Enhance Your Personal Brand with LinkedIn Background Images
Your LinkedIn background image plays a crucial role in creating a strong first impression on the platform. A well-chosen cover photo can showcase your personality, reflect your professional identity, and differentiate you from others in your industry.
Uploading a unique LinkedIn background is a quick and easy way to elevate your profile—simply find an image that resonates with you and make it yours!
In this article, we cover:
- 3 Key Reasons to Upload a LinkedIn Cover Photo
- 5 Categories of Suitable Background Images
- 25 Downloadable LinkedIn Cover Photos
Additionally, we’ll provide guidance on where you can find even more options to personalize your profile.
3 Key Reasons to Upload a LinkedIn Cover Photo
Uploading a customized LinkedIn background image is beneficial for 3 key reasons:
1) Establish Your Personal Brand
A distinctive LinkedIn cover photo allows you to convey your personality and professional environment instantly.
If you own a business, consider using your background image to showcase your product, logo, or venue, turning it into an effective marketing tool.
2) Boost Profile Views
A compelling cover photo can capture the attention of potential visitors in sections such as “People Also Viewed” or “People You May Know.”
By increasing the click-through rate on your profile, you enhance the likelihood of attracting clients or recruiters.
3) Demonstrate Engagement
While many users default to LinkedIn’s standard cover photo, taking a few moments to personalize yours shows recruiters that you’re actively engaged with the platform and invested in your career development.
5 Types of Appropriate Cover Photos
Given LinkedIn's professional networking context, it is important to choose background images that reflect that environment.
Personal photos from family events or weddings are not suitable. Instead, opt for images that align with LinkedIn's professional standards while still offering a personal touch.
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.
Interior Designer
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're considering a LinkedIn cover photo that isn't your own, it's crucial to ensure you have the proper rights to use it. To avoid any legal issues, we recommend utilizing stock images that come with a commercial license.
Recommended Sources for LinkedIn Background Images:
Unsplash: All the images featured in this article are sourced from Unsplash, a platform that offers high-quality, royalty-free images suitable for professional use.
Pexels: Another great resource for free stock images with a commercial license, Pexels provides a diverse range of photos perfect for enhancing your LinkedIn profile.
Pixabay: Like Unsplash and Pexels, Pixabay offers a vast collection of free images that can be used for commercial purposes without the need for attribution.
Google Images: When searching for images on Google, use the "Tools" option to filter results by usage rights. Select "Creative Commons licenses" to find images that are free to use, ensuring you comply with licensing requirements.
In Summary
While sticking to LinkedIn's default background image is perfectly acceptable, we highly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to enhance your profile with a custom cover photo.
By doing so, you provide visitors with valuable insights into your personal and professional identity, ultimately helping to build your credibility on the platform.
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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.