LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 800 million members. As such, it’s an invaluable tool for establishing and building your professional brand and credibility. With so many profiles and voices competing for attention, standing out on LinkedIn requires strategy and effort.
The key to credibility on LinkedIn is showcasing your expertise, thought leadership, and trustworthiness. This allows you to position yourself as an authority in your industry. Building credibility takes time and consistency, but the payoff can be huge in terms of generating new business opportunities, partnerships, and advancing your career.
Craft an informative, impactful profile
Your LinkedIn profile serves as the foundation for your personal brand and credibility on the platform. A well-optimized profile establishes you as an expert and gets you noticed. Here’s how to create an authoritative profile:
- Choose a professional headshot and background photo that align with your brand.
- Write an informative headline that states your current role and industry.
- Flesh out the About section to share your background, skills, experience, and accomplishments.
- Include rich media like photos, videos, presentations to showcase your work.
- Customize your public profile URL using your name.
- List your skills, certifications, languages, and volunteer work.
Pro tip: Use relevant keywords in your profile but avoid keyword stuffing. This helps you come up in LinkedIn search results for your areas of expertise.
Grow your network authentically
The number of connections you have matters, but focus more on quality over quantity. Accepting invites from anyone and everyone dilutes your brand. Be selective and connect only with those you know, have worked with, or share common interests and goals.
Here are some best practices for network growth:
- Import contacts from your email and connect with close contacts first.
- Connect with colleagues, classmates, clients, industry peers, etc.
- Seek introductions from mutual connections.
- Join LinkedIn groups to meet like-minded professionals.
- Connect with people you meet at events, conferences, etc.
- Engage with content from targeted connections and send personalized invites.
Focus on developing strong relationships vs amassing shallow connections. A robust, targeted network boosts credibility.
Share valuable insights regularly
Position yourself as a thought leader by sharing helpful, informative content. Post updates with original commentary, articles, videos, advice etc. Share insights, learnings, trends, and best practices to demonstrate your subject matter expertise.
Here are some tips for sharing great content:
- Post 1-2x per week at minimum for consistency.
- Commentary should provide unique perspectives vs basic opinions.
- Address hot topics and current events in your industry.
- Provide advice, how-tos, listicles, case studies, analysis etc.
- Use rich media – photos, slides, graphics, videos etc.
- Promote your best content in your profile.
Value-focused sharing shows you stay on top of industry knowledge and establishes thought leadership.
Engage meaningfully with your network
Leverage your connections and engage regularly with your network. This strengthens relationships and boosts credibility through endorsements.
Strategies for meaningful engagement include:
- Comment on connections’ posts and congratulate them on achievements.
- Share and react to others’ content.
- Endorse skills for connections and get endorsed in return.
- Offer advice and insights via messages.
- Write personalized recommendations for former colleagues.
- Use mentions when referencing others in posts.
- Join conversations in LinkedIn groups you are active in.
Two-way engagement demonstrates you are invested in your network’s success as much as your own.
Participate as a thought leader
Raising your professional profile requires participating actively in the LinkedIn community. This means going beyond your immediate network. Join LinkedIn’s Publisher Program to publish long-form posts that get distributed to wider audiences on LinkedIn. Contribute your insights to LinkedIn Pulse. Answer questions and provide advice via LinkedIn Answers. Apply to LinkedIn’s Influencer Program if relevant. Participating widely establishes you as an industry voice.
Other thought leadership activities include:
- Hosting or speaking at LinkedIn Live video events.
- Starting and moderating discussions in your LinkedIn Groups.
- Publishing presentations and videos natively on LinkedIn.
- Appearing on podcast episodes focused on your field.
- Writing guest articles for online publications.
Getting involved as an active contributor, speaker, and discussion leader demonstrates your proficiency as a subject matter expert.
Measure and flaunt your credibility
Finally, measure and showcase signals that convey your credibility on LinkedIn. This includes:
- Proudly displaying your profile badges like Industry Expert, Publisher, Creator etc.
- Touting the views and reactions your posts generate.
- Featuring recommendations, testimonials and endorsements.
- Promoting your LinkedIn content sharing stats.
- Publicizing LinkedIn Groups where you have elevated roles.
Prominently display and measure metrics that back up your credibility to boost your personal brand.
Conclusion
Building credibility on LinkedIn is not easy but hugely rewarding. It requires a long-term strategic approach across your profile presence, network connections, thought leadership and community involvement. Focus on providing value vs self-promoting. Be consistent, patient and proactive. With time and effort, you can establish credibility that propels your career or business to new heights through leveraging the immense power of LinkedIn.
