When you think of a personal brand, you might not be thinking about your Linkedin profile. However, that doesn’t mean that Linkedin isn’t an important place to build your personal brand. In fact, it might just be the perfect place to do so.
Even though many people think of personal branding as something you only do if you’re looking for a job or looking to get hired somewhere specific, the truth is that everyone can benefit from creating and building their own personal brand.
In this article, I will explain what a personal brand is and how building one on Linkedin can help you grow your career and advance in your field. We will also show you some things to consider when creating your own brand on Linkedin so that you can make the most of this opportunity and stand out among other users.
What is a personal brand?
A personal brand is the way that you are seen and perceived by others, both professionally and in your personal life. It’s your reputation and your reputation is made up of everything you do and say. This includes everything from your resume, to your work, to the way you present yourself to others.
A good personal brand will help you advance your career, find more success in the job market, and be more successful in your personal life. A strong personal brand is something that you can and should actively work on and craft over time. You should be constantly looking for ways to improve and strengthen your brand so that it can help you achieve your goals in life.
Why build a Linkedin brand?
Check out some key stats...
Linkedin has over 810 million members
58 million registered companies
In over 200 countries
Linkedin is growing:
Sessions are up 30% year on year
Revenues are up 42% year on year
Hires up 160% year on year
55% year-over-year increase in conversations among connections
60% increase in content creation
4 out of 5 people on Linkedin "drive business decisions" Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-statistics-youll-want-your-fingertips-202122-phil-szomszor/
Building a brand on Linkedin is different from building one on your channels. LinkedIn users are looking for professional connections and relationships. They are actively seeking people and companies with whom they would like to do business or network. This makes LinkedIn a great place to strengthen your brand and advance your career.
A strong personal brand on Linkedin will make you more successful in your career by increasing your visibility and helping you to expand your network. Building a strong Linkedin brand can help you find a new job more quickly or get promoted at your current job. It can also help you to find clients or contractors more easily. Your brand is what makes you different from everyone else on the site - your own USP. This is an opportunity for you to differentiate yourself and make yourself stand out from the crowd.
Tips to help you build your Linkedin brand
There are many different things you can do to build a stronger brand on Linkedin. The following are some tips to help you get started:
Make sure your profile is filled out completely. This includes your headline, summary, skills, education, and experience. Be as thorough as possible and don’t leave any areas blank or incomplete.
Create a distinctive profile headline. Your Linkedin headline is the first description that people will see. Make it count. Good headlines are clear and confident, and use terms people search for. This should be a concise description of who you are, what you do, and what you are looking for. It should be compelling enough to make them want to keep reading.
Make sure your profile picture is professional. You don’t want to use a selfie as your profile picture. Instead, use a professional-looking headshot, by yourself and dressed appropriately.
Avoid clichés. Words like “dynamic” and “team player” appear on so many profiles that they’re almost meaningless. Find unique ways to describe your skills or better yet demonstrate your expertise with evidence.
Seek endorsements and recommendations. Social proof is invaluable. Ask reputable connections to write you a testimonial and/or endorse you for key skills.
Interact with others. The best way to build a strong brand on Linkedin is to get out there and engage with others. Join groups, comment on posts, like other people’s posts, and follow other users so that you can network with them.
Post frequently but don’t overdo it. Posting too frequently is a surefire way to annoy people and make them unfollow you. Posting too infrequently, on the other hand, means that you aren’t active enough to be noticed. Posting weekly is a good balance of being active enough to be noticed but not too much that you become a nuisance.
Be visible. Stand out by updating your status with projects you're working on, the material you're reading (and your opinions on them), and events you're attending. Your brand is not just who you are; it’s what you do.
Build brand associations. You’re judged by the company you keep. By building your Linkedin network, you’re building your personal brand. Connect with colleagues, clients, and others.
Add to your knowledge. Differentiate yourself by knowing your industry deeply. Read up on topics you care about.
Be consistent. Make sure all the pieces of your professional footprint are consistent and send the same message — from your Linkedin profile to your resume to other social networks.
Be personal. Customize connection requests or any other message on Linkedin to your recipient. People will appreciate personal attention.
Give generously. Helping others is a crucial way to build your own personal brand. Give advice, share job leads, provide endorsements, and congratulate people on their successes.
Be authentic. Your brand should be you. It should be authentic and true to who you are. The best online identities are real, honest, and focus on what makes you unique and what you can offer. Personal branding is not about sales or spin.
Make new and existing connections. Linkedin has the functionality to sync your email address book. In the 'My network' page go to 'Add personal contacts' inthe bottom left rail and follow the steps.
Conclusion
Creating a personal brand on Linkedin is an important part of advancing your career. A strong brand can help you find a new job more quickly or get promoted at your current job. It can also help you to find clients or contractors more easily. In order to have a successful brand on LinkedIn, you first have to define what your brand is.
Once you have a clear idea of what your brand is, you can then start to build it on Linkedin. That being said, creating a brand on Linkedin is a long-term process that won’t happen overnight. It will take time to grow and develop, but in the end it will be worth it. By creating a strong brand on Linkedin, you can advance your career or your business.
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