Professional Elements of the Headline

Listen to this Article

The professional elements of the headline in LinkedIn appear along with the photo in several places:

• on the profile page, just below the name
• search results
• within the groups
• in Inbox
• number of other places across the site
• externally to the site as well, visible to those who find the profile via search engines

The professional element of the headline is also known as the “tag line.” The tag line appears next to a person’s name and describes what the person does in less than 220 characters.

Underlying principles of slogans and taglines in advertising

We will do well to understand the underlying principles of slogans and tag lines in the world of advertising and leverage that to construct an effective tag line in LinkedIn.

“Brevity is a great charm of eloquence” - Marcus Tulius Cicero.

Slogans and taglines can be used interchangeably.

They are short and crisp.

Brands that have done it right convey their value proposition to their buyer persona in one short sentence.

It is especially difficult to express a complex emotional concept in a couple of words - which is exactly what slogans and taglines do.

Brevity is indeed a great charm of eloquence.

In business, a slogan is “a catchphrase or small group of words that are combined in a special way to identify a product or company.”

In many ways, they are like mini-mission statements.

Companies have slogans for the same reason they have logos: advertising. While logos are visual representations of a brand, slogans are audible representations of a brand. Both formats grab consumers’ attention more readily than the name of a company or a product. Plus, they are simpler to understand and remember.

The goal? To leave a key brand message in consumers’ minds so that they will remember the slogan if they remember nothing else from an advertisement.

Slogan

It is memorable: Is the slogan quickly recognizable? Will people only have to spend a second or two thinking about it? A brief but few strong words can go a long way in advertisements, videos, posters, business cards, swag, and other places.

It includes a key benefit: Ever heard the marketing advice, “Sell the sizzle, not the steak?” It means sell the benefits, not the features - which apply perfectly to slogans. A great slogan makes a company or product’s benefits clear to the audience.

It differentiates the brand: Does your light beer have the fullest flavor? Or maybe the fewest calories? What is it about your product or brand that sets it apart from competitors?

It imparts positive feelings about the brand: The best taglines use words that are positive and upbeat. For example, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups’ slogan, “Two great tastes that taste great together,” gives the audience good feelings about Reese’s. In contrast, a slogan like Lea & Perrins’, “Steak sauce only a cow could hate,” uses negative words. The former leaves a better impression on the audience.

Here are interesting examples of slogans and tag lines.

• Dollar Shave Club: “Shave Time. Shave Money.”
• MasterCard: “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.”
• M&M: “Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands.”
• De Beers: “A Diamond Is Forever.”
• Verizon: “Can You Hear Me Now? Good.”
• Pitney Bowes: “We Power Transactions That Drive Commerce.”
• Nike: “Just Do It.”
• Apple: “Think Different.”
• L’Oréal Paris: “Because You’re Worth It.”
• BMW: “Designed for Driving Pleasure.”
• Lays: “Betcha Can’t Eat Just One.”
• Audi: “Advancement Through Technology.”
• McDonald’s: “I’m Lovin’ It.”
• The New York Times: “All the News That’s Fit to Print.”
• General Electric: “Imagination at Work.”

Key takeaways for the tagline in LinkedIn

The LinkedIn headline appears next to a person’s name and describes what the person does in less than 220 characters. The tagline, therefore, has to be brief.

Many people take a “just-the-facts” approach, listing only their company or job titles. However, the tag line has to be treated like an advertisement for a personal brand. It has to be used to build a personal brand. One must treat it like a mission statement — encapsulating who you are and why people should connect with you. Ideally, it should be enticing and memorable for someone to click on your profile and not your competitors’.

You must not be afraid to talk about your passion, mission, or whatever else you care about.

There is no standard formula for a great headline.

Two key considerations

• profile has to give an excellent idea about what you do and who you are?
• increase the probability of being found through the search function

The five elements of a great tag line

• succinctly showcase the recruiter’s specialty, value proposition, or the “so what?”
• speaks directly to the audience you want to entice
• should be specific
• worm in the important keywords
• can be creative

Succinctly showcase the recruiter’s specialty, value proposition, or the “so what?”

A succinct profile intrigues the viewer to stop and take a closer look at your profile

Speak directly to the audience you want to entice

Your tag line should consider its target audience and then speak directly to them. What will compel or seduce the decision-maker at the receiving end of the message?

Be specific

Again, you may want to consider who you are trying to reach with the tagline and how you can stand out from the competition. The more specific you are the better.

Worm in the important keywords

Keywords are important when it comes to the tag line. You may want to ideally include all the keywords that a prospective collaborator is likely to use to arrive at your page. You may want to include as many keywords as possible in the tagline to increase traffic to your page.

Be creative

The tagline must be creative enough to capture the attention and leave an indelible mark instantly.

Summarizing

• the tag line is a great place to showcase your brand
• it must be treated like a mission statement
• it must be brief and memorable
• it must include a key benefit, differentiate your brand, and leave a positive recall of your brand
• it must be leveraged creatively to showcase the brand and grab the intended audience’s attention
• it must use keywords to increase the probability of being found through search functions

Examples of interesting professional elements of the headline

Here are some interesting and imaginative tag lines.

• I do not usually stalk profiles, but when I do, I usually have a career opportunity for you. Want to connect?
• Build the teams that shape Google’s future.
• Global Marketing Program Manager focussed on employee advocacy and elevation through Social Media
• Making it simple for you to get results from social media & online marketing. Unique combo of PhD forensic scientist, empathetic communicator & ‘spectacularly popular presenter’
• Searching for brave minds to help us reimagine healthcare. Join IQVIA
• I help authors, speakers, and business owners to launch, grow and monetize their podcasts
• Empowering People to Change Their Lives
• Irreverent writer on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook
• Head honcho, head-hunter, sometimes head-shrinker, and living proof that the only good recruiter is NOT a dead recruiter!