How to Craft the Perfect LinkedIn Headline

Gone (for now) are the days of meetings, conferences and networking events that we used to rely on for typical business development. Instead, social media tools like LinkedIn are more important than ever for keeping your name top of mind for the key stakeholders you want to reach.

Crafting a complete LinkedIn profile will take some time and effort, but if marketing yourself is a priority, then this is an essential step in your personal business development plan. Fortunately, Page 2 can help!

Besides your profile picture, your LinkedIn headline is the most important piece of your profile. LinkedIn headlines appear at the top of your profile directly beneath your name and picture. Headlines also appear next to your name in search results, so it is essentially your first (and sometimes only) impression.

What exactly is a headline? A headline should be a sentence or phrase that describes you and your practice in 120 characters or fewer. With such little space, your headline has to get straight to the point. There are a few different approaches you can take when crafting your LinkedIn headline:

1) Keep it simple; just use your title
Example: Of Counsel at Smith & Jones LLP

2) Use the formula — [Job title]: helping X do Y
Example: Intellectual property attorney serving clients in the pharmaceutical industry

3) Leave out the job title and describe what you do
Example: Law Firm Media Strategist. Entrepreneur. Writer.

Using one of the approaches above will ensure that your LinkedIn headline is clear, professional and an accurate reflection of who you are and what you do. The words you choose for your headline will serve as keywords that will be associated with your profile. What words would someone use if they wanted to look for your services? Make sure some of them are reflected in your headline.

LinkedIn will continue to be an important and effective tool for law firms and attorneys wishing to continue their business development remotely. Taking the time to carefully set up and fine-tune your profile is the first step to using LinkedIn as a tool to meet your current and prospective clients where they are. Page 2 can help you shape up your LinkedIn profile and use it effectively to stay connected during this time.

And, of course, connect with Page 2 on LinkedIn!