100% of people you send a connection request to will see your LinkedIn headline and most will make a split-second decision to engage with you. Not to mention everyone who reads your posts.
The good news for you is most headlines are vague and boring—which look like this:
- Strategic Digital Transformation Consulting Partner
- Account Executive @ ACME Inc. | Supply Chain Optimization Solutions
Those examples scream ‘I’m selling something’ and use so much fluffy verbiage that prospects have no clue how you can help them.
So to stand out amongst a sea of competitors and get leads, you’ll just need a clear, compelling and credible tag-line.
After reading this post, you’ll be able to create a winning headline modeled off the exact templates that top salespeople use.
22 of The Best Headlines on LinkedIn
We’ve broken down all the top headlines into 7 simple formulas, backed by real examples of each formula perfectly executed on a profile.
Formula 1 - The Big Problem & Solution
A great way to grab prospects’ attention with your LinkedIn headline is to use it to address a problem or pain point they’re dealing with, and then hint at a solution.
This is what The Big Problem & Solution headline does. Here’s how it looks:
Not P? Read this profile.
Where P is the problem you solve.
This headline works best if you’re certain that most of your prospects suffer from the same problem.
Here’s how people are using it:
1) Josh Braun
Josh knows his audience so well, that he’s sure they’re facing a few common pain points. Notice how he uses insider language to describe those problems by choosing words his prospects use. He turns those 3 pain points into questions, then hooks them with a CTA.
2) Chance H. King
Eden Chai is the co-founder of Generation Marketing, a real estate marketing agency that provides a variety of different services, including reputation management.
He paints a picture with a theoretical question that unearths a problem. If you’re a Dentist with under 3 stars, you’re compelling to contact Chance after realizing the answer to his question is rhetorical.
3) Tim Kerr
See how Tim uses adverbs to add strength and specificity to his question. If he left it as “struggling to access footage?”, that wouldn’t be a big enough problem to spark curiosity.
4) Albert Villaviza
Albert is speaking directly to one niche—subscription based companies. That allows him to use problems unique to that company type, namely, churn, subscribers and retention rate. He’s established himself as an insider and an expert with a compelling hook that he may be able to solve one of the top problems SaaS firms face, churn!
Formula 2 - The Irresistible Pitch
A direct, one-liner pitch is most effective when you’re offering something new to the market because your value prop is unique.
It looks like this:
Do X and Y happens.
Here are a couple of examples:
5) Tristan Turner
This is the perfect example of the Do X, Get Y formula. It’s crystal clear exactly what he does and the benefit I’d receive from doing so.
6) Michael Zampiglia
While this doesn’t follow the Do X, Get Y formula, it is a pitch because he’s asking for something while clearly stating what he sells. But instead of the overused, boring headline: “Marketing Specialist for Solar Companies”, Michael knows he needs to break through a sea of same. He creatively turns social proof into a call to action.
Formula 3 - The Equalizer
Probably the most common type of headline you’ll see on LinkedIn, The Equalizer lets people know what you do quickly and effectively.
It looks like this:
{Job Title} for {Your Niche}
Apart from giving people a quick overview of what you’re about, this headline is also a great way to disguise a sales title.
Here’s how it’s used on LinkedIn:
7) Crystal Kim
Crystal may ultimately be a sales rep, but her headline positions her as a partner, which is commonly perceived as a win-win in business. If you’re a sales rep, try her formula: Director of {Niche} Partnerships at {your Company}.
8) Masaki Oishi
While Dr. Oishi is selling a real estate investment opportunity to Doctors, he leads with something that puts him on the same level as his prospects — the fact that he’s a Neurosurgeon. Bonus points that his profile photo proves it.
Formula 4 - Massive Social Proof
If you’ve achieved great results in your industry, you can use your LinkedIn headline to let everyone know about it.
This is what the Massive Social Proof headline is all about - using results and social proof to grab prospects’ attention.
Here’s how it looks:
{Big #s or Big Client names or Big Results}
This type of headline works best for highly experienced if you have something that your prospects would find super credible.
Here are a few examples of the Massive Social Proof headline in action.
9) Benjamin Inman
Benjamin leads with huge numbers right away. In real estate, managing $193MM across 2,323 in apartments is impressive and well-respected by anyone in the space.
10) Kevin Dorsey
Awards and recognitions can be great for credibility. I tend to shy away from this type of social proof because generally prospects don’t recognize the award-giver, and some top lists can be pay-to-play or loose in terms of standards. However, KD is definitely legit, as are his awards.
11) Greg Gillman
Once again, huge numbers work extremely well, especially if you’re targeting mid-market or enterprise companies. Greg could actually go a step further and put an odd, exact number in there, such as $4.3B—which is more believable than round numbers because it appears more likely and calculated.
Formula 5 - The Big Shot
If you work for a giant, widely-recognized company, put that in your headline.
It looks like this:
{Title} at {Company} | Interesting personalizer
This type of headline works best if you have a senior title at a widely-known company. We’ve also seen it work in a variety of other cases, so don’t let not having a senior title discourage you from using The Big Shot.
12) Macy Manning
Goldman Sachs is one of the top 23 investment banking firms and is well-respected. When a prospect sees you work there, they know you’re legit.
13) Mayur Gupta
Although Mayur’s current company isn’t Fortune 1,000 status, he flexes credibility from past companies. If you work for a small company, but you come from large enterprises, drop an ex in front of your old employer and add it.
Notice that he includes personal information outside of work. That makes Mayur look like a human, and appear more interesting. Works great to break-up the stiff professional feel most people go with on LinkedIn.
14) Markesa Phelps
Simple, but effective. Markesa is a recruiter for a Fortune 50 company, and she doesn’t need to say anything more.
Formula 6 - I help {target audience} achieve {desired outcome} through {X}
This formula is the absolute most clear way of presenting your offer.
But I’m warning you now, this headline template is way overused on LinkedIn, so people know you’re selling something. If you’re sending cold connection requests, this headline results in low acceptance rates from our experience.
Use this formula if you have a ton of followers and content is a big part of your strategy. It works great for inbound prospects who come to your profile, before you check their’s out.
15) Gav Gillibrand
This is a fantastic headline because it’s specific. How many pounds? 20. How long will it take me? 12 weeks. It even deploys an advanced marketing tactic of calling out hidden objections with weight loss programs—diets suck and running sucks. Add a {without common objection} to your one-liner if what you sell comes with negative, preconceived notions.
16) Justin Welsh
Whereas most salespeople just say “Executive Coach for SaaS Companies”, Justin gets specific. He hits on a dream number that most SaaS companies want to hit, $50M ARR. Only use that tactic if you can back it up, in which case, Justin can because he’s hit that metric before as VP of Sales.
17) Dan Sanchez
Sometimes the best headlines are short and sweet.
18) Amy Volas
Amy combines a few formulas here. She starts with a pitch, but knows the startup-sales recruiting space is competitive, so she packs on some serious social proof.
Formula 7) The Off-The-Rails Headline
If you want to stand out from the rest, go with a radical headline that’s way outside the norm.
19) Eric Yuan
If your mission statement is big, positive and well-intentioned, copy Eric’s. Normally this headline is way too vague. But, it makes people feel good when they read it. And people like to feel good. The word ‘happiness’ also pulls Eric away from the greedy-scrooge-CEO and positions him as a CEO who actually has good intentions.
20) Jennifer Welsh
Jennifer’s edgy headline gives her personality. Addicts are taboo, but a stock market addict sounds like an expert who I would want running my portfolio. She transitions well into a pitch.
21) Michael Skubic
Have any cool hobbies? If so, use them. Again, it’s outside the norm and makes you seem personable.
22) Cindy Gallop
Had to end with a bang, no pun intended. This is 10/10 on the boldness scale, but Cindy has hundreds of thousands of followers, so clearly it works.
Craft the Perfect LinkedIn Headline
The headline is a crucial part of your LinkedIn profile. It’s often the first thing prospects will notice about your profile.
This makes it important that you take the time to create a headline that will showcase your expertise and catch prospects’ attention.
Use the formulas and examples we’ve outlined in this guide to create your new LinkedIn headline and start using your LinkedIn profile to its fullest potential.
