If you want to build a strong personal brand on LinkedIn, you definitely can. With this platform, you can share your experience with customers and other brands. Moreover, you will build strong foundations for your image by conveying your core values and knowledge in your posts. By sharing valuable content, you will build potent relationships, and it'll help you stand out from the crowd.
Here are the most important things you should know about building your personal brand on LinkedIn.
1. Share valuable posts aiming at your ideal client
We can compare social media to a TV station (the difference is everyone can broadcast their own programs and lives). Would you watch a TV channel if it only featured advertisements and promotional videos? Or would you prefer something that brings some value and entertainment to your life?
As with TV channels, your social media focus should be on communicating with your ideal customer. This is the best way to achieve good results. As Life Networker, we address our communications to lawyers and accountants because they are our ideal clients, and we understand their needs best as a former lawyer and former accountant.
2. Create content that attracts attention
Of course, there’s more than just grabbing attention with a post, but engaging people with your content and getting them to leave a thumbs up or a comment. Remember that a comment in this case will help more people see your content.
Create posts that engage your followers: ask them for their opinion and build a relationship with them. You can take advantage of the fact that people love to share their experiences and opinions. LinkedIn Polls are what you need – but they need to be customized for your ideal client. With LinkedIn Polls, you can really engage the community and organically achieve more than 160,000 views (just like my last business card poll).
Take a strategic approach to building your community and include in your plan commenting and interacting with your business partners and influencers in your industry, to increase your brand visibility on LinkedIn.
3. Upload original photos that show people's faces (including yours!)
Since childhood, we have been programmed to be attracted to people’s faces. We can use this information in social media and upload our photos instead of graphics.
In my experience, posts with photos where I’m wearing a hat (my trademark) have more engagement and views than those that are simple graphics. So, how would you use this in practice? Document what you do and upload photos from meetings and other activities. Show the backstage of your business. People love stories – use LinkedIn as a networking platform, meet new people and build trust with them.
4. Consistency is essential
Posting once a month is definitely better than not posting at all, but you’ll achieve a lot more if you post three times a week. The point is for people to notice and remember you.
Building a personal brand and relationships with customers requires consistency. But that’s not all, LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards people who regularly post high-quality content and engage people.
5. Connect with customers on a personal level, but be professional at the same time
Your messages and comments should be personalized. The reason is, so you don’t sound like a robot sending out hundreds of the same messages. Show your commitment, and that you took the time to read and get to know the other person. Be yourself, but stay professional.
6. Tell stories
It’s worth sharing what happened in your life and business. People love stories of others, so share how you got where you are now, your failures and your conclusions. The stories we tell stay with us for a long time – let yourself be remembered, but adapt the story to your brand.
7. Update your Profile
As they say, first impressions are the most important – so you probably prefer to stay in the minds of your followers as a professional rather than someone who doesn’t even have a profile picture (people won’t actually remember you at all if your profile is empty). The idea is to create a profile that shows your mission and values. Include recommendations and content that bring great value.
The above are just the basics for building a strong professional brand on LinkedIn. However, by following these steps, you will be a few steps ahead of the competition. It is worth remembering that LinkedIn already has over 700 million users worldwide, and it is becoming more and more popular in Poland alone – it is already used by almost 4 million users there. Don’t miss this moment because it’s the perfect time to build your brand in the online world.
