Your personal brand is not just what you do or where you work, it’s the way people perceive you as an individual from the brand you build around yourself.
Like it or not, social media is here to stay. It also happens to be the best place to build your personal brand and the single most important way you can set yourself apart in your industry. The greatest part? You are in control of your own personal brand and how you present yourself and engage online with potential clients and customers.
There are a lot of social media channels out there, and it’s important you choose which is the best for your profession. For most industries, the best social media channel for building your personal brand is LinkedIn.
30 Minute How-To Guide: Check out this webinar to learn how you can build your brand on LinkedIn ➢
If you’re looking to get serious about improving your personal brand and are ready to ramp up your efforts, these 5 tips will be critical for seeing results.
1. Complete Your Profile
Set yourself up for success by taking the time to fully complete your profile on LinkedIn. Your profile is the foundation of your personal brand and represents who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and the skills and expertise you possess. The content on your profile dictates how you’re seen professionally.
Update all your information, fill out every relevant section and use keywords in your summary and work experience. Use your LinkedIn profile to add the personality that is hard to convey on a resume.
Pro Tip: When completing your profile, keep your target audience in mind and include examples of your work that position you as a thought leader in your industry.
2. Share Relevant Content
You want to become a known resource for information by sharing what LinkedIn refers to as conversation-worthy updates with your audience. Meaning, when you’re looking for relevant articles, news, and data to share with your network, you’re going to want to make sure that it’s content your audience will find interesting and valuable.
On top of sharing those updates, take advantage of LinkedIn Publisher. When you write and publish an article on this platform, it will be tied to your professional profile. By sharing your knowledge and expertise on this LinkedIn Publisher, it will help to develop and strengthen your personal brand.
Pro Tip: Diversify your content. Make sure you are switching it up by sharing a mix of images, videos, articles, questions, and curating content written by others. Don’t be scared to throw a little personal insight into the mix too, after all, part of building your personal brand is showcasing who you are as a person, not just what you do.
Related Post: Why It’s Vital to Keep Your Recruiting Company’s LinkedIn Profile Up-To-Date ➢
3. Engage – The Right Way.
Improving your personal brand goes beyond optimizing your profile. You must also focus on truly engaging with your audience, and no, that doesn’t mean just clicking the thumbs up on every update you see. It’s communicating back and forth through updates you share and participating in discussions with other individuals to strengthen personal connections. By engaging with your connections through shared content and discussion you can become a trusted source to your audience.
Pro Tip: When engaging through commenting, leave insightful and thoughtful comments. Don’t comment simply for the sake of commenting.
4. Utilize Groups
LinkedIn provides individuals the opportunity to join groups that are specific to their industry and area of expertise. In these groups, people share industry insights, seek advice, and provide feedback for other professionals. Participating in groups allows you to showcase your knowledge around a subject and start to grow relationships with like-minded people. Think outside the box when joining groups.
Ask yourself the following questions when determining which groups to join:
- Where are your prospects at?
- What are their pain points?
- What is your industry expertise?
- What are the areas you can use some a little extra knowledge in?
By answering these questions, you will be able to utilize groups to their fullest potential.
Pro Tip: Be aware, there are many groups that aren’t managed or that the community in them are not active. So, when searching for the right groups, explore ones you think will be beneficial then narrow down to a few top key groups to spend your time in.
Related Post: 10 Tips For Optimizing Your Linkedin Profile ➢
5. Be Consistent
One of the key components of improving your personal brand is consistency. The more you stick to a plan and make it a priority, the sooner you’ll see connections happening, conversations starting and business increasing. It’s recommended to share content at least 3-4 times a week, engage daily, and utilize publisher at least once a month.
Pro Tip: Make a daily, weekly, and monthly checklist for yourself and set calendar reminders to keep you on track.
Like any goal, improving your personal brand won’t happen overnight, but by using social media to share your expertise, participate in conversations, and become a reliable source of information, you’ll have the opportunity to build valuable relationships, generate more business, and become a thought leader in your industry.
Watch Parqa’s Free 30-Minute Webinar: Growing Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn For Recruiters. LinkedIn is the go-to social network for recruiters, it’s never been more important to make sure your personal brand stands out online. Learn how to grow your business, and gain traction on LinkedIn, in this 30-Minute How-To Guide for Recruiters.
