Blog

Linkedin is well known as the leader in social media for corporate, business and industry information. While Linkedin is a ‘social media’ platform, it’s far from the stereotypes of its less formal counterparts. You won’t find any funny cat videos, or the classic ‘Live, Laugh, Smile’ inspo posts on the platform. It is a space that is essential in job hunting, networking and establishing professional and business credibility. There are two strategies to Linkedin; personal branding and business. 

Whether you are just starting your career/business or are established in your role, Linkedin has numerous benefits and it should certainly be a part of your plan when expanding your career or business.

Below we touch on the strategy for your personal professional Linkedin profile. 

Define Your Personal Brand 

Linkedin is where you can showcase your personal corporate brand. Follow the brands that you would love to work with, share content you think is great, interact with others to show that you are fully immersed and passionate in your industry.  However, it is important to keep in mind that the content you are interacting with and sharing is relevant to your industry. 

Your Linkedin Profile is where you can really ‘show yourself off’ in a professional sense, highlighting your strengths and areas of expertise. Unfortunately, as hard as it is for some of us, you do have to ‘toot your own horn.’ 

Taking the time to create your profile properly, and keeping it updated will help you in the long term when you are networking or potentially looking for a new position. 

Build Trust In Your Brand 

People love putting faces to names, and Linkedin does just that for businesses. Linkedin provides people with the opportunity to see who is behind a brand or business, and in turn humanises it. 

While you can create a business page for your Linkedin, they do not have the capacity to interact to the same extent as a personal page. This means you cannot currently comment, like or follow as a business page on Linkedin. It is therefore crucial for employees of the business to share content posted on the business page, to draw attention to the page. 

By being an active brand on Linkedin, you can build trust and establish credibility in your services. 

Networking Made Easy 

Linkedin allows you to easily connect with other people within your industry to form meaningful/mutually beneficial relationships. However, there are certain protocols that should be followed when connecting with others on Linkedin. 

Simply connecting to a complete stranger or someone you don’t know well, is a sure fire way to get your request ignored. If you are unknown to the person you are reaching out to, it is considerate to write a short message introducing yourself and why you would like to connect with them. This reassures them that you are a legitimate connection, and that it would be beneficial for them to accept your request. 

It is also important to ensure you connect with someone in a timely manner. If you meet somebody at an industry event or meeting, it is beneficial to connect with them on Linkedin within 24 hours. This ensures that you are top of mind and remembered when you send the request and it will be more likely to be accepted. It’s like the business card of 2020.

Position Yourself As An Expert 

Linkedin is also a platform where you can position yourself as an expert through sharing, liking and writing content. In addition to this, it is a great tool to help keep up with what others are doing within your industry, and will help you keep ahead of the game. 

Writing a post on a topic that you are knowledgeable in can establish you as an authority figure, expert and show that you are passionate. Show the world what you know and invite people to read your content, this gives you a voice in your industry.