5 Personal Branding Strategies for LinkedIn Success (and be among that 1%)

Your online presence is the first impression you make on potential employers, collaborators, and clients. And personal branding on LinkedIn is considered a goldmine when it comes to professional networking.

Whether you’re a founder, CEO, coach, senior executive, or have big career ambitions, your LinkedIn profile is crucial. It’s where you showcase your skills, share your story, and connect with industry professionals.

Surprisingly, users who upload content on LinkedIn are only 1%.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about building your personal branding on LinkedIn.

First things first, why LinkedIn?

Why Build a Personal Brand on LinkedIn?

Personal brand building on LinkedIn increases your visibility, builds credibility, and attracts opportunities.

In other words, a personal branding on LinkedIn acts exactly like that man-with-a-board viral meme. With ‘Hey look, I exist, and here’s how I can help’ written on.

• LinkedIn Study: 79% of marketers see LinkedIn as a great source of leads! (LinkedIn Marketing is scalable)
• LinkedIn is the most trusted platform (ever!)

• Your public version of LinkedIn profile gets directly to the member directory (you get easily found on Google)

5 Ways to Use LinkedIn for Personal Branding

1. Make your profile LinkedIn-friendly
2. Put yourself out there (start with content)
3. Engage with your people
4. Take your expertise ahead
5. Maintain your LinkedIn report

Make your profile LinkedIn-friendly

Your profile picture is your LinkedIn first impression

A professional headshot, like the above image, where you look approachable and confident can go a long way. Imagine you’re meeting someone for the first time; wouldn’t you want to look your best?

Your headline isn’t just your job title

It’s your elevator pitch. Take this example, ‘helping founders create content that matters’. This brief, powerful statement instantly communicates the value you bring to the table. Look for what sets you apart.

Your summary is a coffee chat

Telling your story here is having a coffee chat with your potential client. Start it with who you are, what you do, what drives you, and your biggest achievements. Use a conversational tone — instead of saying, “I have 10 years of experience in digital marketing,” try “For over a decade, I’ve helped businesses transform their online presence and achieve remarkable growth.”

Keywords are key to discovery

Look for the terms people might use to find someone with your expertise. If you’re in marketing, words like “digital marketing,” “LinkedIn marketing,” “SEO,” “content strategy,” and “brand development” should be sprinkled throughout your profile.

Numbers speak louder than words

Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments. Instead of just saying “We improved social media engagement,” say “We increased social media engagement by 50% over six months, leading to a 20% organic increase in sales.”

Put yourself out there (start with content)

Who will read your content?

Before you start sharing content, it’s essential to know who you’re speaking to. Are you targeting other founders, senior executives, or aspiring leaders? Ask yourself: What challenges do they face? What insights can you provide to help them overcome these challenges?

Your content should add value

Whether it’s through tips, how-to guides, or thought leadership pieces, ensure your content is informative and engaging. Dive into problems your audience is trying to solve and look for your help. For instance, if you’re a CEO, you might share insights on strategic planning or leadership tips that have worked for you.

Mix up your content

Articles and blog posts are great for in-depth insights, while shorter posts can share quick tips or updates. Videos can be incredibly engaging — consider sharing short clips of you speaking on industry trends or conducting interviews with other experts. If you’ve conducted a survey, consider a visually appealing infographic that can highlight key findings at a glance.

People love real-life experiences

Share your journey, including successes and challenges. What new things are you noticing in your industry? How are you adapting to changes? For instance, you might write about how you navigated a major business pivot or how a particular leadership approach impacted your team.

Engage with your people

Choose your network (before building)

Consider who you want to learn from, collaborate with, or do business with. For example, if you’re a coach, connect with other coaches, HR professionals, and senior executives who might benefit from your services.

(Aim to connect with professionals who can add value to your career or business, whether they are industry leaders, potential clients, or peers)

Invest your time in personalized invites

When sending connection requests, avoid the default message. Mention why you want to connect and how you can add value to each other. You could say, “Hi Kunwar, I noticed your impressive work at Unfinance. I’d love to connect and discuss how we might collaborate or share insights.”

Engagement = genuine interest during interaction

Take your expertise ahead

Become a thought leader (write articles)

What are the biggest challenges in your industry? What trends do you foresee? By regularly publishing well-researched and thoughtful articles, you position yourself as a thought leader. For example, if you’re a senior executive in technology, you might write about the future of AI and its impact on businesses.

Engage in real-time with LinkedIn Live and Audio events

Suppose as a coach, you could host a live session on effective leadership strategies during times of change. And discuss industry trends and insights. Or answer questions directly from a Q&A session.

Share case studies or success stories

Nothing speaks louder than real-world results. You could share how you helped a client increase their revenue by 20% through a specific strategy, or how your leadership transformed a struggling team into top performers.

Maintain your LinkedIn report card

Monitor your profile performance

LinkedIn provides insights into how your posts and articles are performing, including views, likes, comments, and shares. Pay attention to these metrics to identify which types of content are most effective. Like, if your posts on industry trends receive more engagement than others, you might consider creating more content on that topic.

Like topic, like format (adapt your content strategy)

If you notice certain formats perform better, focus more on those. For example, if your video posts are receiving more attention, you might increase your frequency of video content or try hosting live sessions.

Track it regularly If your goal is to gain 500 new followers in six months, check your growth rate monthly and see what actions are driving the most results. Set specific goals for your LinkedIn activity

3 LinkedIn Marketing Don’t’s (to avoid and stand out)

Literally everyone is in the ‘personal brand building on LinkedIn’ race, wondering about how you would set yourself apart?

1. Don’t play hide and seek

When you meet someone at a networking event who seems interesting, but then you never hear from them again, how would it make you feel? That’s kind of the vibe you give off on LinkedIn if you only post every few months.

→ Aim for regular engagement, even if it’s just a few times a week. Like and comment on relevant posts, share interesting articles, or participate in group discussions. Let people know you’re active and engaged in the professional community.

2. Don’t brag (yes, we all have achievements, take it easy!)

Let’s say you just got a promotion. It’s a great achievement, and it’s okay to share it on LinkedIn. Instead of simply stating “Promoted to Head Unfinance!”, talk about the skills and experience that led to your promotion.

→ Focus on the value you bring. Instead of bragging about your title, talk about the challenges you overcame or the impact you made in your previous role.

3. Don’t bring everything to the table

Treat LinkedIn as a professional dinner party. You wouldn’t bring up controversial topics or tell off-color jokes, right? The same applies to your online persona.→ Maintain a professional tone. Avoid overly personal details, political arguments, or negativity. There are other platforms for those kinds of discussions.

Building a personal brand on LinkedIn is essential for increasing visibility, establishing credibility, and attracting opportunities. However, consistently creating engaging content can be challenging. This is where tools like SuperPen can be invaluable.

Why Use SuperPen for Personal Branding?

SuperPen is an AI-powered platform designed to enhance your LinkedIn presence by providing:

• Viral Content Library: Access a repository of high-performing LinkedIn posts across various industries to inspire your content creation.
• Trending Topics: Stay updated with the latest trends in your niche, ensuring your posts are timely and relevant.
• Favorite Creators & Styles: Draw inspiration from top creators and tailor your content to reflect successful styles that resonate with your target audience.

By leveraging SuperPen, you can overcome common challenges such as running out of content ideas, maintaining consistency, and crafting posts that drive engagement. This tool not only helps in generating ideas but also in structuring your posts to maximize impact, thereby effectively enhancing your personal brand on LinkedIn.

Incorporating SuperPen into your LinkedIn strategy can streamline your content creation process, allowing you to focus on building meaningful connections and advancing your professional goals.

Conclusion

Polish up your LinkedIn for personal branding like it’s your resume going on a first date! These LinkedIn marketing and personal branding tips will help you attract opportunities and boost your credibility.

Remember, share interesting content that keeps people engaged. It is a conversation, not a monologue — participate and connect with others in such a way! Track your progress and adapt your approach — if something flops, try something new! The goal is to keep your personal branding fresh and interesting.

PS: Who knows, you might even become a LinkedIn Top Voice in the coming years?