-90 characters throughout LinkedIn. 

Don’t leave your audience hanging by saying “I help small businesses to reach new successful heights by…”

OH NO! BY WHAT?! 

Let LI members know exactly what you do by putting your services right up front, and be aware of where your headline gets cut off on the News Feed and Suggested Connections pages. Put the most important pieces before the “…”

Test it out, tweak your headline as needed.

Then, feel free to elaborate in your remaining headline characters. There’s so much more opportunity now than ever to highlight your Super Powers for the LinkedIn world to see.

Think about adding your experience, your background, a testimonial, hashtags and more…just make sure to keep them toward the end and put your money-makers right up front.

3. Speak in Your Audience’s Language

You need to have a firm grasp on who’s searching for you, which industry terms they understand about your services, and which ones they don’t. 

I call this knowing your WHO.

Hold on to any specialty jargon for industry pages and conference events. There are absolutely other avenues for talking industry talk.

But in your headline, make sure you’re using easy-to-digest phrases that don’t turn off your leads.

No MSPSs, or DPIs, or COGSs (unless your audience definitely knows what they mean).

No one likes to feel like they’re out of the loop. Or that they don’t understand what the h*&% you’re talking about.

If you use terminology that’s over your audience’s heads, they’ll skip over your profile and find someone else’s that they DO understand.

4. Bump The “I Help” Statement

Here’s the thing about the “I Help…” statement.

I see them All. The. Time.

And they’re not necessarily bad.

But they’re common, and they take up precious real estate in the beginning of your headline. 

IMO, these phrases are better saved for your About section, where there’s SO MUCH more room to expand on your services. 

 Read More: How to Write the Perfect About Section

Instead of falling back on the “I help” statement, I recommend putting this formula to use:

What You Do + Target Audience + How It Solves Their Big Problem

Some examples:

?? Coaching Restaurant Owners to Hire Smart & Conquer Employee Turnover

?? Giving Retailers Marketing Tools for 7-Figure E-Commerce Sales

?? Reinventing Bookkeeping for Creatives | Gain Financial Clarity

These examples change the narrative from “I help” to “I do.” Use your headline to convey confidence in your offerings, and show the value you give to your clients.

And lastly, if you’re looking for substitutions for “I help,” here’s a quick list of powerful words you can use:

• Guiding
• Transforming
• Writing
• Designing
• Supporting
• Nurturing
• Flipping
• Managing
• Mastering
• Assisting
• Conquering
• Improving
• Empowering
• Inspiring
• Changing

Want To Grab More LinkedIn Tips!?

Make sure you grab my free LinkedIn Guide so you can escape the common traps that entrepreneurs fall into on LinkedIn and get the success you really want!!

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7 Deadly LinkedIn Sins (How you can stop "sinning" and start WINNING on LinkedIn)