As a website designer and copywriter, I get a lot of surprised looks when I say how passionate I am about personal branding on LinkedIn. (Hint, A LOT, a lot passionate).

“Aren’t designers usually big fans of more visual platforms like Pinterest or YouTube or Instagram?”

Well, yes. And I love those platforms as well. But the power of personal branding on LinkedIn is something I get extra excited about. 

Why Personal Branding On LinkedIn Makes Sense

I’ve been working with founders, creatives, and solopreneurs (including myself) on LinkedIn strategy and content since 2020 and it has been one of the coolest skills to grow and see results around.

Why does showing up as a personal brand work well on this app?

The platform is a blend of professionalism, entrepreneurialism, C-suite leadership, creatives, contractors, side hustlers, and 9-5 folks — a blend you won’t find on most other channels.

And the platform doesn’t require huge budgets or hours and hours in your schedule to see results. Just genuine effort and a willingness to connect meaningfully.

You’ll need a couple of hours to set up your foundations, an hour or so per week to write out your posts, and then 10 minutes a day to engage meaningfully and grow your network. And I share details on each of these steps below!

When Did LinkedIn Get More Personal?

What used to be a strictly ‘only go on to find a job’ app has transformed into a community-building, engagement-focused, semi-professional space where people share personal wins, work challenges, ask for help, share ideas, and learn together.

Not to say this platform doesn’t have faults (all platforms have challenges) but despite the annoying sales messages or braggy posts I come across, I’ve seen the impact that comes when founders use their unique voice through LinkedIn.

I’ve seen people grow insane networks that help in their career and business goals. I’ve helped reposition brands to share their story and show up more genuinely. 

So to help you see results like these, I’ve mapped out the 7 steps to personal branding on LinkedIn below using the approach and techniques I’ve used for myself and my clients in the past 5 years.

These steps are how to apply your personal brand and use the platform effectively. If you haven’t yet created your personal brand and are looking for support, reach out for some help!

1. Have A Clear Goal

The goal of LinkedIn is to create and nurture relationships. When you keep this the main focus, you’ll see results as you leverage your personal brand.

But beyond this foundational goal, we need to set your ‘goal’ for showing up on LinkedIn. Knowing what you want out of your effort on the platform will determine HOW you show up and give you the motivation to put in the time.

Maybe you want to find clients for your business, seek out mentorships, or enter a new industry. Most likely, you’ll have a combination of several goals.

You’ll also need to know how your personal brand will work on this platform. Look at how others show up as inspiration! Do you want to be known for your vulnerability and strength as a founder? Your balance of parenthood and business? Your skills and unique perspective on an industry?

Once you’re clear on your personal brand – your values, perspective, and goals for showing up on LinkedIn – you’re ready to build your profile.

2. Optimize Your Profile

I actually wrote a whole blog post with the 8 steps to optimize your LinkedIn profile so you can go take a read for that simple guide. 

Your personal LinkedIn profile is the foundation of your brand on the platform so give this your full attention and effort. Think of what someone will think when they look through your About section, featured posts, title, experience, and picture. 

How can you showcase your relevance and value while also just being a human looking to connect? Using simple language, forgetting about sales completely, and being uniquely yourself are huge for this step.

Need support? I offer LinkedIn profile optimizations as a one-off project! Reach out with questions or to book a chat.

3. Grow Your Connections

Once your profile is set up, your next step is to begin growing your connections. My strategy is to not be too stingy with connections. I like having lots of different folks in my network — and no, you don’t need to know them all in real life. 

Some of the coolest connections I’ve made have been people I came across and just hit ‘connect’ and only bonded over virtual calls or in-person coffees later.

I send connection requests (not follows) to people 2-3 times per week, and I only send 4-10 requests at a time. There are daily limits so don’t go crazy sending requests all in one day or week.

I don’t send a message with my request. Instead, I let my profile speak for me. If someone sees I have requested to connect, they can go look at my profile and decide if it makes sense for them to accept. 

Once someone has accepted my request, I often reach out saying hello or asking them a question based on their past content. I never pitch or ask for anything in these messages. The goal is relationships! The rest comes when it’s the right fit.

4. Engage Meaningfully Every Day

Engagement (commenting especially) is the key to creating a powerful personal brand and network on the LinkedIn platform. Comments actually show in your ‘activity’ section, so people can see your comments when they review your profile. 

Commenting on posts also helps you appear in other people’s feeds. You can be found by your comments, so be intentional with your comments and put energy into your daily engagement. 

When you engage for 10 minutes a day (scrolling your feed and commenting on relevant posts) you’ll start to see new conversations and network growth opportunities. The more unique and YOU a comment is, the more likely someone will reach out, start a conversation, or look at your profile.

5. Share Real, Human Content

Forget what you thought you knew about content on LinkedIn. This is NOT just for sharing career highlights (although that’s great too). 

This is a space for sharing unique insights on your industry, lessons learned from your last project, or a story from picking up kids from school.

If you’re not 100% sure where to start, look at what others are sharing! See trends in how people write captions or what visuals tend to perform well for those in your industry or similar roles.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• I recommend sharing a post 1-2 times per week.
• Show your face! Yes, even selfies work well.
• Be yourself, and don’t overly produce your content.
• Break up captions so they’re easy to read.
• Write down 3-4 topics you want to focus on.

I recommend sharing posts at a similar time and on similar days. Perhaps you start with once a week on Tuesday mornings!

6. Create Manageable Consistency

LinkedIn personal branding is kind of like SEO. It takes a while to find your groove and then even longer to really see results. The key is to find a consistency level that is realistic for you.

I usually coach clients to do 10 minutes of engaging and network-building every morning and then plan posts 1-2 weeks in advance and write when they’re feeling inspired. 

But if you’re honest and 10 minutes a day feels too much. Choose 3 days a week and PUT IT IN YOUR CALENDAR. Consistency is more important than frequency so prioritize the time you can and create that routine.

7. Messaging Your Network

Messaging is last on this list because it’s really something to implement in your strategy once you’re comfortable with the other techniques – engaging, network growth, and posting!

What you DON’T want is to be the annoying, pitching person in the messages area (which you’ll see a lot of I’m sure) which is why messaging is a great tool but must be used intentionally to see results. 

I try to be connected first and have a purpose to the messaging. Sometimes it’s to say I really appreciated a post they shared recently, or asking them to connect in person sometime (at an event or over a coffee if they’re local) to open up the conversation.

Another messaging strategy I’ve found effective is to ask for referrals from folks I know and trust in my network. Or share a new offer/resource/webinar in case they know someone who may be a good fit.

Overall, messaging is a way to grow relationships, not a cold pitching go-to. This approach has created some amazing opportunities in my business and so many others!

Get Support For Personal Branding On LinkedIn

I hope these steps above will help you show up confidently. If you need some more inspiration, here are some profiles that show what’s possible with personal branding on LinkedIn: 

• Aaron Harper — Growing The Rolling Suds Franchise
• Jeff Horst — Creating Community In His Career
• Brooke Janousek — Leading Marketing Teams & Personal Growth
• Jordan Tait — Coaching Business Owners

Keep in mind that your analytics may not feel impressive initially, but over time the impact of the relationships you’ll build and the network you’ll reach can have incredible results for your business and brand.

If you’re excited about getting your personal brand on LinkedIn but would rather get support with this step – reach out through my inquiry form, and let’s chat!