Choosing the right banner for your LinkedIn profile is an important part of making a good first impression and presenting your brand effectively. Your banner acts as a header image across your profile and helps reinforce what you want to highlight about your professional identity. With the proper banner, you can attract the right connections, convey your personal brand, and highlight important skills, experiences, and accomplishments.
What should your LinkedIn banner say about you?
Your LinkedIn banner should serve as an extension of your personal brand and help share your story. Consider what impressions you want to make and what you want your banner to communicate to those viewing your profile.
Some elements your banner can help convey include:
- Your industry or field of work
- Important skills or areas of expertise
- Notable companies you have worked for
- Major achievements and accomplishments
- An inspiring quote or motto
- Your personality and work style
Look at your banner as a chance to display your professional identity in an eye-catching way. Use it to highlight elements most relevant to the audience and connections you want to attract.
What are the LinkedIn banner dimensions?
LinkedIn banners have a size of 1584 x 396 pixels. This allows your image to span the full width of your profile on desktop and maintain its visual impact.
Some key banner dimensions and specs to keep in mind include:
- Width of 1584 pixels
- Height of 396 pixels
- Landscape orientation works best
- JPG, PNG, or GIF format
- File size under 8 MB
- High resolution with clear text
Creating your banner at the recommended 1584 x 396 pixels will make sure it is crisp and legible on both desktop and mobile. A landscape orientation also allows you to fit more content horizontally across your banner space.
How do I create an effective LinkedIn banner?
Here are some tips for designing a LinkedIn banner that makes a great impression:
- Highlight your brand. Include your name, logo, tagline or descriptive headline to reinforce your personal brand.
- Use high-quality visuals. Photos, graphics, or background images related to your industry or work convey professionalism.
- Showcase achievements. Feature awards, certifications, publications or other accomplishments to build credibility.
- Demonstrate expertise. Share your skills, credentials or niche areas of knowledge to attract the right connections.
- Align with your goals. Tailor banner content to your purpose on LinkedIn, whether job searching, networking, or thought leadership.
- Keep text clear and readable. Avoid overcrowding your banner. Use large fonts, contrasting colors and ample white space.
- Update regularly. Refresh your banner occasionally to feature new projects, roles, causes or achievements.
The most effective banners are eye-catching but also professional. Keep the overall style clean and consistent with your personal brand.
What types of images work best?
Strive to use high-quality, relevant images that add visual interest and reinforce your brand. Some types of images that make effective LinkedIn banners include:
- Professional headshot. A current photo of yourself looking approachable and relatable.
- Company logo. Your current or past company logo establishes professional credibility.
- Industry imagery. Photos representing your field convey your experience and expertise.
- Graphs or infographics. Visual data displays demonstrate thought leadership in your niche.
- Event photos. Pictures from conferences, speeches, or volunteer work highlight your involvement.
- Project illustrations. Photos of products, artwork, or visuals bring your accomplishments to life.
Images should take up no more than 50% of your banner space. Fill the remaining area with text displayed clearly over the photo.
What should you avoid in a LinkedIn banner?
While you have creative license with your banner, there are also some pitfalls to avoid:
- Cluttered or busy backgrounds that distract from text
- Outdated headshots or company logos
- Irrelevant or unprofessional imagery
- Overuse of stock photos or basic templates
- Too much text crowded together or tiny fonts
- Promotional messaging with excessive calls to action
- Buzzwords without context or supporting details
Keep your banner clean, simple, and focused. Avoid anything confusing or overly promotional, as your banner’s prime role is to reinforce your professional brand.
Should I include a call to action in my banner?
You can include a relevant call to action in your LinkedIn banner, but use them sparingly. Examples of appropriate CTAs for banners include:
- “Download my free ebook”
- “Learn more about my services”
- “See open job listings”
- “Connect with me”
However, your CTA should:
- Offer meaningful value related to your niche and audience
- Use concise, descriptive language
- Avoid overly salesy or promotional wording
- Direct viewers to take action on or off LinkedIn
CTAs work best when targeted, subtle, and supplement your banner branding rather than dominate it.
How often should you change your LinkedIn banner?
Most professionals change their LinkedIn banner every 6-12 months. Reasons you may want to refresh your banner include:
- Taking on a new job role or position
- Adding new certifications, skills or accomplishments
- Rebranding your company or personal brand
- Promoting an upcoming product launch or initiative
- Marking a major career milestone or achievement
That said, consistency is also key. Don’t change your banner so often that it loses brand recognition. Evolve it gradually over time instead of a complete overhaul.
Should I customize my banner for mobile?
LinkedIn will automatically crop and resize your desktop banner for optimal mobile viewing. You don’t need to create a separate mobile banner.
However, keep these mobile considerations in mind:
- Use minimal text as it will be harder to read on smaller screens
- Make sure your key branding elements are centered and visible when cropped
- Test your banner preview on mobile to ensure your CTA, logo, and headline all come through
- Prioritize visuals and bold graphics that convey information quickly
Crafting your banner with the mobile format in mind will make sure it remains engaging and effective across devices. But a single banner can work for both desktop and mobile.
Conclusion
Your LinkedIn banner is valuable profile real estate to make a strong first impression. Dedicate time to creating a high-quality banner that demonstates your personal brand and engage your target audience. Use relevant visuals and text that reinforce your professional identity and aspirations. Keep your banner updated over time as your career evolves. With a compelling, on-brand banner that translates well across devices, you can maximize the impact of your LinkedIn presence.