Why is this so important and how can a simple change make all the difference?
The Linkedin default to your Headline is “Your Position” at “Your Company” – how boring is that! Especially when you consider that this is repeated as you read through your profile!
So, what should your Headline state and why is it so important?
Given that 95% of people simply rely on the Linkedin default and never change it, a very simple way to stand out from the crowd and attract the very people that you want to talk to is through your headline.
Your headline should talk to your ideal client/ employer and focus completely on the VALUE that you can deliver to them.
Want to know more about understanding who your ideal client is and how to determine the value that you deliver, take a look at the workshop that we ran at the start of 2021.
However, in simple terms your headline should adopt the following structure;
I help {insert ideal client/ employer} to {highlight specific value that you can deliver}
For example;
I help Executive teams to deliver their transformation agenda on time & within budget, ensuring that their expected benefits are realised
If you were an Executive team member with a history of projects being over budget or late, wouldn’t you want to talk to the person with the above headline rather than someone whose headline was “transformation director at XYL plc”?
How about this one;
I help social housing organisations to meet their regulatory commitments through successful delivery of their priority programmes
Who do you think that this headline is talking to?
It’s not Banks, is it?
This headline focuses completely on their ideal client/ employer and further narrows down the type of programme that they have experience in.
What about this one’
I support engineering firms to reduce their supply chain costs by an average of 15%
What are you thinking when you read the above headline?
Isn’t it “How do you do that?”
And isn’t that exactly what you want the readers of your headline to ask?
Activity
Review your most successful roles/ projects and define your ideal client/ employer & ideal project. Once defined, consider what you have delivered in terms of value on previous projects that you have been involved in. Again, once defined start to consider how you can incorporate these into the framework below;
I help {insert ideal client/ employer} to {highlight specific value that you can deliver}
Update your Linkedin profile and keep a check on the level of engagement that you get.
Tinker with the words and measure the impact, until you have a version that consistently delivers engagement and proactive approaches from third parties