Leverage LinkedIn Background Images to Build Your Personal Brand
Your LinkedIn cover photo contributes to your first impression on the platform.
It only takes a few minutes to upload one to your profile, so scroll down and find one that resonates with you!
In this article, we cover:
- 3 Reasons to Upload a LinkedIn Cover Photo
- 5 Categories of Appropriate Background Images
- 25 Sample LinkedIn Cover Photos You Can Download
We'll also explain where you can find additional photo options.
Why You Should Upload a LinkedIn Cover Photo
We recommend uploading a LinkedIn background for three main reasons.
1) Build your personal brand
By uploading a LinkedIn background photo, you immediately give visitors a sense of your personality or where you work (or both!).
If you run a small business, you can also use the photo as an additional marketing opportunity by showing off your product, venue, or logo.
2) Increase profile views
When a potential visitor sees your profile in the “people also viewed” or “people you may know” sections, your LinkedIn background, headshot, and headline will influence their decision to visit your profile.
A custom LinkedIn cover photo can contribute to increased click-through rates, increasing the chances that a prospective client or recruiter will reach out.
3) Show that you’re engaged
Most members stick with the default cover photo LinkedIn provides, though it only takes a few minutes to update the default option to something a bit more personalized!
By doing so, you’ll immediately show recruiters that you’re actively engaged with the platform - and your career.
5 Types of Appropriate Cover Photos
Remember that LinkedIn is a professional networking platform.
As such, photos that you might put on your Facebook profile such as pictures of your family or of your wedding won’t be appropriate to use as a LinkedIn cover photo.
To ensure that you add an individualized touch while sticking to LinkedIn norms, we recommend using a photo that falls into one of the following categories.
Like one of our LinkedIn background photos? Click on it to open the full-size version, which you can save and upload to your profile.
1) Sector
One of the easiest (and most common) ways to build your personal brand is to choose a background image that aligns with the industry you work in.
Finance
A finance executive who works on Wall Street might choose an aerial view of the area.
Education
A teacher or writer may choose a simple background image with a pencil.
Medicine
A neurologist or psychologist could opt for an image of a brain.
Travel
A travel advisor, aerospace engineer, or airline employee may use a photo of an airplane.
Engineer
A software engineer could select a background image depicting a piece of computer hardware.
2) Location
Another option is to choose a photo that corresponds with your current location.
Chicago
New York
London
San Francisco
Philadelphia
3) Service
If you run a small business or work in a service-based industry, consider a LinkedIn cover photo that aligns with the service you provide.
Think about what would inspire potential clients to use your service or visit your property!
Kitchen Designer
A kitchen interior designer could use a photo of a kitchen he worked on to give potential buyers an idea of his style and previous work.
InteriorDesigner
Similarly, an interior designer could use a photo of a room he designed.
Real Estate Developer or Architect
A real estate investor, developer, or broker can share a photo of an inspiring building in their area or property in their company’s portfolio.
Similarly, architects can share photos of buildings they find influential or have personally worked on.
Travel Advisor
If you work in the travel industry, you can use a photo of your favorite destination as your background photo.
If you’re a hotel manager or restaurant owner, a photo of your property would also work well.
Nutritionist
A nutritionist or personal trainer could use an image that evokes health and wellness.
Financial Advisor
A financial advisor or wealth manager can opt for a LinkedIn background photo that recalls the financial markets.
4) Brand
Whether you work for a Fortune 500 company or run a small business, a LinkedIn cover image that incorporates your logo or product can be a strong option.
5) Design
If you’d rather keep things simple, you can use a background with a simple design or pattern.
Where to Find More LinkedIn Background Photos
If you plan to use an image that isn’t your own for your LinkedIn cover photo, be sure you have the right to do so.
For the avoidance of doubt, we recommend using stock images with a commercial license.
All of the images we provided are courtesy of Unsplash.You can also find suitable images on Google using their commercial license filter.
In Summary
While there’s nothing wrong with sticking to LinkedIn’s default background image, we encourage you to leverage every opportunity available to build your credibility.
By uploading a custom LinkedIn cover photo, you’ll provide visitors with an additional insight into who you are as a person and as a professional.
About Resume Pilots
Resume Pilots is an award-winning executive resume writing firm and a proud member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. Our previous clients include CEOs and senior executives at the world's leading companies.
As a professional services firm, we take your reputation seriously. We are committed to delivering writing excellence and superior service while operating with integrity and discretion. Recruitment firms we partner with also trust us to consistently deliver quality documents for their clients.
Our writers have studied in the Ivy League and other top-tier universities and have strong writing backgrounds coupled with industry experience.
Here's how we can help you:
Resume, Cover Letter, and LinkedIn Writing Services: If you are looking for end-to-end support, hire one of our professional resume writers to rewrite your documents from the ground up.
Executive Resume Template Downloads: If you plan to prepare your own resume, consider using one of our classic, ATS-friendly resume templates for Microsoft Word.
To learn more about our services, book an introductory call with our founder here or email team@resumepilots.com.
About the AuthorMatt Glodz
Matt Glodz is the Founder and Managing Partner of Resume Pilots and a Certified Professional Resume Writer.
After studying business communication at Cornell University, Matt worked within Fortune 500 companies, where he noted that qualified candidates were frequently denied interview opportunities due to poorly written documents.
At Resume Pilots, Matt combines his business and writing background - which includes prior work for a Chicago Tribune publication - to craft resumes that give his clients the best chance of landing interviews. He works with clients ranging from CEOs to recent graduates and has been writing resumes for over 10 years.
He has been quoted on numerous business and career-related topics in outlets including Business Insider, CNBC, Fortune, Glassdoor, The Ladders, and Thrive Global.
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