LinkedIn Featured Section Examples: What to Pin for Maximum Impact (By Role)

Your LinkedIn Featured section is prime real estate that sits right below your About section. Most people leave it empty or fill it with random content that does nothing for them.

The Featured section is one of the few places on LinkedIn where you control exactly what visitors see first. Unlike your feed (algorithm-controlled) or your experience section (chronological), Featured lets you curate your best work and guide visitors toward a specific action.

Here's how to use it strategically, with examples you can copy based on your role.

Why the Featured Section Matters

The Featured section appears immediately after your About section on desktop and mobile. When someone visits your profile, their eye naturally scans from your photo to your headline to your About preview to Featured.

What you can add:

• LinkedIn posts (your own, or posts you've been tagged in)
• Articles you've written on LinkedIn
• External links (websites, landing pages, case studies)
• Media files (PDFs, images, documents)
• Newsletter issues

The strategic angle: Most visitors won't scroll through your entire profile. Featured gives you 3-5 opportunities to show your best work before they bounce. Choose wisely.

Content Types That Work in Featured

Before looking at role-specific examples, understand which content types perform best:

High-Performing Featured Content

Content to Avoid

• Random posts with low engagement (makes you look unpopular)
• Outdated content from 2+ years ago
• Generic company announcements
• Links that require login to view
• Content unrelated to your current focus

Featured Section Examples by Role

For Startup Founders

Founders need their Featured section to build credibility and drive action. The goal: make visitors believe in you and your company within 30 seconds.

Recommended Layout (3-4 items):

1. Your most viral or insightful LinkedIn post - Shows you have an audience and perspective
2. Product demo or landing page link - Direct path to learn about what you're building
3. Case study or customer story - Proof that real people use and benefit from your product
4. Fundraising deck or investor one-pager (if raising) - Makes it easy for investors to get context

Example Setup - SaaS Founder:

Pro tip: If you've been featured in press (TechCrunch, Forbes, niche publications), add that link. Third-party validation hits different.

For Consultants and Freelancers

Your Featured section is a sales page. Every item should answer: "Why should I hire this person?"

Recommended Layout (4-5 items):

1. Lead magnet or free resource - Captures emails, demonstrates expertise
2. Your best case study - Shows transformation and results
3. High-engagement LinkedIn post on your topic - Proves you know your stuff
4. Calendar/booking link - Makes it easy to schedule a call
5. Portfolio or work samples - Visual proof if applicable

Example Setup - Marketing Consultant:

Lead magnet ideas for consultants:

• Checklists ("Before you hire an SEO agency, ask these 15 questions")
• Templates ("The exact email sequence I use to book calls")
• Frameworks ("My 3-step process for X")
• Mini case studies ("How [Client] achieved [Result] in [Timeframe]")

For Job Seekers

Your Featured section should prove you can do the job before anyone talks to you.

Recommended Layout (3-4 items):

1. Portfolio or project showcase - Work samples relevant to target roles
2. LinkedIn post about your expertise - Shows you can communicate and have depth
3. Recommendations or testimonials - If you have a doc compiling these
4. Resume or one-pager (optional) - Makes it easy for recruiters

Example Setup - Product Manager:

What recruiters actually look for:

• Work samples relevant to the role
• Evidence of impact (not just responsibilities)
• Communication ability
• Culture fit signals

Avoid: Putting "Open to Work" graphics in Featured. Your headline already signals availability.

For Sales Professionals

Sales pros should use Featured to build trust before the first call. Your profile is a sales page for you.

Recommended Layout (3-4 items):

1. Industry insight post - Proves you understand their world
2. Customer success story or case study - Social proof
3. Product explainer or demo - What you actually sell
4. Calendar link - Easy booking

Example Setup - Enterprise AE:

Key insight: Buyers research salespeople before taking calls. Your Featured section is often what tips the decision from "ignore" to "reply."

For Coaches and Course Creators

Every item should demonstrate expertise and lead to your offer.

Recommended Layout (4-5 items):

1. Free resource or mini-course - Lead capture
2. Transformation post - Client results or your own story
3. Testimonial compilation - Video or PDF of client feedback
4. Course or program link - Your main offer
5. Booking link - For discovery calls

Example Setup - Executive Coach:

For Creators and Thought Leaders

Your Featured section should showcase your best content and grow your audience.

Recommended Layout (4-5 items):

1. Your most viral post - Social proof
2. Newsletter signup - Audience building
3. Best piece of long-form content - Depth showcase
4. Media appearances (podcasts, interviews) - Credibility
5. Community or course link - Monetization

Example Setup - LinkedIn Creator:

How to Add and Organize Featured Content

Adding Content to Featured

To add a LinkedIn post:

1. Go to your profile
2. Scroll to Featured section (or click "Add section" if not visible)
3. Click the + icon
4. Select "Posts"
5. Choose from your recent posts or search for a specific one

To add an external link:

1. Click + in Featured section
2. Select "Add a link"
3. Paste the URL
4. LinkedIn will auto-generate a preview
5. Click Save

To add media (PDF, image, document):

1. Click + in Featured section
2. Select "Add media"
3. Upload your file
4. Add a title and description
5. Click Save

Organizing Your Featured Content

The order matters. LinkedIn shows items left-to-right, and visitors typically scan the first 2-3 items.

To reorder:

1. Click the pencil icon on your Featured section
2. Drag items to rearrange
3. Most important content goes first (leftmost position)

Best practices for order:

• Lead with social proof (viral post, case study)
• Middle: value add (lead magnet, resources)
• End: action items (booking links, product pages)

Editing Featured Items

Each Featured item has a title and description. Don't use defaults.

Good titles:

• "How we grew from 0 to 50K followers in 12 months"
• "Free checklist: LinkedIn profile audit"
• "Book a 15-minute strategy call"

Weak titles:

• "My post"
• "Website link"
• "Click here"

The title is what people see first. Make it compelling.

Creating Featured Content That Converts

Lead Magnets That Work

The most effective Featured sections include at least one lead magnet. Here's how to create them.

Using Canva:

1. Search for "checklist" or "ebook" templates
2. Replace placeholder text with your content
3. Export as PDF
4. Upload to Featured section

Using Notion:

1. Create a public page with your resource
2. Make it visually clean (headers, bullet points, images)
3. Copy the public link
4. Add to Featured section as a link

Using Figma:

1. Design your lead magnet (checklist, framework visual, etc.)
2. Export as PDF
3. Upload directly to Featured

Lead magnet checklist:

• Solves a specific problem your audience has
• Can be consumed in under 10 minutes
• Includes your branding and contact info
• Has a clear CTA at the end (book a call, visit website, etc.)

Case Study Format That Works

If you do client work, a case study belongs in your Featured section.

Simple case study structure:

1. The challenge: What problem did the client have?
2. The approach: What did you do?
3. The results: What changed? Use numbers.
4. The testimonial: Quote from the client

Where to host:

• Your website (link to it)
• A Notion page (free, looks professional)
• A PDF (upload directly)
• A LinkedIn article (native option)

Portfolio Presentation

For designers, developers, writers, and other creatives:

Portfolio link vs. PDF:

• Link: Better for interactive work, frequently updated
• PDF: Better for static work, works offline, feels more "deliverable"

What to include:

• 3-5 of your best projects
• Brief context for each (problem, solution, result)
• Visuals that load quickly
• Clear contact information

Tools to build portfolios:

• Notion (free, flexible)
• Webflow (professional, more effort)
• Carrd (simple one-pager)
• PDF via Canva (static but reliable)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Random Content with No Strategy

Problem: Adding content just to fill space. A post from 3 years ago that got 12 likes. A link to your company's generic homepage.

Fix: Every item should serve a purpose. Ask: "Does this help someone decide to work with me, hire me, or trust me?"

Mistake 2: Too Many Items

Problem: 8+ items in Featured, overwhelming visitors.

Fix: Stick to 3-5 items. Quality over quantity. If you add something new, remove something old.

Mistake 3: Outdated Content

Problem: Case study from 2019. Post about "trends for 2021."

Fix: Audit Featured quarterly. Remove anything more than 18 months old unless it's evergreen.

Mistake 4: No Clear CTA

Problem: Nice content, but no action for visitors to take.

Fix: Include at least one action-oriented item: booking link, lead magnet download, newsletter signup.

Mistake 5: Broken Links

Problem: Links that lead to 404 pages or require login.

Fix: Test every link from an incognito browser. Update or remove broken links immediately.

Featured Section by Goal

If Your Goal Is: Get Hired

• Portfolio or work samples (most important)
• High-engagement post showing expertise
• Testimonials or recommendations compilation
• Optional: Resume or career page

If Your Goal Is: Get Clients

• Lead magnet (free resource)
• Case study with results
• Testimonial or social proof
• Booking/calendar link

If Your Goal Is: Build Audience

• Your most viral content
• Newsletter signup
• Media appearances
• Upcoming event or launch

If Your Goal Is: Raise Funding

• Company traction post (revenue, users, growth)
• Product demo or overview
• Press features
• Investor deck or one-pager

Advanced Tips

Rotate Content Seasonally

Your Featured section should evolve. What worked when you launched might not be relevant now.

Quarterly refresh:

• Add your best-performing content from the past quarter
• Remove content that's no longer relevant
• Update links if pages have moved
• Test new lead magnets

Use Featured for Launches

Launching something? Temporarily replace your Featured section to focus attention.

Launch Featured layout:

1. Post announcing the launch
2. Link to the product/service/book
3. Testimonials or early reviews
4. Purchase or signup link

After launch, return to your standard Featured setup.

Match Featured to Your Headline

Your headline makes a promise. Your Featured section should deliver proof.

Example:

• Headline: "I help B2B SaaS companies scale through content marketing"
• Featured: Case study of helping a SaaS company scale, content marketing guide, booking link for strategy calls

The alignment makes your profile feel cohesive and intentional.

Step-by-Step: Building Your Featured Section Today

Here's a practical 30-minute exercise to set up or refresh your Featured section:

Step 1: Audit current Featured (5 min)

• What's there now?
• Is it relevant to your current goals?
• Are all links working?

Step 2: Define your goal (2 min) Pick one: Get hired / Get clients / Build audience / Raise funding

Step 3: Choose your items (10 min) Based on your goal, select 3-5 items:

• Which of your posts performed best?
• Do you have a lead magnet or portfolio?
• Is there a case study or testimonial to share?
• What action do you want visitors to take?

Step 4: Create what's missing (10 min)

• No lead magnet? Create a simple checklist in Canva
• No case study? Write a quick Notion page about a past project
• No booking link? Set up Calendly (free tier available)

Step 5: Arrange and polish (3 min)

• Order items by importance (best first)
• Write compelling titles for each
• Test all links

Quick Reference Checklist

Featured Section Must-Haves:

• At least 3 items, no more than 5
• Most important/impressive content in first position
• At least one action item (link to book, download, or signup)
• All content is from the past 18 months
• All links tested and working
• Titles are descriptive, not generic

Bonus Optimization:

• Content matches headline promise
• Mix of content types (post + link + media)
• Lead magnet included if relevant
• Mobile preview checked

Tools Mentioned

For creating lead magnets and visuals:

• Canva (free templates for checklists, ebooks, graphics)
• Figma (design tool for more custom work)
• Notion (free pages that look professional)

For portfolios:

• Notion, Carrd, Webflow, or your own website

For booking links:

• Calendly, Cal.com, or SavvyCal

For creating LinkedIn content to feature:

• LinkedIn Post Ideas Generator - Get topic ideas tailored to your niche
• LinkedIn Hook Generator - Create opening lines that grab attention
• LinkedIn Post Formatter - Format posts for maximum readability

Your Featured section is one of the highest-leverage changes you can make to your LinkedIn profile. It takes 30 minutes to set up properly and pays dividends every time someone visits your profile. The examples above give you a starting point. Customize them for your specific situation and goals.

Related Reads

• LinkedIn Featured Section Ideas: What to Include (2026)
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