In much of my content, I dig deep into the tactics and details of personal branding. In this blog on why LinkedIn is important, I am zooming out a bit.
Whether you are a CEO, mid-manager, or even a student, you have a valuable asset that you might not be capitalizing on. What is it? your LinkedIn personal brand.
But why LinkedIn is important in the first place is the focus of this blog article.
Why LinkedIn is Important #1: You Add Value to Others
A true personal brand is about helping others.
Whether you’re a university student or you have 20 years of experience. Your story, journey, and expertise are unique gifts no one can replace.
By adding value to others, you naturally get value in return.
Wide exposure, speaking opportunities, and invitations to guest blogging are among the open doors.
This is one reason why LinkedIn is important. As a space to give and receive value.
Why LinkedIn is Important #2: Saves You from Getting Stuck
Everyone gets stuck at one point or another during their career journey.
Juniors are stuck struggling with writing CVs. Not knowing how and where to start their careers.
Mid-managers inspire others and are well-paid… but are stuck in their position. Do they go to a different company? Start a business? Wait for promotion?
Top management and executives are also stuck. How do they move to an even higher level? They are bombarded with endless choices. Which connections and opportunities should they pursue?
This is why LinkedIn is important. A strong personal brand helps you get unstuck regardless of where you are in your career journey.
If you are well-known as a helpful, trustworthy expert, this automatically opens opportunities.
If you are a junior, this will open hiring opportunities for you.
If you are a mid-manager, this brings you more exposure to headhunters & job recruiters.
If you are at top-level management. You do not need to worry about your next step because your personal brand is already opening up new ventures every day.
That’s why LinkedIn is important. It helps you develop a reputation that people would love to work and partner with you.
Why LinkedIn is Important #3: Keeps You Ahead Of Everyone Else
The time you invest in building an online presence + creating content = time invested to stay ahead. This means lifelong learning is the prize of maintaining a sustainable personal brand.
Your expertise never goes obsolete. You are at the forefront of every technology and update. Especially in today’s AI age, when every skill is being reshaped in every industry.
After months or years of having connections, you’ll be invited to events or hired for jobs you would not have dreamed of hadn’t you put yourself out there!
Knowing why LinkedIn is important, what steps are Needed?
1) Have 3 Specifics:
Provide a specific solution to a specific target audience with specific problem. This might need brainstorming and analyzing. The IKIGAI model is an excellent tool to help you!
2) Make your UVP Clear on Your Profile:
You have only a few seconds to impress your profile visitors, or they will walk away!
➡️ Your cover image, headline & profile pic (triangle of first impressions) should catch attention. By being relevant and relatable to keep them scrolling.
➡️Your “about” section: should be the story about you and your journey.
➡️Your “experience” section: includes your job description, your (over)achievements & any recognitions you received. Add visual elements as confirmation.
➡️Be magnetic for the LinkedIn search box! Have the right keywords by which you want to be found across your profile.
3) Share Valuable Content:
Content types are educational, motivational, and humorous. People want to enhance themselves (educational content), overcome challenges (motivational content), and lighten up sometimes (humorous content).
The magical button is the share/repost button! Shares mean you are addressing the right people with the right content at the right time.
Think engaging shareable content. People will be excited to consume your content every day!✨
4) Grow Your Personal Brand:
When people share your content consistently, you’ll reach beyond your own personal network. More connections = more conversations = more conversions.
At this point, you need to invest time in commenting on other experts’ posts. This lets you expand your exposure by adding actual value.
Your personal brand can turn into a magnet of opportunities! Whether business opportunities, partnership opportunities or even direct sales.
5) Start Your Own Platform:
This is crucial for scaling.
When you get the needed exposure and traffic, it’s time to level up.
How? by building your own blog/ podcast/ website/ newsletter.📰🎙️
Why? because any social media is rented ground.😐
Accordingly, you need to:
📍Move your loyal audience from rented land to owned land.
📍Let your audience directly connect with you beyond the algorithm of social media.
Finally, do you want to build an effective personal brand today?
The “LinkedIn Influence Accelerator” is my course for founders, coaches, and communicators. It is crafted for professionals who want to create an effective personal brand that generates opportunities!
Start boosting your personal brand now!
