25 Inspiring LinkedIn Background Photos
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.
Think of your banner as the handshake before the conversation. Want the rest of your profile to match that level of polish? Check out our LinkedIn review service.
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. In a sea of beige profiles, this is a brilliant opportunity to make you stand out.
If you own a business, why wouldn't you use your background image to showcase your product, logo, or venue? This turns this valuable online real estate 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. Boosting your visibility is key in a job search or when you want clients to find you.
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.
A missing, or poor quality headshot and cover photo screams "this person is not engaged on LinkedIn" and time-stretched recruiters will simply move on.
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.
💡 Quick tip: a strong banner works even harder when paired with a strong headline. Need inspiration? Download our free LinkedIn Profile Checklist.
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.
Your banner sets the tone, but recruiters also skim your headline and About section within seconds. Here’s how we make sure every part of your profile positions you as a leader.
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 they've worked on to give potential buyers an idea of their style and previous work.
Interior Designer
Similarly, an interior designer could use a photo of a room they've 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.
Not sure which image sends the right message? Our LinkedIn optimization team helps executives choose visuals and craft profiles that command attention
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.
Struggling to decide on the right look? Our clients often come to us with the same question and we help them create LinkedIn profiles that open doors
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.
💡Top Tip:
Canva is a great and really easy to use platform for developing images such as LinkedIn banners that go beyond a simple banner image. If you're looking for personalization, Canva offers free options, although a number of the images are only available on the paid for service.
If you're going to be changing and updating your image often, a paid service may be the right option for you but there is plenty of choice on the free version too - so you can add personalization which will help set you apart.
In Summary
Leaving LinkedIn’s default background image in place is a wasted opportunity. It makes you blend in with everyone else. With so many free (and paid) tools available to create a banner that reflects your personal brand, there’s really no excuse not to upgrade. On a platform with over a billion users, standing out matters
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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