What's in Your Headline on LinkedIn?

Ever think about that line that comes right underneath your name on your LinkedIn profile?
You know the one, right beneath your name that allows you to use one hundred and twenty characters to tell the world what you do?  (How many of you knew about the number of characters?)
The one called the headline?
Well, not to worry, because I’m going to talk about it in this article!
When working with clients on their LinkedIn profile, I always start with a question.
The question is, “If you Googled looking for yourself what terms would you use?”
I continue asking if they would use either keywords specific to their skills and experiences unique to them or something more generic like “vice-president” or “accountant?”
See my point?
You’d be amazed at the look on my clients’ faces when we do this simple exercise.
Why do I get this reaction from them?
I get it because they realize for the first time that even though they may be Google wizards, they never think about how they look to a search engine request.
There are two schools of thought concerning headlines on LinkedIn profiles.
The first is job title and the second is functional.
Unless you have a very unusual and highly sought after job title then functional is always the way to go with headlines on LinkedIn.
How do you do this?
It’s very simple really.
Identify those unique words (keywords) that describe what you do and what you’ve done that would make you of interest to potential employers and clients.
Then check these words out with searches with Google Keyword Planner, Google, and LinkedIn.
How often do these terms come up in searches?
Who uses them?
Are they suitable for you?
That’s how you create a headline that separates from your competitors!
Continue to test and validate your headline over time.
Both you and the markets change, be current!
Your goal with your headline is make yourself unique but specific to the needs of potential employers or clients.
You also want to demonstrate that you understand what your expertise and your industry are all about!
This is a key part of your total social media program!
If you need help then don’t be shy about asking for it!
I’m always willing to help you out!
That’s it for now!
In the meantime, thank you for following and reading my blog!
I look forward to any and all comments that you may have.  I will reply to any comments made to this blog post as promptly as I can.
Remember!
I do this for a living and if I can be of any assistance to either you or your organization, please feel free to call on me.  Our initial discussion will be of no charge to you.
I can also be reached at conpsweeney@someddi.com.
My Twitter handle is @conpsweeney.
Stay well!