Before You Post Another Thing, Fix This

Most people underestimate their profile.

I did too.

For years, my LinkedIn banner was a colorful basketball court. It looked cool, fit my vibe, and I never thought twice about it.

But the more I posted, the more I realized:

• → People click.

• → People read.

• → People form v fast opinions based on what they see before they ever get to your content.

Recruiters spend just 10–20 seconds scanning a LinkedIn profile before making a decision (Source: MyPivot), so pretty much your headline, banner, and profile photo matter way more than you think.

This edition is for marketers, creators, consultants, and founders. If you’re posting to build credibility, attract opportunities, or land clients… your profile is the foundation. Not your content.

• It’s what people check after your comment.

• It shows up when you speak on a panel.

• It’s what investors, collaborators, and clients read when someone sends them your name or adds you to an email thread.

And most importantly: 65% of people have reached out to someone they didn’t know because of something they read on their LinkedIn profile (Source: Briefcase Coach).

So we’re going to jump into the 3 biggest areas that need love: 1) headline, 2) banner, and 3) about section - with real examples and easy fixes you can apply asap.

🔑 1. HEADLINE: IT FOLLOWS YOU EVERYWHERE

It’s WILD to me how many people put their title + company and leave it at that:

• ❌ “Director of Marketing at Nike”

• ❌ “Founder at Early Stage Startup”

• ❌ “Social Media Consultant”

That’s not a headline. That’s a label.

What you actually need is a hook + details.

Most people don’t even realize, your headline shows up literally everywhere - in comments, DMs, search results, job posts, group chats, events, and notifications. It’s your tagline.

And here’s my definitive take on headlines: More is more. Stuff that thing with value, keywords, clarity. Make it do the absolute most.

💡 Optimized headlines help you show up in more LinkedIn searches and lead to more profile views and business opportunities (Source: Cultivated Culture).

✅ Headline Formula: 3 Styles You Can Use

1. Problem-Solver Headline

➡ “Helping [X audience] do [Y result]”

• Helping brands build marketing content in sports + entertainment

• Helping college athletes secure 6-figure NIL deals

• Helping A-List talent in music sell out concerts worldwide

2. Multi-Hyphenate Clarity Stack

➡ “Title | Background | Additional Insights”

• Fan Engagement @ NBA | Digital Marketer | Building cultural impact through content and fandom

• Sports + Brand Partnerships | Clients: NFL, Spotify, Meta, & AMC | Host of XYZ Podcast & Blog

• Founder of ABC | Alum: TikTok, Universal Music Group & The Sphere | Building the partnerships ecosystem for the next generation of artists

3. Outcome-Based Brag (with proof baked in)

➡ “Grew [X] for [Y audience] | Now teaching it / building it / consulting”

• Grew Google’s YouTube channel to 100M followers in 6 months | Now consulting brands to scale their audience 100x

• Produced content for X, Y, and Z brands | Bringing client’s documentary dreams to life

• Scaled ABC community by 500% in 3 yrs | Now building communities for brands like X, Y, and Z

Mix and match these styles depending on whether you’re trying to signal credibility, reach new clients, or land media/speaking opps.

👀 On a related note - if you’re trying to stay sharp in your role (or just keep up with how fast tech is moving), this might help:

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Staying ahead doesn’t just mean updating your profile, it means knowing what tools are changing how we work. Just something to keep in your back pocket. 🫶

🛠 Want to see my current headline? Check it out here.

🖼 2. BANNER: IT’S A BILLBOARD, NOT A MOOD BOARD

Let’s break down the evolution:

• ❌ No banner: Missed opportunity. It defaults to that gray/blue gradient LinkedIn gives you. Feels inactive, incomplete.

• ⚠️ “Vibe” banner: Better, but still unclear. A cool photo or abstract image says nothing about what you do (or still vague enough for misinterpretation).

• ✅ Strategic banner: Clear value. Clean design. Easy to understand. Functions like a homepage header.

The banner shows up more than you think.

LinkedIn auto-generates previews that include your banner across different spaces (ie. suggest to follow, under the People section on where you work). It’s prime real estate, but still most people sleep on it?! 🙂‍↔️ Idk somebody, please make it make sense. But anyways…

✅ Banner Copy Checklist

• Who you help

• What you offer

• Where to learn more (like a site, link-in-bio, or CTA)

Example layout:

• → “Helping X Grow Through Y”

• → “Title | Function | Industry”

• → [yourwebsite.com] or “DM me to connect”

🖌 Want easy-to-edit templates? Here are Canva templates I recommend.

✍️ 3. ABOUT SECTION: YES, PPL ACTUALLY READ IT

I used to keep mine short because I assumed people skipped it. I even thought my profile already spoke for itself. But then I thought about my user behavior… whenever someone wants to connect, I always peep their profile. 👀 I want to know as much as I can to make an educated decision whether I’d like to connect with them or not.

💡 85% of people read at least the first sentence of a LinkedIn “About” section. 32% admit they always read the entire thing (Source: AuthoredUp).

💡 80% prefer first-person profiles, and 56% say they enjoy reading fun facts or personal anecdotes (Source: AuthoredUp).

So the lesson here: when someone is interested, they read. And this is where you sell your story.

✅ About Section Framework

Use this format if you’re stuck:

1. Who you are: Open strong - what makes you credible or different? This is what they see first before the “see more” gets cut off. Make it count.

2. What you’ve done: A quick rundown of relevant highlights. You don’t have to give them the full life story (unless it’s relevant to your goals), but showing the real-human side of you works great.

3. What you’re building now: Connect the dots. Why does this matter today?

4. Why someone should connect with you: End with a soft CTA or invitation.

✍️ Example

You can write yours more casually, more corporate, or more fun depending on your audience - but the bones should stay. Here’s an example:

TL;DR: Your Profile Is Showing Up More Than Your Posts

Before you post again, check your:

✅ Headline: is it clear, compelling, and searchable?

✅ Banner: is it working like a billboard or just setting a mood?

✅ About: does it connect your past, present, and future?

💬 Share this with someone who posts often - but hasn’t touched their profile since 2022. Or forward this to a friend who needs to clean theirs up before they launch that new offer or project.

You don’t need a new post (yet). You need a stronger foundation.

You got this,

Adriene

P.S. - I’m omw to speak at Her Conference by Her Campus Media as you read this. They reached out to me through my speaking/brand partnerships email that can only be found (you guessed it) on my profile. So friendly reminder + tip to always add your contact info to your profile if you don’t want to miss out on opportunities if they can’t reach your inbox on social media!