Your LinkedIn About section is the profile real estate that turns a curious visitor into a follower. It is where a stranger decides whether your story, your proof, and your point of view are worth hearing more from. These 5 structures come from the profiles of 19 creators who built real audiences under their own name, and they are part of our free LinkedIn templates library.
What your About section actually does
A LinkedIn About section is the story-and-proof block a visitor reads right after your headline, before deciding whether to follow. Only the first two or three lines show above the “see more” fold, so the opening has to earn the expand, and the rest has to earn the follow. We read the About sections of 19 creators and clustered them into 5 repeatable structures.
Open on the moment everything changed.
Lead with the change you exist to make.
Third-person credentials, greatest hits first.
Name the visitor's exact struggle in line one.
List what you post about, so they know why to follow.
The structures below work for any personal brand, and if you are building an audience under your own name they pair well with the rest of our content workflows for creators. Pick the one whose job matches yours, then steal the skeleton, not the words.
The 5 About structures
Each structure is a section-by-section skeleton followed by two real opening lines that used it. Swap the brackets for your own specifics and keep the shape.
1. The Origin Story
Open on the life or business you had before, and the moment it changed. A visitor who reads your turning point feels they know you, and following becomes the natural way to stay in the story. This is the highest-trust opener for coaches and creators.
[The life or business I had before]. [The one moment it broke, or the leap I took]. [What I did next, in one line]. [Where that led: the proof, the numbers, the milestones]. Today, I [what I do now, and who I do it for]. [A one-line invitation to follow along].
| Real opening line | Creator |
|---|---|
| For more than a decade, I lived the kind of life ambitious people are told to want. | Justin Welsh |
| In 2020, I quit my job to start klowt.com in the corner of my bedroom in the middle of a global pandemic. | Amelia Sordell |
2. The Mission Manifesto
Lead with the change you exist to create, before anything you sell. People follow beliefs, so a clear mission attracts the right audience and quietly repels the wrong one. It works best when your brand is bigger than a single service.
[My mission, in one sentence: the change I exist to create]. I [what I build or do] that [how it serves that mission]. [The proof: who I have helped, the scale, the results]. [What I believe, in a few short lines]. [Where to go next, or how to join].
| Real opening line | Creator |
|---|---|
| My overarching mission is to empower people to make choices in life from a point of awareness, not ignorance. | Ankur Warikoo |
| On a mission to create financially free and free-thinking humans. | Codie Sanchez |
3. The Authority Bio
Write it in the third person so it reads like a press bio, and front-load your single biggest credential. The distance signals notability, and a scanning visitor trusts you in one line. This is the go-to for authors, executives, and speakers.
[Your name] is [your title and single biggest credential]. [Your name] is [what you do and who you reach], [the scale or reach that proves it]. [The flagship work: book, company, or platform, with the headline result]. Previously, [your name] [prior credibility that earns the current claim]. [Where to find the work, or how to get in touch].
| Real opening line | Creator |
|---|---|
| Sahil Bloom is the New York Times Bestselling author of The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life. | Sahil Bloom |
| Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur and serves as the Chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia, and Creator and CEO of VeeFriends, and 6x New York Times Best Selling Author. | Gary Vaynerchuk |
4. The Reader Callout
The fastest way to earn a follow is to prove you understand the visitor. Open with their exact struggle, in their own words, and they feel seen, then read on to find out whether you have the answer. This is the strongest opener when your goal is to sell.
Are you [the exact struggle your reader feels]? [Twist the knife: the deeper version of that pain]. [The turn: "I can help" or "you are in the right place"]. Here is who I help, and the results: [proof]. [The clear next step: DM, link, or offer].
| Real opening line | Creator |
|---|---|
| Are you struggling to find your voice on LinkedIn? | Jasmin Alic |
| You've been doing this for YEARS. | Magali Dereu |
5. The Topic Menu
A follow is a bet that your future posts are worth seeing. Spell out the themes you cover, ideally as a scannable list, so a visitor knows exactly what they are subscribing to. Clarity is what makes the right people hit follow, and the wrong ones move on.
[A one-line hook about your worldview or obsession]. I talk about [theme one]: - [subtopic] - [subtopic] [Theme two]: - [subtopic] - [subtopic] If you are into any of those, [invitation to follow]. [A short bit about me, and where to find my work].
| Real opening line | Creator |
|---|---|
| I am obsessed with making sense of the non-sensical. | Dan Koe |
| Content changed my business' trajectory and my life. | Diandra Escobar |
5 rules for an About that converts a visit into a follow
- Win the first two lines. LinkedIn hides everything after them behind “see more,” so the opening has to earn the click on its own.
- Write to one person, not a résumé. “You” and “I” build a relationship; a wall of titles builds distance.
- Lead with proof, not adjectives. A real number or client result beats “results-driven expert” every time.
- End with one clear next step. Tell the visitor exactly what to do: follow, DM, or click the link.
- Match the structure to your goal. Selling a service, open with a reader callout; building a movement, open with a mission.
Once your About reads well, the harder job is feeding the profile with posts that sound like it. CaptureFlow turns one idea into weeks of on-brand content, so your AI content agent keeps your feed as sharp as your bio.
How to use these About templates
- 1
Pick the structure that matches your goal: an origin story to build connection, a mission manifesto to attract a movement, an authority bio for instant credibility, a reader callout to sell a service, or a topic menu to grow a niche following.
- 2
Copy the skeleton and fill every bracket with your own real specifics: a year, a number, a client result, or the exact struggle your reader feels.
- 3
Rewrite your first two lines until they stand on their own, because that is the only part a visitor sees before “see more.” If they do not make someone curious, nothing below them gets read.
- 4
Short on time, run your profile through the free LinkedIn profile analyzer to score your About and spot gaps, then tighten your one-liner with the LinkedIn headline generator.
The takeaways
- 01Your LinkedIn About section turns a profile visit into a follow, so treat it as conversion copy, not a résumé.
- 02The 5 structures that top personal brands use: the Origin Story, the Mission Manifesto, the Authority Bio, the Reader Callout, and the Topic Menu.
- 03Only the first two or three lines show before “see more,” so your opening has to earn the expand on its own.
- 04Lead with proof, not adjectives. A real number or client result builds trust faster than “results-driven expert.”
- 05Write to one person. “You” and “I” build a relationship, while a wall of titles builds distance.
- 06Always close with one clear next step, whether that is a follow, a DM, or a link to your work.
Turn these into posts
Frequently asked questions
- What should a personal brand put in their LinkedIn About section?
- Lead with a hook that earns the “see more” click, then tell your story or state your mission, back it with real proof like numbers, clients, or results, and close with one clear next step. Write it to a single reader, not a hiring committee, because a personal brand's About is conversion copy that turns a visit into a follow.
- Should I write my LinkedIn About in the first or third person?
- Both work, and the choice sets your tone. First person (“I help founders…”) feels personal and suits coaches and creators building relationships. Third person (“Jane is a…”) reads like a press bio and lends instant authority, which is why authors and executives often use it. Pick the voice that matches how you want to be perceived.
- How long should a LinkedIn About section be?
- Long enough to tell your story and prove it, but front-loaded. LinkedIn hides everything after the first two or three lines behind “see more,” so put your strongest hook up top. Many top creators run 1,500 to 2,000 characters, structured with short lines and white space so it stays scannable.
- How do I keep my profile and my posts consistent once my About is set?
- Match your feed to your bio by posting in the same voice, about the same themes you promised. CaptureFlow is an AI content agent that turns your expertise into weeks of on-brand content for every platform, so once you capture one idea in about 5 minutes it reshapes it into native posts that sound like the story in your About.