In today’s competitive job market, the ability to effectively communicate your unique value to prospective employers is essential if you want to build a successful career. This is where an optimised personal branding strategy can make a big difference, as it looks at how to strategically create, position and maintain a positive impression of yourself and your unique characteristics. LinkedIn can be your ultimate ally in mastering personal branding and improving your employability and career progression prospects.
Now, you might be wondering where to start with personal branding on LinkedIn?
Don’t worry, we’ve done the preliminary work for you! Upon reviewing the available research and academic literature in the field, we identified that personal branding comes down to these simple truths:
- Continue learning and investing in your personal and professional development.
- Build relationships and visible associations with the right people and organisations.
- Make sure that the image you are portraying in the world is consistent.
- Reveal information about yourself strategically to build your desired image.
- Be authentic and share your real experiences to build trust.
- Make sure that your visual appearance reflects the image you want to maintain.
Now in principle the above sounds simple, but how do you translate this to LinkedIn? To help you out, we created a simple checklist game that will set you on the right path to master personal branding on LinkedIn.
Quiz: How strong is your brand on LinkedIn?
Tick what you have already implemented and see how well you have mastered personal branding on LinkedIn thus far:
- Systematically share any educational achievements, new certifications and ongoing skill development through posts and/or written articles.
- Highlight the right skills for your desired career (your skills section should be optimised to show relevant skills only).
- Endorse your connections with skills and get reciprocal endorsements.
- Join LinkedIn groups related to your field.
- Participate in group discussions.
- Connect with like-minded group members.
- Seek out mentorship opportunities from individuals whose career you admire.
- Ask for recommendations from your colleagues and managers, who can additionally validate your skills and work ethic.
- Ensure your LinkedIn profile is consistent with your CV.
- Use a professional and well-lit profile picture.
- Use a professional background photo.
- Have a strategy in place for information you want to share. Don’t post content unless it supports the brand you want to create for yourself.
- Systematically share relevant articles and insights into your industry of choice with your commentary on the matter.
- Create a compelling headline.
- Create a profile summary that clearly states your unique characteristics, experience and values.
- Create posts and/or articles that showcase your genuine talents, knowledge and passion.
- When sharing, be transparent about your experiences and accomplishments to build trust with your LinkedIn connections.
- Make sure your LinkedIn is well-organised and easy to read (think bullet points vs long paragraphs).
- Ensure your LinkedIn is error-free.
How well did you do?
| 0-9 | How exciting that you are just starting to define your personal brand on LinkedIn! Use the tips above to ensure you stay on the right track. |
| 10-15 | You’re doing great! A couple of additional actions from the list above and you will be unstoppable. |
| 16-19 | Amazing, you seem to know exactly what you are doing! But remember that personal branding is an ongoing exercise, and consistency is key to ensuring you maintain your desired image. |
In conclusion, working on mastering personal branding on LinkedIn is essential for enhancing your employability and career-growth prospects. By strategically showcasing your skills, expertise and authentic interests and passions, you can set yourself apart in the job market and get one step closer to achieving your career aspirations. Invest time in building your LinkedIn presence now and watch as your career skyrockets.
