LinkedIn has become an essential platform for building a personal brand and furthering a professional career. With over 800 million members worldwide, LinkedIn provides unparalleled opportunities to connect with colleagues, clients, recruiters and influential leaders in your industry. But simply having a LinkedIn profile isn’t enough – you need to actively post relevant, valuable content to build and strengthen your personal brand.
Why is personal branding on LinkedIn important?
A strong personal brand serves several key purposes:
- Shows your expertise and thought leadership in your field
- Highlights your skills, achievements and unique value
- Allows you to connect and engage with your target audience
- Increases your visibility and reach
- Helps you build credibility and trust
- Differentiates you from competitors
- Attracts new opportunities, such as job offers, speaking engagements, consulting projects
Without consciously developing your brand on LinkedIn, you miss out on these benefits. Posting strategic, thoughtful content is essential for building a memorable, influential brand that aligns with your professional goals.
What types of content should you post?
Posting a variety of content types is key to keeping your audience engaged and informed. Consider posting the following:
Industry insights
Share your perspective on recent news, trends and innovations related to your field. Offer thoughtful analysis on impacts to the industry.
Thought leadership content
Position yourself as an expert by posting articles, whitepapers, slides, videos and other formats that provide value. Demonstrate your subject matter expertise.
Project updates
Give a window into your work by posting updates on projects you’re involved in. Share key milestones, accomplishments and outcomes.
Event updates
Attending or speaking at an industry conference or workshop? Post photos, key takeaways and reflections from the event.
Job updates
Share news about promotions, achievements and other job updates to showcase your career progress.
Company news
Help promote your company or team by posting about new initiatives, product launches, office events and company culture.
Cross-posting content
Re-share content you have published elsewhere like blog posts, articles, podcasts and videos.
Behind-the-scenes
Give an authentic inside look at your work by posting photos, videos and commentary from projects in progress.
AMAs
“Ask Me Anything” sessions allow your network to engage with you directly. Answer queries related to your work.
Live videos
Broadcast short live videos to share quick takes, yesterday I conducted a live session on ‘How to ace your next job interview’. The session received over 100 views and 25 comments.
How often should you post?
Consistency is key when building your personal brand on LinkedIn. Posting frequently establishes your presence and keeps you top of mind. However, avoid posting too frequently as that can seem spammy.
Aim to post 1-2 times per week as a minimum goal. During busy periods, such as attending a conference, increase posting to 2-3 times per week to document and share your experiences.
What topics resonate best?
The most effective LinkedIn posts are relevant, valuable and insightful. When crafting your posts, focus on these types of topics:
- Your area of expertise
- Thought leadership on industry trends/innovations
- Career development tips and insights
- Behind-the-scenes at events/projects
- Commentary on news/articles related to your field
- Advice/lessons learned from your career
- How your company is making a difference
How can you optimize your posts?
Make your posts stand out by incorporating these best practices:
Include visuals
Posts with images/videos receive substantially higher engagement. Use visuals that add value and align with your content.
Leverage hashtags
Hashtags help extend your reach to outside your immediate network. Identify relevant hashtags to include (but don’t go overboard).
Mention influencers
If appropriate, @ mention industry thought leaders or colleagues to broaden visibility for your post.
Post consistently
Stick to a regular posting cadence instead of sharing sporadically or during busy periods only.
Vary content formats
Share a mix of long and short posts, articles, images, videos, live broadcasts, etc. to provide variety.
Engage with your network
Proactively like, comment on and share others’ posts to build community and relationships.
Track performance
Analyze your posts using LinkedIn’s analytics to identify what content resonates best with your audience.
Refine based on insights
Let data guide your strategy. Double down on post types/topics that perform well.
Common mistakes to avoid
When posting on LinkedIn, sidestep these common errors:
- Self-promotional or salesy content
- Posts without clear value or purpose
- Oversharing personal/controversial opinions
- Too-frequent posts that clutter timelines
- Only posting during active job searches
- Not leveraging visuals or relevant hashtags
- Failing to engage with others’ content
Example Post Types
Here are some examples of effective LinkedIn post types to inspire your content strategy:
| Post Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Industry Insights | 5 Innovations That Will Shape the Future of Healthcare: 1. Telemedicine 2. Wearables 3. Artificial Intelligence 4. Blockchain 5. Robotics |
| Thought Leadership | [Video] My presentation from the Digital Marketing Summit on leveraging influencer marketing. |
| Project Update | [Image] Our team just wrapped Phase 1 of the website redesign project! Excited to see the new site launch next quarter. |
| Event Update | My key takeaways from the Sales Innovation Conference: 1. Learnability is the new scalability 2. Create a culture of trust 3. Invest in coaching skills |
| Job Update | Thrilled to share the news that I’ve been promoted to Senior Marketing Manager! |
| Company News | Big milestone! Our startup just closed $2M in Seed funding. So proud of what our team has accomplished. |
| Cross-post | Check out my latest blog: 3 Ways Brands Can Leverage TikTok [link to blog] |
| Behind-the-Scenes | [Image] Sneak peek from my photoshoot yesterday for an upcoming magazine profile. |
| AMA | I’ll be doing a live #AMA next Thurs at 3PM EST about developing leadership skills early in your career. Drop your questions below! |
| Live Video | Join me for a live Q&A on Clubhouse today at 6PM PST where I’ll be sharing my top tips for transitioning into management roles. |
Conclusion
Posting engaging, value-driven content on a consistent basis is critical for personal branding on LinkedIn. Focus on establishing yourself as a thought leader by sharing insights and expertise aligned with your professional goals. Incorporate multimedia, optimize with best practices, and refine your strategy based on performance data. Avoid self-promotion and instead aim for authentic thought leadership. With a strategic approach, LinkedIn can become a powerful platform for building your reputation and furthering your career aspirations.