QUESTION: How important is it to have a customized LinkedIn banner?

Meg Applegate, Hinge Resume Collaborative

Want to stand out from the crowd on LinkedIn? A custom LinkedIn banner is an easy way to do it! It isn’t necessary to get hired, but it can act as the visual representation of your brand and unique value proposition (along with your profile photo). Use a stock photo website like Unsplash.com and an easy-to-use (& free!) graphic design software like Canva.com to set yourself apart from the pack.

Julia Mattern, Julia Mattern Career Services, LLC

Your LinkedIn banner is prime real estate at the top of your profile, giving you the opportunity to create a strong visual impact and brand yourself so you stand out from the competition. Customizing your banner also demonstrates your creativity, attention to detail, and willingness to go beyond the minimum requirements, which are all qualities that employers value.

Carol Adams, Ideal Resumes, LLC

A customized banner helps to set you apart from the 675 million other LinkedIn users out there. There are hundreds of free options available online, or you can use a photograph or art that represents your company/industry. Just make sure that your banner isn’t so busy that it distracts from your personal photo.

Mill Montejo, The Talent Mill | Job Search Superhero | Dr Mill Computer Wiz

I would say that it does not carry as much algorithm scoring value as the profile picture in a recruiter search, but it does serve to immediately identify your brand. And with copyright free pics at Pexels[.]com, Unsplash[.]com, and Pixabay[.]com where you can download the free images, what’s stopping you. I personally find 2 to 3 images and send them to my clients and ask them to also search.

Alisha Brown, Alisha D Brown Career Consulting

Very important. It shows that you have the patience to put in the effort to customize your banner instead of using what is provided to you on the website. There is nothing like reviewing a banner that has your personal touch to it. Go the extra mile and use the additional minutes to customize a banner to who you are.

Edward Lawrence, Getstarted LLC

Very important. There are 310 million monthly active users as of January 2020. The more you differentiate yourself the better. This includes selecting a professional-looking headshot, an appealing background photo, and creating a headline that concisely sums up what you offer with keywords to attract recruiters and employers. Differentiating yourself through these elements gives you an edge.

Kelly Donovan, Kelly Donovan & Associates

A customized banner really helps your profile stand out, and it’s an opportunity to create the right first impression when someone visits your profile. Bear in mind that images of laptops and city skylines don’t really differentiate you. Use the space to convey your personal brand and/or passion for your field. In addition to an image, you can place words over the image for max impact..

Grant Cooper, Strategic Resumes & Business Plans

Humans are a highly visual species. We know from multiple studies that LinkedIn profiles without photos do not attract nearly as many viewers. It is only logical to deduce that profiles without banners share a similar fate. The default banner that LinkedIn provides is unattractive, and profiles with eye-catching, professional, and relevant banners can help attract attention and build your brand.

Kate Williamson, Scientech Resumes

Your LinkedIn banner provides an extra opportunity to brand you, set you apart, and communicate that you understand that details matter. Choose an image that reflects how you want others to perceive you. Is it your professional field, products/services you sell, an image of you presenting in front of an audience or a specific location or passion that speaks to you personally?

Douglas Barnes, Résumé-Success

Having a customized LinkedIn banner helps distinguish you from the rest of the pack (a lot of people take the easy way and keep the default LinkedIn banner). Having a personalized banner makes a statement: you are an individual and you cared enough about your professional profile to find a banner that particularly suits you.

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