How to Write LinkedIn Headlines That Attract Your Ideal Audience

Your LinkedIn headline appears everywhere on the platform.

In search results. Next to your comments. On other people's posts when you engage. In connection requests. In the "People Also Viewed" section.

It's the most visible piece of text on your entire profile. Yet most founders waste it.

Common headline mistakes:

"CEO at [Company Name]"
"Founder | Entrepreneur"
"Building something cool"

These tell people nothing. They don't communicate value, expertise, or why anyone should care.

Your headline is 220 characters of premium real estate. It determines whether someone clicks through to your profile or keeps scrolling.

This guide shows you exactly how to write LinkedIn headlines that attract your ideal audience, position you as an authority, and drive the right opportunities.

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Why Your Headline Matters More Than You Think

Your headline isn't just a job title. It's your value proposition, your positioning statement, and your first (and often only) chance to make an impression.

Where Your Headline Appears

Search Results:
When someone searches for expertise in your domain, your headline determines whether you appear and whether they click.

Post Comments:
Every time you comment on someone's post, your headline is visible to everyone reading that thread.

Profile Visitors:
Before someone even reads your About section, they're judging you based on your headline.

Connection Requests:
Your headline is one of three things people see (photo, name, headline) when deciding whether to accept.

"People Also Viewed":
When someone views a profile similar to yours, your headline appears in recommendations.

Feed Interactions:
Your headline shows up next to every post, like, and share.

The Math:
Your headline gets 10-100x more views than your About section. Optimize what gets seen most.

What a Great Headline Does

1. Stops the scroll
Makes people pause long enough to consider clicking through

2. Communicates clear value
Immediately tells people what you do and who you help

3. Positions you strategically
Establishes your expertise and differentiation

4. Includes searchable keywords
Helps you appear in relevant searches

5. Creates curiosity
Makes people want to learn more

6. Attracts the right people
Speaks directly to your ideal connections/customers/partners

For complete LinkedIn strategy, see our Complete Guide to LinkedIn Personal Branding.

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The Headline Framework

Great LinkedIn headlines follow a structure. Here's the formula:

The Core Formula

[What You Do] for [Who You Serve] | [Proof/Credibility] | [Secondary Value/Interest]

Let's break down each component:

Component 1: What You Do + Who You Serve

This is the foundation. Be specific about both.

Weak:
"Helping businesses grow"

Strong:
"Helping B2B SaaS companies build predictable revenue systems"

The specificity test:
Could 100 other people in your space write this exact headline?

• If yes, make it more specific
• If no, you've found your unique positioning

Examples:

"Building AI tools for technical founders who hate sales"
→ What: AI tools | Who: Technical founders with specific pain

"Helping fintech startups navigate regulatory compliance"
→ What: Regulatory guidance | Who: Fintech startups

"Fractional CFO for bootstrapped SaaS companies ($1M-$10M ARR)"
→ What: Financial leadership | Who: Specific stage and type

Component 2: Proof/Credibility

Why should anyone believe you? Add a credibility marker.

Types of proof:

Track Record:
"3 exits totaling $48M"
"Scaled 5 companies from $0 to $10M+ ARR"
"Helped 200+ founders raise capital"

Previous Experience:
"Former VP at [Recognizable Company]"
"Ex-Google | Ex-McKinsey"
"20 years in enterprise sales"

Results:
"$100M+ in client revenue generated"
"Featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, WSJ"
"Advisor to 15 YC companies"

Credentials:
"Stanford MBA | Series A+ Expert"
"2x Author | TEDx Speaker"

Choose the most impressive, relevant credential. Don't list everything—one powerful proof point beats three mediocre ones.

Component 3: Secondary Value (Optional)

If you have room, add a third element that either:

• Shows personality/interests
• Adds another value dimension
• Creates relatability

Examples:

"| Kitesurfer"
"| Writing about AI & the future of work"
"| Advocate for founder mental health"
"| Building in public"

This humanizes you and creates additional connection points.

Complete Formula Examples

For Founders:

"Building [Company] to help [audience] achieve [outcome] | [Previous credibility] | [Interest]"

"Building Influence Craft to help founders build personal brands without the time drain | 3 exits, $48M+ | Kiteboarder"

For Consultants:

"Helping [specific audience] solve [specific problem] | [Proof of results] | [Secondary expertise]"

"Helping early-stage startups build go-to-market engines | $50M+ in revenue enabled | Former Stripe Growth"

For Executives:

"[Role] at [Company] | [What company does] | [Previous notable experience]"

"CTO at DataCorp | Building AI infrastructure for Fortune 500 | Ex-AWS | Open source contributor"

For Investors:

"Investing in [specific thesis] | [Fund/portfolio info] | [Value-add]"

"Investing in vertical SaaS for legacy industries | Partner at XYZ Ventures | Operator-turned-investor"

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The 7 Headline Formulas That Work

Beyond the core framework, these specific patterns consistently perform well:

Formula 1: The Problem-Solver

Pattern: "Helping [audience] solve [expensive problem]"

Examples:

"Helping SaaS founders fix broken unit economics before it's too late | 3 companies scaled to profitability"

"Helping CTOs reduce cloud costs by 40%+ without sacrificing performance | Former AWS Solutions Architect"

Why it works:

• Immediately clear value proposition
• Speaks to specific pain point
• Positions you as the solution

Best for: Consultants, agencies, service providers

Formula 2: The Builder

Pattern: "Building [solution] for [audience] | [Traction/credibility]"

Examples:

"Building the personal brand platform for busy founders | Backed by Y Combinator | 500+ customers"

"Building AI tools that help lawyers draft contracts 10x faster | Stanford CS | Ex-Clio"

Why it works:

• Shows you're actively creating, not just talking
• Clear about what and for whom
• Credibility signals trust

Best for: Founders, entrepreneurs, product builders

Formula 3: The Authority

Pattern: "[Expertise area] expert helping [audience] achieve [outcome]"

Examples:

"Growth marketing expert helping B2B SaaS companies scale from $1M to $10M ARR | 20+ successful scale-ups"

"Fundraising strategist helping technical founders raise capital | $500M+ raised for clients | Ex-VC"

Why it works:

• Establishes immediate expertise
• Quantifiable outcomes
• Clear positioning

Best for: Consultants, advisors, coaches

Formula 4: The Operator

Pattern: "[Role] at [Company] | [What makes you/company notable] | [Background]"

Examples:

"VP of Sales at CloudTech | Scaled from $5M to $50M ARR in 18 months | Previously Salesforce"

"Head of Product at FinanceAI | Building the future of banking | Ex-Stripe, Goldman Sachs"

Why it works:

• Clear current positioning
• Impressive metrics or traction
• Credible background

Best for: Executives at scaling companies

Formula 5: The Multi-hyphenate

Pattern: "[Role 1] | [Role 2] | [Unifying theme or credibility]"

Examples:

"Founder | Angel Investor | Advisor to 20+ startups in AI & FinTech | 2 exits"

"Operator | Writer | Podcast Host | Sharing lessons from building 3 companies"

Why it works:

• Shows range and expertise
• Multiple entry points for connection
• Demonstrates proven track record

Best for: Serial entrepreneurs, investors, portfolio careers

Formula 6: The Mission-Driven

Pattern: "[Mission/cause] | [How you do it] | [Credibility]"

Examples:

"Making healthcare accessible through telemedicine | CEO at HealthTech Co | Former surgeon"

"Democratizing wealth-building for the middle class | Building investment platform | Ex-Goldman, Wharton MBA"

Why it works:

• Attracts mission-aligned people
• Clear purpose and approach
• Backs up mission with credibility

Best for: Impact-focused founders, social entrepreneurs

Formula 7: The Straight Shooter

Pattern: "[Simple, direct statement of value] | [Proof]"

Examples:

"I help founders raise capital | $2B+ raised for clients | Former VC partner"

"I build sales systems for technical founders | 100+ companies scaled | Predictable Revenue framework"

Why it works:

• No fluff, immediate clarity
• Confident and direct
• Strong proof point

Best for: Confident experts with strong track records

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Keywords for LinkedIn Search

Your headline affects searchability. Strategic keyword inclusion helps you appear when people search for your expertise.

How LinkedIn Search Works

Headline weight:
LinkedIn's search algorithm heavily weights your headline. Keywords here matter more than keywords in your About section.

Exact match priority:
Exact phrase matches rank higher than partial matches

Relevance signals:
LinkedIn looks at your entire profile for relevance, but headline is the strongest signal

Keyword Research Strategy

Step 1: List what people search for

What terms would your ideal connection/customer/partner search?

For a SaaS founder:

• "SaaS founder"
• "B2B SaaS"
• "SaaS growth"
• "Product-market fit"
• "Fundraising"

Step 2: Check search volumes

Use LinkedIn's search bar:

• Type potential keywords
• Look at autocomplete suggestions
• These are popular searches

Step 3: Analyze competitors

Find 5-10 people in similar roles who show up in searches:

• What keywords are in their headlines?
• What patterns do you notice?
• What opportunities are they missing?

Step 4: Prioritize

Choose 2-3 keywords that are:

• Highly searched
• Relevant to what you do
• Specific enough to attract the right people

Keyword Integration Examples

Forced keyword stuffing (Bad):
"SaaS | B2B | Founder | Entrepreneur | Growth | Marketing | Sales | Startup"

This reads like spam and dilutes your message.

Natural keyword integration (Good):
"Building B2B SaaS go-to-market strategies for technical founders | Growth marketing expert | 50+ startups scaled"

Keywords: B2B SaaS, technical founders, growth marketing, startups

The balance:

Your headline should read naturally while including strategic keywords. When you have to choose between keyword optimization and clarity, choose clarity.

For more on LinkedIn algorithm optimization, see LinkedIn Algorithm Decoded.

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Common Headline Mistakes

Mistake 1: Just Your Job Title

"CEO at Company X"

Why it fails:

• Doesn't communicate what your company does
• No value proposition
• Doesn't differentiate you from every other CEO

Fix:
"CEO at Company X | Building [solution] for [audience] | [Credibility]"

Mistake 2: Buzzword Soup

"Innovative Thought Leader | Disruptive Entrepreneur | Growth Hacker | Digital Transformation Expert"

Why it fails:

• Says nothing concrete
• Buzzwords without substance
• Triggers credibility skepticism

Fix:
Replace vague terms with specific value: what you actually do and for whom.

Mistake 3: Too Clever or Vague

"Professional Problem Solver"
"Helping companies think different"
"Chief Awesome Officer"

Why it fails:

• Unclear what you actually do
• Forces people to work to understand
• Doesn't help you appear in searches

Fix:
Be specific and clear over clever.

Mistake 4: No Proof/Credibility

"Helping startups grow"

Why it fails:

• Why should anyone believe you can help?
• What makes you qualified?
• No differentiation

Fix:
Add concrete credibility: results, background, credentials.

Mistake 5: Too Much Information

Trying to cram everything:
"CEO | Founder | Investor | Advisor | Speaker | Author | Podcast Host | Husband | Father | Dog Lover | Coffee Enthusiast"

Why it fails:

• Dilutes your primary message
• Hard to scan
• Unclear what you're actually known for

Fix:
Choose 1-3 most important identities. Cut the rest.

Mistake 6: Not Updated

Your headline reflects what you were doing three years ago, not now.

Why it fails:

• Misrepresents your current focus
• Missed opportunities from new positioning
• Stale personal brand

Fix:
Review and update quarterly. Your headline should reflect your current focus.

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Headline Variations by Goal

Different goals require different headline approaches.

Goal: Fundraising

Optimize for:

• Traction signals
• Market size/opportunity
• Investor-relevant keywords
• Credibility with VCs

Example:
"Building AI infrastructure for healthcare | $5M ARR, 100% YoY growth | Featured in TechCrunch | Ex-Google"

Keywords: AI, healthcare, ARR, growth
Signals: Revenue traction, press, strong background

Goal: Hiring Top Talent

Optimize for:

• Mission and vision
• Company momentum
• Culture signals
• Team credibility

Example:
"CTO at RocketShip | Building ML platform used by 1,000+ companies | Remote-first culture | Ex-Stripe, Ex-Databricks"

Signals: Scale, interesting tech, culture fit, strong team

Goal: Business Development

Optimize for:

• Specific value you provide
• Industries you serve
• Partnership-relevant credibility

Example:
"Helping enterprise companies implement AI | 50+ Fortune 500 clients | IBM, Salesforce, Adobe | 20 years in enterprise sales"

Signals: Enterprise focus, proven track record, relevant clients

Goal: Thought Leadership

Optimize for:

• Expertise area
• Content creation
• Authority signals

Example:
"Product strategy for B2B SaaS | Writing about product-market fit | Advisor to 15 YC companies | Former Intercom PM"

Signals: Specific expertise, active content creator, proven advisor

Goal: Career Transition

Optimize for:

• Skills, not just previous title
• Transferable expertise
• What you're building toward

Example:
"Product leader transitioning to AI/ML | 10 years shipping products used by millions | Stanford CS | Open to opportunities"

Signals: Relevant skills, proven track record, clear direction

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Testing and Optimizing Your Headline

Your headline isn't set in stone. Test and refine.

The A/B Testing Process

Week 1-2: Baseline
Track your current performance:

• Profile views per week
• Connection requests received
• Search appearances
• Who's viewing your profile

Week 3-4: Test Variation A
Change one element:

• Different value proposition
• New credibility marker
• Adjusted keywords
• Alternative formula

Track the same metrics.

Week 5-6: Test Variation B
Try another variation. Track again.

Analysis:
Which headline drove:

• More profile views?
• Higher quality connections?
• More relevant opportunities?
• Better search visibility?

What to Test

Test 1: Different formulas
Try the Builder formula vs. the Problem-Solver formula

Test 2: Different credibility markers
Previous company vs. revenue numbers vs. client results

Test 3: Keyword variations
"B2B SaaS" vs. "Enterprise Software" vs. "Business Software"

Test 4: Length
Short and punchy vs. using full 220 characters

Measurement Metrics

Primary metrics:

• Profile views (trending up = better headline)
• Connection acceptance rate (higher = more relevant positioning)
• Inbound messages (quality and quantity)

Secondary metrics:

• Search appearances (found for right terms?)
• Who's viewing your profile (right audience?)
• Connection request sources (how they found you)

The winner:
The headline that attracts the most of your ideal audience, not just the most total attention.

For complete personal brand strategy, see Building a Personal Brand as a Founder.

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Advanced Headline Strategies

Strategy 1: The Two-Track Headline

Have two versions: one for active search, one for thought leadership.

When networking/searching:
Optimize for keywords and clarity
"B2B SaaS Growth Expert | Helping companies scale from $1M to $10M ARR | 30+ successful scale-ups"

When posting content regularly:
Optimize for authority and interest
"Building repeatable go-to-market systems | Sharing frameworks weekly | Scaled 30+ B2B companies"

Switch based on your current priority.

Strategy 2: The Seasonal Update

Update your headline for specific campaigns or focuses.

During fundraising:
Add traction signals and investment stage
"Building AI platform for healthcare | Raising Series A | $5M ARR, 150% growth | Ex-Google Health"

During hiring:
Emphasize culture and team
"CTO at FastGrowth | Building world-class engineering team | Remote-first | Backed by a16z"

During launch:
Highlight what you're launching
"Launching personal brand platform for founders | 500+ beta users | Backed by YC"

Strategy 3: The Conversation Starter

Include something unexpected that creates talking points.

Examples:

"Building dev tools for AI | Reformed academic (PhD dropout) | Kiteboarding addict"
→ The "reformed academic" and kiteboarding are conversation hooks

"Helping companies fix broken unit economics | Saved 50+ startups from death | Reformed spreadsheet nerd"
→ "Reformed spreadsheet nerd" is memorable and relatable

The balance:
Still lead with value, but add personality that makes you memorable and approachable.

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Headline Examples by Industry/Role

For SaaS Founders

"Building [Product] to help [Audience] achieve [Outcome] | [Funding/Traction] | [Previous Company]"

"Building payment infrastructure for vertical SaaS | $10M ARR | Ex-Stripe"

For Consultants

"Helping [Audience] solve [Specific Problem] | [Results Generated] | [Methodology/Framework]"

"Helping B2B companies build pipeline without cold outreach | $100M+ in revenue generated | Founder of Outbound 2.0™"

For Investors

"Investing in [Thesis] at [Fund] | [Portfolio Highlights] | [Operator Background]"

"Investing in climate tech at GreenVentures | Portfolio: ClimateAI, SolarTech | Former founder (2 exits)"

For Content Creators

"Writing about [Topic] for [Audience] | [Audience Size] | [Credibility]"

"Writing about startup growth for first-time founders | 50K subscribers | 3x founder, 2 exits"

For Executives

"[Role] at [Company] | [Company achievement/mission] | [Previous notable experience]"

"VP Product at DataCo | Building analytics used by 10,000+ companies | Previously Tableau, Salesforce"

For Advisors

"Advising [Type] companies on [Area] | [Number] of companies advised | [Background]"

"Advising early-stage SaaS on go-to-market | 40+ companies (15 to $10M+ ARR) | Ex-VP Sales at Hubspot"

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Your Headline Optimization Checklist

Before finalizing your headline, check:

Clarity:

• Can someone understand what you do in 3 seconds?
• Is it specific, not generic?
• Would your ideal connection immediately understand your value?

Credibility:

• Does it include proof you're qualified?
• Is the proof specific and impressive?
• Does it build trust?

Keywords:

• Does it include 2-3 searchable terms?
• Are keywords integrated naturally?
• Will you appear for relevant searches?

Differentiation:

• Is it unique compared to others in your space?
• Does it communicate your specific approach?
• Would 100 other people write this same headline?

Length:

• Does it use the full 220 characters effectively?
• Is every word earning its place?
• Can you say more with less?

Audience Alignment:

• Does it speak to your ideal audience?
• Does it attract the right opportunities?
• Does it filter out wrong-fit connections?

If you check all boxes, you have a strong headline.

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The 30-Day Headline Challenge

Transform your LinkedIn presence starting with your headline.

Week 1:

• Audit your current headline against this framework
• List your value proposition, proof, and keywords
• Write 5 variations using different formulas
• Get feedback from 3 trusted people

Week 2:

• Choose your top 2 variations
• Implement variation A
• Track baseline metrics (profile views, connection requests)

Week 3:

• Switch to variation B
• Continue tracking metrics
• Note which gets better engagement

Week 4:

• Analyze results
• Finalize your headline
• Create calendar reminder to review quarterly

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The Truth About Headlines

Your headline alone won't transform your LinkedIn presence. But it's the foundation.

A great headline:

• Increases profile views by 50-200%
• Improves connection acceptance rates
• Helps you appear in relevant searches
• Positions you clearly in people's minds

Combined with great content and genuine engagement, your optimized headline becomes a powerful asset.

The most common mistake:
Spending hours crafting the perfect headline, then never updating it again.

The winning approach:
Create a strong headline using these frameworks, then refine it quarterly based on:

• What's working in your business
• Feedback from your network
• Changes in your positioning
• New achievements to highlight

Your headline should evolve as you grow.

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Your Next Steps

Today:
Write three headline variations using different formulas from this guide

This Week:
Test your top variation and track profile views for 7 days

This Month:
Optimize based on data and commit to quarterly reviews

This Quarter:
Combine your optimized headline with consistent content (see Creating Consistent, High-Quality Social Content)

Your headline is your first impression. Make it count.

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About Influence Craft

Your LinkedIn headline is just one piece of your personal brand. Influence Craft helps busy founders build complete personal brands efficiently—turning voice recordings into polished content that reinforces your positioning across all platforms. Learn more at influencecraft.com.

Related Resources:

• Complete Guide to LinkedIn Personal Branding
• LinkedIn Algorithm Decoded: How to Get Your Posts Seen
• 15 LinkedIn Post Formats That Drive Maximum Engagement
• Building a Personal Brand as a Founder