Without a doubt, we all know LinkedIn as the social network we consult when we are looking for a new job. For many users, this remains the main purpose of LinkedIn. Right before they start their search for a job, they will update their LinkedIn profile with their latest work experience and that’s it. But LinkedIn is so much more. And let that be the one thing we are going to do in this blog for you. In a few minutes, Personal Branding via LinkedIn will have no secrets for you. 🙌
These days, your online image gets a more important role. Therefore, it’s also important that your personal brand is in top shape. Not only to impress future employers, but also to develop your own unique voice within your network. With an authentic (because this is very important) personal brand you can really position yourself in your network, and who knows what nice collaborations or connections will come forward from this?
That’s why we first have to think about Personal Branding. Personal Branding actually means that you discover your talents and put them in the spotlight to show your online image to your followers. This is certainly not about ‘selling’ yourself for a next job, for example, but about building a consistent and authentic image for the long term.
What’s LinkedIn’s part?
But of course, the key question remains: how do I do this and what role does LinkedIn play in this? The role of LinkedIn is actually quite obvious. It has never been easier to keep an overview of your professional network. And you want to tell that same network something? A match made in heaven!
The easiest way to get started is to ask yourself (or even better, ask your colleagues and friends) how they see you. Because you already have a personal brand. All you have to do is transfer it to your digital environment. You can do this by implementing the following tips.
Tip #1: Make sure your basics are filled in correctly before you start with personal branding on LinkedIn
Complete your general description or ‘about’ with correct information about yourself, your career and your passions. In other words, make your profile real, authentic and personal. Important to know is that Google reads your LinkedIn profile and uses that data to ensure that you are found more quickly when someone is looking for you or a similar profile. Therefore, it’s an essential platform to increase your findability in the search results. A professional profile picture is also important for the same reason because it also appears in Google. And we only want to be seen at your best, don’t you? ?
Your work experience can also use a clear description. A job title often doesn’t say it all. And sometimes it’s interesting for your network to know where your heart and experience lie. For example, if you have worked in the USA for 10 years as a marketer, and your new employer is looking for someone who can speak a nice word of English, then maybe you could be the white raven.
Also important for our good friend Google is your personal URL. Because if Google can’t find you, do you actually exist? ? So be sure to change your personal URL. Sometimes there are a lot of characters, which is, of course, less clear than www.linkedin.com/in/firstname.name. You can change this quickly as follows:
- Go to your profile
- At the top right, click on ‘Edit public profile & URL’.
- Click here on ‘Edit your custom URL’ in the upper-right corner.
- Change your link and save it!
Tip #2: Make the most of LinkedIn to network and dare to add your own friends.
Many LinkedIn users have a profile without using it very well. The purpose of LinkedIn is to network and to keep in touch with your connections. So why not address an acquaintance when you need something? Usually, this person will be eager to do help you out.
Don’t be intimidated to add acquaintances or interlocutors to an event that you clicked with. This way, you will stay in touch with each other and you will also remember that person if you bump into each other again at a future event. Don’t forget to add a personal message to your invitation. This immediately gives you that extra personal touch. This doesn’t have to be extensive, but remembering your new connection where you got to know each other never hurts.
Tip #3: Stay yourself
We’ve already mentioned it briefly. But because this is, in our opinion, the most important tip, we would like to repeat it. It is also very critical that you stay true to yourself. A real and authentic online image is one of your biggest assets and most important ways to distinguish yourself. For example, you must stay true to yourself. For example, if you are very ecologically minded and committed to our planet online, but you are not like that at all in real life, then you will definitely get exposed.
Tip #4: Share your own content now and then and show off your work
Another thing which is extremely important for communicating your identity is the occasional sharing of content that’s close to your heart. If you work for a social media agency, and you’re an expert on Instagram, then it’s certainly interesting to show your network that you’re good at it, for example by sharing the latest trends or by showing a novelty to the public.
Maybe you’ve written an article about using Instagram for companies, or you’re giving a workshop about it, then it’s even more important to share this content yourself from time to time so that your network knows what your strengths are. Sharing your own work is always interesting, so you can show what you have to offer. No better proof, of course. But of course, it doesn’t stop there. Play on your expertise as well: You are the Instagram expert, so show that to your network by sharing other content as well (e.g. a news article about a new trend) and give your opinion as an expert on that as well.
So communicating about yourself is certainly important, but if you’re only talking about yourself, it also seems arrogant. Profiling yourself as an expert and thus also sharing your knowledge with your network creates a completely different image.
Tip #5: Make sure your personal brand grows with you
And we’re not just talking about your profile photo from when you graduated. 😉 If you actually graduated the last 5 years, that beautiful photo has a right to be your profile picture. When you’re just a little older, it can’t hurt to let your online image grow along with it. Your internship or holiday and weekend work will become less interesting over the years. A LinkedIn profile is more than just an online business card that you will get out once a year. It lives and grows with you.
Hopefully, you can work with these tips yourself. If you still need further advice, you can always contact us. We’ll be happy to help you on your way.