How to Write a Killer LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn profile isn’t just a digital resume, it’s the hub of your professional brand, a powerful networking tool, and often the first impression you make on a potential employer, client, or collaborator. This guide breaks down exactly how to overhaul your profile, section by section, turning it from a static CV into a dynamic platform that works for you around the clock.

First Things First: The Visuals That Grab Attention

People are visual creatures. Before they read a single word of your headline, they’ll see your face and your banner. Getting these two elements right sets the stage for everything else.

Your Profile Photo: Professionalism Meets Personality

Your profile picture is your digital handshake. Let's make it a good one. It doesn't need to be taken by a professional photographer, but it does need to be professional.

• Stick to a Headshot: Your photo should be of your head and shoulders. No photos of you on vacation, with your dog, or cut out from a group picture.
• Keep it Current: Use a photo taken within the last couple of years. It should look like you on a good work day.
• Look at the Camera and Smile: This makes you look approachable and confident. A warm, genuine smile goes a long way.
• Use a Clean Background: A simple, uncluttered background keeps the focus on you. Think a solid-color wall, a blurred office setting, or a simple outdoor scene. Avoid distracting backgrounds.

Quick Tip: Use a free tool like remove.bg to take out a busy background and replace it with a simple color that complements your brand or outfit.

Your Banner Image: A Billboard for Your Brand

The default blue banner is a huge missed opportunity. Your banner image is a 1584 x 396-pixel billboard at the top of your profile. Use it to tell people who you are and what you do at a glance.

Banner Ideas:

• For Job Seekers: Include keywords related to your target role and industry. For example, "Digital Marketing | SEO & Content Strategy | Google Analytics Certified."
• For Entrepreneurs/Freelancers: Display your company logo, a tagline, or a simple call-to-action like your website URL or a 'Book a Call' prompt.
• For Thought Leaders: Use an image of you speaking at an event, a quote that represents your professional philosophy, or the title of your latest book or course.
• For Corporate Professionals: Use company-branded imagery or a high-quality photo that reflects your industry (e.g., a city skyline for real estate, clean code for a developer).

Your Headline: More Than Just a Job Title

Your headline is the most valuable piece of real estate on your profile after your name. The default setting just pulls your current job title and company, which tells a very small part of your story. A great headline communicates your value proposition - what you do and who you do it for.

Don't just write "Marketing Manager at ABC Corp."

Instead, try a formula that highlights your impact:

[Your Title/Role] | Helping [Your Target Audience] Do/Achieve [Their Goal] Through [Your Skill/Method]

Examples in Action:

• Instead of: "Content Writer"
  Try: "Content Writer & SEO Strategist | Helping SaaS Brands Increase Organic Traffic and Convert Leads"
• Instead of: "Sales Director"
  Try: "Sales Director | Building High-Performance Teams That Exceed Revenue Targets in the B2B Tech Space"
• Instead of: "HR Manager"
  Try: "People & Culture Leader | Creating Inclusive Workplaces Where Top Talent Thrives"

This approach instantly tells recruiters, potential clients, and network connections what you bring to the table. It's searchable, clear, and focused on value.

The About Section: Tell Your Professional Story

If your headline is the hook, your "About" section is the story. It’s your chance to expand on your headline, show some personality, and connect with the reader on a human level. Always write this in the first person ("I," not "John Smith is...").

Structure your About section for maximum impact:

1. The Hook (First 2-3 Sentences): Start with a strong opening that summarizes your professional mission or core expertise. This is what people see before they have to click "see more," so make it count.
2. The Body (2-3 paragraphs): This is where you elaborate. Talk about your journey, what you're passionate about professionally, your key skills, and the types of problems you solve. Share a few highlight accomplishments, framing them around the results you delivered.
3. The Call to Action (Final Sentence): Tell the reader what you want them to do next. Do you want them to check out your portfolio? Connect with you? Send you an email? Make it explicit.

Sample About Section Snippet:

"I partner with small business owners to take the chaos out of their social media marketing. For the past 8 years, I've developed and executed content strategies that not only grow follower counts but drive real, measurable revenue."

"...In my previous role at XYZ Agency, I led a campaign that resulted in a 200% increase in inbound leads for a B2B client in just six months."

"I’m always open to discussing new projects or connecting with fellow marketing enthusiasts. Feel free to send me a connect request or reach out at [your email]."

Don't be afraid to be conversational. This is your brand's voice.

The Experience Section: Focus on Accomplishments, Not Duties

Most people treat the Experience section like a copied-and-pasted list of job duties from their resume. This is a mistake. Nobody cares what you were supposed to do, they care what you actually accomplished.

For each role, use 3-5 bullet points to highlight your key achievements. Frame them around results, using numbers to quantify your impact whenever possible.

Weak vs. Strong Experience Bullet Points:

• Weak: "Responsible for managing the company blog."
• Strong: "Managed the company blog, growing monthly readership from 10k to 50k unique visitors in 12 months by implementing a new SEO-focused content strategy."

• Weak: "Led the sales team."
• Strong: "Led a team of 10 sales professionals to achieve 115% of our annual quota, driving $5M in new business revenue for FY2023."

Think action verbs and measurable outcomes. What did you improve, create, solve, or increase? That's what belongs here.

The Featured Section: Your Personal Portfolio

This is one of the most underutilized sections. The Featured section allows you to visually showcase your best work right below your "About" summary. It’s your highlight reel.

What to Feature:

• Links to your best articles, interviews, or podcasts you've appeared on.
• Case studies showing your work and the results you achieved.
• Your professional website or portfolio.
• A link to a talk you gave or a webinar you hosted.
• Praise-worthy LinkedIn posts you’ve written.

Visually, this breaks up the text on your profile and gives visitors a direct-access pass to your greatest hits. It's proof that you can do what your profile claims you can do.

Curating Your Skills & Seeking Endorsements

This section serves as a keyword goldmine for LinkedIn’s search algorithm and adds social proof to your abilities. But a list of 50 unverified skills isn't helpful.

First, curate your list. Trim it down to the skills most relevant to where you want to go, not just where you've been. Make sure your top 10-15 skills represent your core expertise.

Then, pin your top three. You can choose which three skills appear at the top of the list. These should be your "money" skills - the ones you absolutely want to be known for.

Finally, get endorsements. Don’t be shy about asking colleagues, past and present, to endorse you for those top three skills. Offer to do the same for them. Endorsements from others validate your claims.

Earning Recommendations: The Ultimate Social Proof

Endorsements are a nice nod, but a written recommendation is pure gold. These are personal testimonials that speak volumes about your work ethic, expertise, and a pleasure to work with.

The best way to get them? Give them first. When a project wraps up, write a thoughtful, genuine recommendation for a manager or a key collaborator you've worked closely with. Most will happily reciprocate.

When you ask someone, guide them. Sending a blank request often doesn't work, as most people are busy. Instead, send a gentle message: 'Would you mind writing a brief recommendation on my contributions to the XYZ project, perhaps highlighting my work on [specific skill or achievement]?'. This makes it much easier for them to say yes, and ensures you receive a tailored testimonial that is directly relevant to your accomplishments.

Final Thoughts

Building a killer LinkedIn profile isn't a one-time task, it's a practice of continuous refinement. By treating your profile as a dynamic landing page for your professional brand, you create a powerful asset that attracts opportunities and builds meaningful connections.

Once your profile is established, consistently sharing content is what cements your credibility and brand. That’s where a modern tool built for the realities of social media today comes in. At Postbase, we designed a simple visual platform to help you plan and schedule your content all in one place, without getting lost in spreadsheets. It's powerful, reliable, and straightforward - just what you need to keep your momentum going after perfecting your killer profile.