How To Position & Build Your Personal Brand On LinkedIn

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Veronica Mesuraca, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

What’s the point of having a LinkedIn page if you don’t know how to use it to communicate your value, connect with like-minded people and attract the professional opportunities you want?

All these things are possible if you learn how to position and build your personal brand on LinkedIn.

To start with, let’s have a look at some of the main reasons why LinkedIn is good news for your Personal Brand (not only for your job search!):

- When people search for you on Google, your LinkedIn page is one of the first pages that appear in the search results, before other social media platforms and often even before your own website.

- It’s a platform that is mainly focused on professional content and it’s still easier to stand out compared to other platforms where there’s a higher volume of traffic and a broader mix of content.
People are more likely to see and read your posts when they are not distracted by hilarious videos of cats and dogs :)

- It allows you to connect and engage with professionals and like-minded people all over the world. This includes the possibility of joining groups, following companies, schools and influencers.
In addition to giving you the space to share posts, images and videos, it offers you a built-in platform where you can write articles and build your own blog and followers.

- You can get recommendations and endorsements for your expertise and skills. Who doesn’t want that?

Having established that LinkedIn is indeed good for your Personal Brand, the following are 5 things that help you position and build your personal brand on LinkedIn:

1. Set your intentions

If this is missing, none of the other tips and tricks really matter. This is about deciding what you want to be known for and what type of people and opportunities you want to attract. For example, you might have a variety of skills and experiences but right now you want to steer your career or business in one specific direction. Therefore, on your LinkedIn page, you only want to highlight the skills and experiences that fit that purpose. You want to use specific keywords, minimise past responsibilities that are so relevant anymore, and post content that reflects your current brand and goals.

2. Have a complete profile

This may seem obvious but I still see a lot of people who don’t have a complete profile. They limit themselves to a quick list of job titles and they don’t even have a decent profile picture. If you want to position and build your personal brand on LinkedIn, you need to have a well written and complete profile.

In addition to your job experiences, you need:

- A professional profile picture. If your profile picture is unprofessional or it’s so small that your face is barely visible, it won’t attract and connect. You want your picture to be of good quality and your face should take up to 80% of the picture itself. If you can, I always recommend investing in a session with a photographer. A good quality picture will make your online presence so much more professional, confident and polished. Remember this as well: your profile picture is the first visual expression of your personal brand online (and usually the first thing people look at!).

- A compelling headline. You are much more than a job title and your headline is your opportunity to present yourself and communicate your value. Together with your profile picture, this is the first thing people see when they come across your profile or search your name on LinkedIn, and often it’s enough for them to decide whether they want to know more about you or click away.

- An attractive banner image. This is a great way to personalise your LinkedIn page, visually communicate your personal brand and grab people’s attention before they even start reading your profile summary and experiences.

- A profile summary that stands out. In a crowded and competitive marketplace, being able to tell your story in a way that is clear, catchy and communicates your value will simply set you apart from all the other people who leave this space blank or start their bio with the same old line “I have 10 years of experience in xxx”. You are much more than a sum-up of facts and job titles, and your bio is your chance to tell your unique story. Also, don’t neglect the other sections including your education and accomplishments, and finally list your key skills so people can endorse you for them.

3. Deliver valuable content

Posting and sharing content is the best way to showcase your expertise, build trust and grow your visibility. LinkedIn allows you to post short updates, images, videos and share other people’s posts as well. Most importantly, it gives you a built-in publishing platform where you can write articles and build your own blog. When you publish articles, they also appear on your profile so they increase your credibility and influence.

4. Get recommended

Having recommendations on LinkedIn is another great way to add credibility to your profile. Think about people you worked with, who would be happy to share their words of appreciation. Make sure you contact them before sending a request on LinkedIn and then make their job easier by giving them an idea of what you would like them to highlight about you in their recommendation.

5. Connect and engage

LinkedIn is a professional network that is meant for people to connect and engage. It’s not just a place where you apply for jobs anymore. This means that it’s important for you to engage in conversations and people’s post. You can also join LinkedIn groups, and connect with other professionals and like-minded people. They don’t all have to be in your industry and it’s also ok to add people you don’t know if you find their profile interesting.

When you connect with people, remember to customise your invitation message, rather than using the standard one provided by LinkedIn, as that does not create a great first impression. Make sure you check my post on how to write invitation messages on LinkedIn.

In today’s fast-paced and more than ever connected world, professional first meetings already happen on LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn page is your opportunity to make a great first impression, communicate your value and position your personal brand.