LinkedIn Branding: How To Promote Your Personal Brand [2022 Guide]

You may have heard how powerful LinkedIn can be for personal branding, but are you using it to good effect? If you are looking for information on how to market on LinkedIn and build yourself a personal profile worthy of note, we’ve got you covered in this guide to personal branding.

Even if you are an employee rather than a freelancer or business founder, having the benefit of LinkedIn marketing can help you to land your next big role or develop the reputation you deserve in the industry.

Features of LinkedIn

As you probably already know, LinkedIn is a platform that allows professionals to connect with one another. It is known as a powerful recruitment tool as well as a networking platform where people can build connections with relevant industry figures. LinkedIn also has a powerful Jobs sectional. 

Did you know that LinkedIn is the most trusted social network? Users tend to feel confident that it protects their details and data better than most competing options.

Additional features on LinkedIn include:

• A sophisticated messaging system
• Some basic analytics to see who your message is reaching
• The ability to set up Pages, such as a business page, as part of your online marketing strategy
• Skill endorsements so that people you have worked with can recommend you based on your skills and experience

There is much more on the platform, too. It serves as a sort of online resume and a networking tool all built into one. LinkedIn branding has become a huge matter of debate and an art form that has allowed some people to build their business and career.

Creating an Account to Promote Your Personal Brand

So you want to know how to build a LinkedIn profile to give yourself the best chance of success. Being able to create an account is the simple part.

LinkedIn’s signup page will guide you through every aspect of the process, and the process takes a matter of minutes, but the best practices for boosting your personal brand take far longer. 

Below are some tips for creating an account to promote your personal brand.

1. Use a professional photograph

This is not the place for your silly photos from your last holiday. There are plenty of social networks for that. Instead, create a professional image, and use a high-res photo of you looking professional. Smiling is never a bad thing, either.

2. Take time to write your bio

So many people really don’t properly make use of this space. Sell yourself, without being over the top about it, and tell people who might be interested what you are all about. What are you looking for? What have you achieved? Why are you on LinkedIn? There is plenty to discuss.

3. Get endorsements if you can

Endorsements are a way to show what you can do, and that other people have had a positive experience working with you. This is a great way to get former colleagues, employers, and business contacts to vouch for you and show that you are good at what you do.

4. Provide past employment and education history

You’d put this on your resume, and you should definitely put it on your LinkedIn profile, especially if it is something you are particularly proud of. If you have a degree, you’re able to list the subject, grade, and even the university.

5. Show that you are active

Continuing to add content to your profile is the best way to show you are active on the platform. You can stick to written content if you must, but a video making tool can also help you to create simple and effective clips that some people will find easy to digest.

6. Start with active connections

Resist the temptation to start adding people that you think might be good connections. If you have no reason to do it, it is much like a cold email, and your chances of building a meaningful connection and improving your branding are so slim this way. Instead, add people you know and interact with regularly to get you started.

Tips For LinkedIn Personal Branding: Boosting Your Presence and Visibility

So, now that you know how to set up your account and do the very basics, what are some of the best ways that you can boost your presence and visibility? Our guidelines and tips can help you to promote your services and stand out in even a competitive field of business. 

Create Multiple Types of Content

Some people enjoy long-form blog posts, some people will enjoy polls which stir the pot and get the discussion going, some people will enjoy video or audio content. It is up to you to try and create many different types of content that capture the imagination and improve your chances of people paying attention to you, your profile, and your business. Remember that it is all part of your LinkedIn branding, so ensure everything you put out there is professional.

It’s all very well deciding that you are going to put out a podcast or a video, but without the right professional editing it will look amateurish.

Participate in LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups can be a great way to network without having to push or try to be “salesy”. There are a lot of LinkedIn Groups where you may be able to gain new clients, but this shouldn’t necessarily be your goal. Instead, go to these groups with the goal of learning and sharing rather than self-promotion.

Over time, you can ensure that you are adding value as well as taking important tips from these groups, relating to your industry. You may eventually be able to add posts to stir the pot or even direct people to a video or blog post you have published to hook them into your brand and establish yourself as one of the top resources in your field.

Give Your Expertise to Others

This is a huge problem with a lot of people using LinkedIn. They tend to sign up to the site immediately, wanting to get something for their own means. This isn’t how it tends to work, instead, you should be generous and genuine in your search to make real connections.

If somebody is asking how to do something, and you know the answer, you have very little to lose by taking a few minutes to share that expertise. By doing so, you can create a great relationship without having to ask for anything from anyone. Eventually, if they need services in this field, then they may come to you. Your few minutes of kindness may lead to far more.

On top of that, it serves to show people that you are an expert and that you know what you are talking about. You can build your reputation in an industry by reaching out and helping to fix other peoples’ problems. LinkedIn should be about giving if you ever want to get anything back.

Watch What Others Do Well

One of the benefits of being on LinkedIn is that you also have the ability to see what others are doing, and judge what is working. Some people have amassed huge followings on the platform. What are they doing that you aren’t?

In the majority of instances, the main takeaway will be the fact that people are providing value to those who they engage with, but you can pick up the specific techniques, and what sort of things people tend to react to, by following those already becoming “influencers” or gaining a reputation in your industry.

Be Active

One of the most important tips for promoting your personal brand on LinkedIn is simply to remain active. Keep posting, keep interacting, and make sure that you stay in peoples’ consciousness. 

It can take a while to build up your following, and this can make it more difficult to continue with your quest. Sometimes it might feel like you are putting amazing content out there and not getting much in return, but there is usually a tipping point where you will find that your content continues to get traction.

Follow up on things. It isn’t enough just to put a post on your LinkedIn profile and hope people notice you. If someone comments, comment back, start a conversation and try to build that meaningful connection that can make all the difference. 

Summary – Promoting Your Personal Brand in 2022

LinkedIn can be a competitive place to try and build your brand and gain followers, or make any meaningful connections, but if you are willing to put the time in, it has a huge potential upside for many different professionals in many different industries. Promoting your personal brand may help you to build your business or get recruited for the job you have dreamed of, and taking a little time to nurture your online branding makes all the difference.