Ultimate LinkedIn Cover Photo Guide: Updated for 2021

In many ways, your LinkedIn cover photo says a lot about you.

From a visual standpoint, your cover photo takes up about 20% of the real-estate on the screen when you open your profile – which is larger than any other single object on your profile. So while it’s not as important as your profile photo, it can definitely “set the vibe” for anyone who views your profile.

How to Pick An Awesome LinkedIn Cover Photo

For example, you could be portrayed as “friendly and open” with a brightly colored cover photo with lots of people in it, or you could go for “serious and innovative” with a dark and techie photo of a computer, or you could say you “love your employer” by taking a branded photo from your company’s website.

If you work at a big company, just Google “[Insert Company Name] press kit” and there should be some good photos there.

Do you, or someone you love, have an awful LinkedIn profile photo? Check out The 8 Hilariously-Bad LinkedIn HeadShots We All Have to see. 

In total, here are the three steps:

First Step: Think About the Type of Image You’d Like to Portray

So, the first step is to think about what type of image you’d like to portray.

In general, you can use common sense to match your photo to your industry.

If you’re in finance or law, you’ll want to go with a conservative cover photo. If you work in interior design, you’ll want a photo that reflects a beautiful residential/commercial space etc.

Second Step: Search the Web for Free High-Quality Stock Photos

After you do that, the easiest source for high quality royalty-free images from unsplash.com. From here, you can browse thousands of photos with different styles.

If you don’t know what photo to use, just grab a cityscape photo from here: Unsplash cityscape.

Third Step: Crop the Photo From Within LinkedIn’s Profile Page

Go to your LinkedIn.com profile page. To the right of your profile, there will be a little blue pencil icon. Click on that, and then upload your new cover image.

Does your social-media profile even matter? Check out the Do Business Headshots Really Matter? [Video Report] to find out.

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Now you’re off to the races! You’ll have a profile with a great cover photo that helps you build your personal and professional brand.

Thanks for reading! Comment below if you have any questions. If you want a quick answer, please email us at smile@headshots-inc.com.

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