LinkedIn Headline Examples: Write Headlines That Get Noticed (2026)

Your LinkedIn headline is the most visible piece of text on your entire profile. It appears in search results, connection requests, comments, messages, and every piece of content you share. When someone decides whether to click on your profile, read your post, or accept your connection request, the headline is almost always the deciding factor.

Despite this, most LinkedIn headlines are terrible. The default headline LinkedIn auto-generates -- "Job Title at Company" -- tells the reader nothing about what you actually do, who you help, or why they should care. It is the professional equivalent of a blank business card.

This guide provides 50+ real LinkedIn headline examples organized by profession, along with formulas, before-and-after rewrites, and optimization tips for 2026. Whether you are job hunting, building a personal brand, generating leads, or establishing thought leadership, you will find headline templates you can adapt immediately.

Why Your LinkedIn Headline Matters More Than You Think

Your headline does four jobs simultaneously:

1. Search visibility. LinkedIn's search algorithm heavily weights headline text. The keywords in your headline determine whether you appear when recruiters, prospects, or partners search for people like you.
2. First impression. In search results and feeds, people see your photo, name, and headline -- nothing else. The headline is your three-second pitch.
3. Credibility signal. A well-crafted headline positions you as intentional and professional. A default headline signals the opposite.
4. Click driver. A compelling headline generates profile visits. More profile visits mean more opportunities -- job inquiries, partnership requests, inbound leads, and speaking invitations.

LinkedIn Headline Character Limit in 2026

LinkedIn allows 220 characters in the headline field. Most people use fewer than 60. Using the full character limit gives you space to include your role, your value proposition, and relevant keywords -- a significant advantage in search and first impressions.

Tip: While you have 220 characters available, only approximately 60-80 characters are visible in most contexts (search results, comment sections, feed posts) before being truncated. Front-load the most important information in the first 60 characters, then use the remaining space for keywords and supporting details.

The 5 LinkedIn Headline Formulas That Work

Before diving into examples, understand the formulas behind effective headlines. Every strong LinkedIn headline uses one of these structures.

Formula 1: Role + Who You Help + Result You Deliver

This is the gold standard for service providers, consultants, and B2B professionals.

Structure: [What you do] | Helping [audience] [achieve outcome]

Examples:

• B2B Content Strategist | Helping SaaS Companies Turn Blog Traffic Into Pipeline
• Fractional CFO | Helping Startups Extend Runway and Hit Profitability Faster
• Sales Coach | Helping SDR Teams Double Response Rates Without Cold Calling

Formula 2: Title + Company + Unique Value Statement

Best for people who want to leverage their company's brand while adding personal differentiation.

Structure: [Title] at [Company] | [What makes you different]

Examples:

• Head of Growth at Notion | Building the productivity workspace for 30M+ teams
• Senior Engineer at Stripe | Making internet payments invisible
• VP Marketing at HubSpot | Turning inbound philosophy into revenue reality

Formula 3: Mission Statement

Ideal for founders, thought leaders, and anyone building a personal brand around a cause or vision.

Structure: [Action verb] + [mission] + [optional proof point]

Examples:

• Making AI accessible to non-technical marketers | 500K+ newsletter subscribers
• Building the future of remote work | CEO at DistributeHQ
• Democratizing financial literacy | Reached 2M people in 2025

Formula 4: Keyword-Stacked Expertise List

Optimized for search visibility. Best for freelancers, consultants, and job seekers who need to appear in multiple search queries.

Structure: [Keyword 1] | [Keyword 2] | [Keyword 3] | [Differentiator]

Examples:

• SEO Strategist | Content Marketing | Digital PR | Driving Organic Growth for B2B SaaS
• UX Designer | Product Design | Design Systems | Currently Open to Senior Roles
• Data Analyst | SQL | Python | Tableau | Turning Messy Data Into Business Decisions

Formula 5: Result-Led Proof Statement

Leads with a quantifiable achievement. Best for salespeople, marketers, and anyone whose work produces measurable outcomes.

Structure: [Result] | [Role/Context] | [How]

Examples:

• Grew ARR from $2M to $18M in 18 Months | VP Growth at ScaleUp | Paid + Organic
• 3x Pipeline in 6 Months for 12 B2B Clients | Demand Gen Consultant
• Reduced Customer Churn by 40% | Head of Customer Success at RetainCo

50+ LinkedIn Headline Examples by Profession

For Marketers and Marketing Managers

1. Digital Marketing Manager | Scaling Paid Media for DTC Brands | Meta, TikTok, Google
2. Growth Marketer | Building Full-Funnel Acquisition Systems for Series A-C Startups
3. Content Marketing Lead at [Company] | Turned a Blog Into Our #1 Revenue Channel
4. Performance Marketing Director | $50M+ in Managed Ad Spend | ROAS-Obsessed
5. Brand Strategist | Helping Challenger Brands Steal Market Share From Category Leaders
6. Email Marketing Manager | 40%+ Open Rates Without Clickbait Subject Lines
7. Marketing Operations Specialist | HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce | Making Martech Actually Work

For Founders and CEOs

1. CEO at [Company] | Building AI Tools That Replace 80% of Video Production Workflow
2. Founder | Helping Small Businesses Compete With Enterprise Ad Budgets Using AI
3. Co-Founder & CTO at [Company] | Previously Staff Engineer at Google | Building in Public
4. Serial Entrepreneur | 3 Exits | Now Building the Shopify of Digital Services
5. Founder of [Company] | $0 to $5M ARR in 14 Months | Bootstrapped
6. CEO at [Company] | Fixing the $100B Problem of Wasted Ad Spend
7. Founder | 2x Y Combinator | Obsessed With Making B2B Buying Less Painful

For Salespeople and Business Development

1. Enterprise Account Executive at [Company] | Helping CTOs Modernize Their Data Stack
2. Senior SDR | 300%+ Quota Last 4 Quarters | Outbound Is Not Dead, Your Messaging Is
3. Sales Director | Building Revenue Teams That Close 7-Figure Deals Without Discounting
4. Account Executive | SaaS Sales | I Help IT Leaders Cut Vendor Costs by 30-40%
5. BDR Team Lead | Turning Cold Outreach Into Warm Conversations | Training 200+ Reps
6. VP of Sales | Scaling $10M to $50M ARR | Enterprise SaaS | Hiring AEs in Austin and NYC
7. Solutions Consultant | Translating Technical Complexity Into Business Value for C-Suite Buyers

For Designers and Creatives

1. Product Designer at [Company] | Designing Interfaces That Reduce Support Tickets by 60%
2. UX Researcher | Helping Product Teams Build for Real Users, Not Assumptions
3. Brand Designer | Creating Visual Identities for Startups Ready to Look Like $100M Companies
4. Creative Director | 15 Years of Campaigns That People Actually Remember
5. Motion Designer | Bringing Static Brands to Life With Video and Animation
6. UI/UX Designer | Design Systems | Accessibility Advocate | Open to Contract Work
7. Graphic Designer | E-commerce | Packaging | Social Media Visuals | DM for Rates

For Software Engineers and Developers

1. Senior Software Engineer at [Company] | Building Distributed Systems That Process 1B Events/Day
2. Full-Stack Developer | React, Node, AWS | Building Tools for Developer Productivity
3. Machine Learning Engineer | NLP | Computer Vision | Making AI Work in Production, Not Just Papers
4. Staff Engineer at [Company] | Leading the Migration From Monolith to Microservices
5. Frontend Engineer | Performance Optimization Nerd | Shaved 3.2s Off Load Time for 40M Users
6. DevOps Engineer | Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD | Automating Away Toil So Teams Ship Faster
7. iOS Developer | 5 Apps, 2M+ Combined Downloads | Currently Building in Health Tech

For Recruiters and HR Professionals

1. Technical Recruiter | Placing Senior Engineers at Top-Tier Startups | 94% Offer Accept Rate
2. Head of People at [Company] | Building Cultures Where Top Performers Actually Stay
3. Talent Acquisition Leader | Reduced Time-to-Hire by 40% Without Lowering the Bar
4. HR Business Partner | Org Design, Comp Strategy, Employee Experience | SHRM-SCP
5. Recruiter | I Match Great Engineers With Companies That Deserve Them | DM Me Your Dream Role

For Consultants and Freelancers

1. Fractional CMO | Bringing Enterprise Marketing Strategy to Companies That Cannot Afford a Full-Time CMO
2. Freelance Copywriter | DTC and SaaS | Words That Sell | 200+ Clients Since 2020
3. Management Consultant | McKinsey Alum | Helping Mid-Market Companies Operate Like Fortune 500s
4. Fractional CRO | Revenue Operations | Helping B2B Teams Align Sales, Marketing, and CS
5. Independent SEO Consultant | Recovered 12 Sites From Google Penalties in 2025 Alone

For Job Seekers

1. Marketing Manager | 8 Years in B2B SaaS | Seeking a Role Where Data Drives Creative Decisions
2. Product Manager | Open to PM or PMM Roles | Previously at Shopify and Atlassian
3. Software Engineer | React, TypeScript, GraphQL | Actively Interviewing | Open to Remote
4. Recent MBA Graduate | Finance and Strategy | Looking to Join a High-Growth Startup
5. Customer Success Manager | Reduced Churn 35% at Last 2 Companies | Open to New Opportunities

For Content Creators and Influencers

1. Writing About the Intersection of AI and Marketing | 150K Newsletter Subscribers
2. LinkedIn Creator | 50M+ Impressions in 2025 | Helping Professionals Build Audiences That Convert
3. Tech YouTuber | 500K Subs | Making Complex Technology Understandable for Everyone
4. Podcast Host of [Show Name] | Interviewing the Founders Behind the Fastest-Growing Startups

Before-and-After Headline Rewrites

The best way to understand what makes a headline effective is to see weak headlines transformed into strong ones.

Rewrite 1: The Generic Marketer

Before: Marketing Manager at ABC Corp

After: Marketing Manager at ABC Corp | Scaling Paid Campaigns Across Meta, TikTok & Google | $20M+ in Managed Spend

What changed: Added platform expertise, a quantifiable proof point, and searchable keywords. The original tells you a job title. The rewrite tells you what you are actually good at.

Rewrite 2: The Vague Founder

Before: Founder & CEO

After: Founder & CEO at [Company] | Helping E-commerce Brands Create Video Ads 10x Faster With AI

What changed: Added the company name (critical for discoverability), specified the target audience, and included a measurable value proposition.

Rewrite 3: The Buzzword Victim

Before: Passionate | Innovative | Results-Driven Professional

After: Operations Director | Reduced Costs 28% Across 3 Warehouses | Supply Chain Optimization

What changed: Replaced meaningless adjectives with a concrete role, a specific achievement, and a searchable skill. Adjectives like "passionate" and "innovative" are noise. Numbers and specifics are signal.

Rewrite 4: The Shy Job Seeker

Before: Looking for new opportunities

After: Senior Data Analyst | Python, SQL, Tableau | Open to Roles in Fintech or Healthcare | NYC or Remote

What changed: Added the target role, core skills (searchable keywords), preferred industries, and location preference. Recruiters search by skill and title, not by "looking for opportunities."

Rewrite 5: The Kitchen Sink

Before: CEO / Advisor / Speaker / Author / Investor / Board Member / Mentor / Thought Leader

After: CEO at [Company] | Angel Investor in 15+ Startups | Author of [Book Title] | Speaking on AI and the Future of Work

What changed: Reduced role-stacking to the most relevant and impressive items. When everything is highlighted, nothing stands out. Prioritize the 2-3 roles that are most relevant to your current professional goal.

Optimization Tips for 2026

Tip 1: Front-Load Keywords

LinkedIn search matches headline text. Place your most important keywords in the first 60 characters since that is what is visible in most truncated views.

Instead of: Passionate about helping startups grow through content marketing
Write: Content Marketing Strategist | Helping Startups Grow Through SEO, Blogs, and Newsletters

The second version puts the searchable term "Content Marketing Strategist" first where it is both visible and indexed.

Tip 2: Use the Pipe Character for Readability

The pipe character ( | ) creates clean visual separation between headline segments. It is the most common and effective separator on LinkedIn.

Alternatives: bullet points, em dashes, and arrows also work. Avoid slashes (they look cluttered) and commas (they create run-on headlines).

Tip 3: Include Numbers When Possible

Numbers stand out in a sea of text. They also signal specificity and credibility.

• "10+ Years in B2B Marketing" beats "Experienced B2B Marketer"
• "3x Revenue Growth" beats "Revenue Growth Expert"
• "Serving 500+ Clients" beats "Serving Many Clients"

Tip 4: Write for Your Audience, Not for Yourself

Your headline should speak to the person reading it -- your target client, employer, or partner. Use language that resonates with them.

Self-focused: Award-Winning Graphic Designer With 12 Years of Experience
Audience-focused: Graphic Designer | Turning Brand Visions Into Visual Systems That Scale Across Every Touchpoint

The self-focused version talks about you. The audience-focused version talks about what you do for them.

Tip 5: Update Quarterly

Your headline should evolve as your goals change. If you were job hunting last quarter and now you are settled into a new role, update the headline to reflect your current priority -- whether that is building authority, generating leads, or attracting talent to your team.

Set a quarterly calendar reminder to review and refresh your headline.

Tip 6: A/B Test Informally

Change your headline and track profile views over the following two weeks (LinkedIn shows this metric). Then try a different headline and compare. The version that drives more profile views is the winner. This is the simplest form of headline optimization, and most professionals never do it.

Tip 7: Avoid These Words

Certain words have become so overused on LinkedIn that they have lost all meaning:

Avoid	Use Instead
Passionate	Name the specific domain
Innovative	Show the innovation with a result
Results-driven	State the actual result
Guru / Ninja / Rockstar	Use your real title
Thought leader	Demonstrate thought leadership with proof (subscribers, readers, speaking)
Strategic	Describe the strategy
Motivated self-starter	Remove entirely

Every word in your 220 characters should earn its place. If a word could describe anyone, it describes no one.

LinkedIn Headline Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Using the Default Headline

LinkedIn auto-populates your headline with "[Job Title] at [Company]." This is the bare minimum. It tells people what you do but nothing about why they should care. Treat the default as a starting point and build from there.

Mistake 2: Keyword Stuffing

Cramming every possible keyword into your headline hurts readability and makes you look desperate for search traffic.

Bad: SEO | SEM | PPC | Content | Email | Social Media | Marketing | Digital Marketing | Growth

Better: Digital Marketing Lead | SEO and Paid Media Strategy | Driving Growth for B2B SaaS

Include your top 3-4 keywords naturally. The rest belong in your About section and Experience descriptions.

Mistake 3: Being Too Clever

Wordplay and puns rarely work in LinkedIn headlines because context is missing. "Bean Counter Who Counts" might make sense to you, but a recruiter searching for "Senior Accountant" will never find it.

Clarity beats cleverness. Save the personality for your About section where you have space to give context.

Mistake 4: Including Your Phone Number or Email

Some people put contact information in their headline. This wastes precious character space, looks unprofessional, and invites spam. LinkedIn has a dedicated contact info section -- use it.

Mistake 5: Leaving It Empty After a Career Change

If you have just changed careers, do not leave your old headline in place. And do not leave it blank. Write a headline for the role you are moving into, even if you have not landed it yet. "Aspiring Data Analyst" is better than "Former Restaurant Manager" when you are pivoting to tech.

How Your LinkedIn Headline Connects to Your Content Strategy

Your headline is not just a profile element -- it is part of your content ecosystem. Every time you post, comment, or share on LinkedIn, your headline appears next to your name. This means your headline is reinforcing (or undermining) your positioning hundreds of times per week.

Alignment Check

Ask yourself: if someone reads my headline and then reads my last five LinkedIn posts, do they tell a consistent story? If your headline says "B2B Marketing Strategist" but your posts are about fitness and cooking, there is a disconnect that confuses your audience.

The strongest LinkedIn profiles have perfect alignment between headline, content, and profile summary. They tell one cohesive story about who you are, who you serve, and what you know.

Using Headlines in Ad Copy and Marketing

The skills that make a great LinkedIn headline -- clarity, specificity, audience awareness, and concision -- are the same skills that drive high-performing ad copy. The formulas in this article (Result + Role + How, Mission Statement, Proof-Led) translate directly to writing headlines for ads, landing pages, and email subject lines.

If you create video ads or social media content for your business, these headline principles apply to your ad hooks and captions. For tools and frameworks on writing compelling ad copy, see our guide on ad copywriting formulas and frameworks.

For B2B marketers running LinkedIn advertising campaigns, your personal headline credibility matters. Prospects who see your ad and then visit your profile will judge your authority partly based on your headline. Our guide on LinkedIn video ads for B2B covers how to combine strong personal branding with effective ad campaigns.

LinkedIn Headline Templates You Can Copy and Edit

Here are fill-in-the-blank templates you can customize right now:

For Service Providers

[Your Role] | Helping [Audience] [Achieve Outcome] | [Proof Point]

Example: Conversion Rate Optimizer | Helping E-commerce Stores Increase Revenue by 20-40% | 100+ Audits Completed

For Job Seekers

[Target Role] | [Top 3 Skills] | Open to [Role Type] | [Location Preference]

Example: Product Manager | Strategy, Analytics, User Research | Open to Senior PM Roles | SF Bay Area or Remote

For Founders

[Title] at [Company] | [One-Line Description of What Company Does] | [Traction Metric]

Example: CEO at AdCreate | AI-Powered Video Ad Generation for Brands and Agencies | 50K+ Videos Created

For Corporate Professionals

[Title] at [Company] | [What You Specifically Do] | [Notable Achievement]

Example: Director of Engineering at Datadog | Leading the Observability Platform Team | Scaled From 5 to 45 Engineers

For Thought Leaders

[Topic] | [Content Proof Point] | [Role or Affiliation]

Example: Writing About the Future of AI in Advertising | 200K Newsletter Readers | Advisor at 3 AI Startups

FAQ

How long should my LinkedIn headline be?

Use as much of the 220-character limit as you can while maintaining readability. Most effective headlines land between 100 and 200 characters. The key is to front-load the most critical information in the first 60 characters, since that is what is visible in truncated views across search results, comments, and the feed. Use the remaining characters for supporting keywords and details.

Should I include my job title in my LinkedIn headline?

Yes, in most cases. Your job title provides essential context and serves as a search keyword. Recruiters, prospects, and potential partners search by title. The exception is if you are building a personal brand that transcends your current role -- in that case, lead with your mission or expertise and include the title secondarily. For most professionals, the title should appear in the first segment of the headline.

How often should I update my LinkedIn headline?

Review and consider updating your headline quarterly, or whenever your professional goals change significantly. If you move from job hunting to content creation, from employee to freelancer, or from one specialty to another, your headline should reflect that immediately. Also update after major achievements (a big win, a new certification, a milestone) so your headline always reflects your current strongest positioning.

Can my LinkedIn headline help me get more connection requests accepted?

Absolutely. When you send a connection request, the recipient sees your name, photo, and headline. A headline that clearly communicates what you do and who you help gives the recipient a reason to connect. "Helping e-commerce brands scale with paid social" is far more compelling as a connection context than "Marketing Professional." Your headline also appears in LinkedIn's "People You May Know" suggestions, making a strong headline a passive connection growth tool.

Should I use emojis in my LinkedIn headline?

This depends on your industry and audience. In creative, marketing, and startup spaces, selective emoji use (one or two) can add visual distinction without harming credibility. In conservative industries (finance, law, enterprise B2B), emojis may undermine perceived professionalism. If you use emojis, place them as separators or emphasis markers, not as replacements for words. Test with and without emojis and compare profile view rates to see what works for your audience.

What if I have multiple roles or side projects?

Prioritize the role most relevant to your current LinkedIn goal. If you are using LinkedIn primarily for job opportunities, lead with your professional role. If you are building a personal brand, lead with your creator or thought leadership identity. You can include secondary roles after the primary one using the pipe separator. But resist listing more than three roles -- it dilutes your positioning. For professionals who run a business and also create content, the AI LinkedIn ad generator guide covers how to position yourself effectively for both audiences.

Is there a difference between LinkedIn headlines for personal profiles vs. company pages?

Yes. Personal profile headlines follow the formulas in this guide. Company page headlines (the tagline field) serve a different purpose: they describe what the company does in a single sentence for people who discover the page. Company taglines should be benefit-driven and include primary search keywords. For example, AdCreate's tagline might read "AI-Powered Video Ad Generator for Brands and Agencies" rather than something abstract. For more on LinkedIn business strategy, check our guide on LinkedIn video ads for B2B marketers. You can also consult the LinkedIn Help Center for official profile optimization guidelines and the LinkedIn Business portal for company page best practices.

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Your LinkedIn headline is a 220-character advertisement for yourself. It shapes who finds you, who clicks through to your profile, and who reaches out with opportunities. Treat it with the same strategic rigor you would apply to an ad headline -- because functionally, that is exactly what it is. Use the formulas, examples, and templates in this guide to craft a headline that earns attention and drives the outcomes you are looking for. And if you want to bring the same clarity and impact to your video ad headlines, explore AdCreate's AI-powered ad tools to generate high-converting creative at scale.