Growing your professional brand on LinkedIn will help you establish authority in your field

With more than a billion users worldwide, Linkedin is a powerful tool. Are you using it to the best of its potential? Whilst most modern professionals have a LinkedIn profile, simply filling out the sections and walking away isn't enough; there are ways to maximise this platform to advance your career. Here's our top five LinkedIn personal branding strategies to help you grow your professional image and expand your network:

1. Become an expert contributor 

If you're an expert in your field, it's time to share your insights with the good folk of LinkedIn. The social networking platform now has a feature that allows you to contribute to articles written by other experts. All you have to do is click on the article and then click “Add perspective.”

You can then add as much or as little as you want to the article. Keep in mind that the content you add needs to be fresh, original, and engaging. Wherever possible, draw upon your professional experiences to show that you're coming from a place of expertise. 

Of course, you can't contribute to every article on LinkedIn. However, it's possible to add your input or thought-provoking insights to articles in your niche. It's a simple LinkedIn personal branding strategy that can instantly boost your visibility. 

2. Write engaging LinkedIn posts 

Posting on LinkedIn is a fine art. Scroll through the social media platform and you'll see tons and tons of posts with many professionals simply bragging about their achievements. However, that's not the way to attract the right type of attention from your contacts. 

Rather than merely shouting into the void about how amazing you are to build your personal brand on LinkedIn, offer readers something of value. You can do this by weaving interesting stories for your contacts. Each post that you create should have a solid point – something that your professional network will find useful and engaging too.

For example, you might want to write about the lessons you've learned (and how others can use them), advice you want to share, or a mistake you've made. These things will teach your audience about your career and help them in some way. Remember, when you're giving back to your contacts, they're more likely to interact with and remember you.  

3. Join industry-specific groups 

Have you used the “Groups” feature on LinkedIn? Joining relevant groups online will allow you to reach out to other professionals in your specific or target industry and make valuable connections along the way. Simply search for relevant communities online and ask to become a member. 

Once you've been accepted, ensure that you take an active role in communicating with others. Rather than shamelessly self-promoting – which is actually against the site's guidelines – involve yourself in any ongoing conversations or debates. 

You could offer advice as a thought leader to those who need it, recommend other professionals when appropriate or simply offer your opinion on trending topics. This LinkedIn personal branding strategy will help people remember your name and will establish you as a prominent member of the community.

4. Engage with other users' content

They don't call it a “social network” for no reason! The entire point of LinkedIn is to reach out and connect with other professionals. The operative word here is connect. That does not merely mean adding them to your list of contacts. When you've done so, you should take the time to interact with the content they share, whether they're posts, articles or imagery.

To kick off, one of the simplest ways you can engage is by commenting or liking posts. For example, if a user posts about a trending issue in your industry, you might want to contribute your own expert take. Showing that you're active on the site is a smart LinkedIn personal branding strategy that will raise your profile and increase your visibility.

You can also share users' posts and content. If another professional has written a piece that applies directly to your industry, sharing it could pique the interest of your connections. Adding your own comment can also reinforce your personal brand on LinkedIn.

5. Recommend other professionals 

When you're aiming to build and maintain your brand on LinkedIn, one of the most effective things you can do is show other professionals some love. The moment you start giving something of value to other users, you'll find that they repay the favour.

What's more, this LinkedIn personal branding strategy allows you to get your name out there and reach more people online. When you've connected with previous colleagues in some capacity, you can recommend them and their skill set. There are two ways to go about doing this on LinkedIn:

  • Recommendations: These are essentially testimonials that you write for someone else's profile. For example, if you used a marketing agency's services last year, you may write one of the marketers a short review.

  • Endorsements: Head to a professional's profile and scroll to the bottom of the page. There you'll find a box that asks you about the person's skills. You can click on various skills – such as “writing” or “design” – and endorse the professional in that area. 

Elevate your professional brand

Are you ready to start building your professional brand with your LinkedIn profile? If your page has laid dormant since you created it, it's time to change your ways. Try out some of these strategies for yourself and see whether they work for you. Whilst you may not notice a dramatic change overnight, these LinkedIn personal branding tips should allow you to gain more exposure and reputation in your industry. Get proactive online and give yourself a boost!

Do you have a winning CV to match your winning LinkedIn profile? A free, objective review from TopCV will tell you where you stand. Submit your CV here.

This article was updated in September 2020 by Lauren Settembrino and in November 2024 by Charlotte Grainger.

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