70% of hiring managers consider having a strong personal brand more important than a strong resume. LinkedIn, the largest professional social media platform with over 950 million members, is the best platform to create a strong personal brand.

LinkedIn visual image

Here are expert tips on how to create a strong personal brand that boosts your visibility and credibility on LinkedIn.

Create a Compelling Profile

Your profile on LinkedIn is your virtual calling card, so make it count. It's the first thing potential employers and clients will see when they background search you on LinkedIn. Here are the key areas that you should focus on to build a professional personal brand and increase your job competitiveness.

The Headline

Your LinkedIn headline acts as your captivating elevator pitch. If you want to stand out from the target audience, employers and clients alike, you must make it stand out.

Ditch the generic "Job Title" that everyone on LinkedIn uses and embrace active voice and relevant keywords that showcase your unique value proposition. The keywords will also help boost the ranking of your LinkedIn profile.

Here are a few examples.

Marketing Specialist | Passionate about Brand Storytelling & Content Creation
Passionate about [Industry] | Driving Change through Innovation and Collaboration
Storyteller | Crafting Captivating Content that Connects and Inspires
Visual Designer | Transforming Ideas into Powerful Visual Experiences

Keep it concise, and don't exceed 120 characters.

About Section

The About Section is your personal story canvas. Use this section to give potential employers and clients a snip view of your career journey, passion, and expertise in a captivating and authentic narrative. Don't just list facts; paint a picture of who you are, your personality traits, and what drives you professionally.

Experience & Skills

Use this section to make your personal brand shine. Surprisingly, not everyone on LinkedIn has filled this section correctly. Most people use it to showcase their personal life, and that's wrong. Stand out by listing your work history and skills in detail.

Make your personal brand more discoverable by including relevant keywords that potential employers and customers use to search for professionals in your industry.

Go a step further and boost your credibility by including endorsements and testimonials from past employers, clients, and even colleagues with LinkedIn profiles.

Finally, in this digital age, you cannot underestimate the power of visuals. A professional headshot and an eye-catching banner image reflecting your brand or business will work magic on your branding efforts.

Engage in Thought Leadership

Applying the above personal branding tips correctly will place you far ahead of other personal brands competing for the same target audience.

The next important personal branding step is to showcase your authority. Contrary to popular belief, thought leadership is not just for industry giants. You don't need a company LinkedIn profile to get a piece of this pie.

Establish yourself as an authority in your industry by consistently sharing high-quality content. For example, if you are in marketing, publish articles, blog posts, or even short videos demonstrating your expertise and insights about online business marketing and other related topics.

This content will position you as a thought leader in your industry and attract potential collaborators and clients drawn to your knowledge and perspective about the world and business.

It will also qualify you for new opportunities, such as a new career or business. That's exactly why you want to create a strong personal brand on LinkedIn, right?

Yes. Creating content and doing research takes time, but it will have an immense positive impact on your personal branding.

Don't stop there; go a step further and join relevant groups to increase your LinkedIn profile visibility further and establish a community of followers. Participate in discussions and share thought-provoking content to showcase your skills and expertise.

Once you start getting followers, consider starting your own discussions on topics you are passionate about and relevant to the group members.

For example, if you are in SEO, you can post an article about the recent Google algorithm update to connect with the members more and spur engagement.

Build Meaningful Connections

Personal branding is not just about sharing your skills and successes in business or any other field. You must build meaningful connections with experts and other industry professionals.

Meaningful connections are the foundation of any successful professional network. The connections will qualify you for new opportunities worldwide.

As you work on your personal brand on LinkedIn, your main focus should be to build meaningful and genuine relationships with people you admire, respect, and share common interests with.

How do you build meaningful connections on LinkedIn?

Personalized connection requests go a long way. Avoid the generic "I'd like to connect" message and explain why you're reaching out. Briefly introduce yourself, highlight your shared interests, and perhaps even offer something of value, like an article you wrote or an industry event you're hosting.

Engagement is key to nurturing connections. Like and comment on your connections' posts, share their content, and send personalized messages to spark conversations and keep the lines of communication open.

Share a link or QR code of your digital business card to share more personal and business details. Populate your digital card with links to your other social media profiles, company website, and other online platforms to further enhance your personal brand and connect deeply.

Remember, building a strong network takes time and effort, but the rewards are well worth the investment.

Be Consistent and Authentic

Consistency is key to building a successful online personal brand. Ensure your LinkedIn branding aligns with your overall personal brand across all your online platforms. This creates a unified image and reinforces your professional identity.

Regularly update your LinkedIn profile, share fresh content, and engage in discussions. Staying active demonstrates your commitment to your online presence and keeps you top-of-mind for potential opportunities.

Conclusion

Mastering personal branding on LinkedIn is possible if you apply the above tested and proven tips. Be sure to follow up with new connections by sharing your digital business card and scheduling meetings/calls online or offline.

Take the first step to enhancing your personal branding by creating a digital business card today. Use this guide on how to create a digital business card to get started. Good Luck!