According to a study by Hootsuite, 70% of marketers are confident that LinkedIn delivers a positive return on their investment. This is the highest of all the social networks! And yet, many of us still underestimate the power of this fantastic platform.
Well, not anymore!
In this post, I’ll break down the best strategies to grow your brand on LinkedIn. We’ll cover how to optimise your profile and company page for success, create a tailored LinkedIn content strategy, and take a peek at how some big names are leveraging the platform. Plus, I’ll share some under-utilised but incredibly powerful LinkedIn features to ensure your success.
You can watch the video below or keep reading the post on this page:
Optimising Your Profile
To make a strong first impression on LinkedIn, optimising your profile is key. Let’s start with your:
Profile Picture & Banner
- A high-quality photo is essential. It doesn’t need to be a formal headshot unless you’re a C-suite executive. And in fact even CEOs like Melanie Perkins and Matt Cooper, opt for warmer, more creative profile photos that showcase personality and approachability. Think clean, well-lit, and engaging.
- Your banner can serve as your 24/7 elevator pitch. You can include your tagline, website, or a call to action, similar to what Neil Patel has done here. Alternatively, you can go for something more abstract and creative, like Bill Gates. The banner helps capture attention immediately, so make it relevant and visually appealing.
If you need help creating a mobile-friendly banner, check out my LinkedIn banner tutorial.
Headline & About Section
- Your headline is prime real estate. Don’t just list your job title—highlight how you help people using searchable keywords. Copy.ai’s LinkedIn headline generator can help with this. Take inspiration from people like James or Jeremy. Both of these examples go beyond job titles to draw people in by showcasing value and expertise upfront.
- In the About section, think of it as your story to your ideal client. Share your passions, career journey, and how you can help them solve their problems. Just remember that only the first 370 characters will be visible unless someone clicks “See More.” So, use those first few lines wisely to grab attention and encourage them to read on!
Featured Section
- The Featured Section is prime space to showcase your best content. You can add links to top blog posts, media appearances, or high-performing LinkedIn posts. See how I use mine to promote my courses. Whether you highlight your most popular content or key projects, this section is like your greatest hits reel.
For company pages, the steps are similar. Look at Canva’s page for inspiration: a high-quality logo, attention-grabbing banner, and a clear About section that highlights what the company does and who they serve.
Creating Content That Connects
Like any platform, there’s no single type of content that performs best on LinkedIn. The key is to create a mix and develop a cohesive content ecosystem across platforms.
Content Types
LinkedIn’s algorithm loves variety. Mix up your content with text posts, images, infographics, and, most importantly, video. Video content is huge on LinkedIn and is a fantastic way to build trust and connect with your audience. LinkedIn is also trialling short-form vertical video, so keep an eye on that as it could open new engagement opportunities.
But don’t sleep on carousel posts! These can be incredibly engaging and allow you to break down complex ideas or showcase your expertise in a visually appealing way. Jeremy Mura uses carousel posts brilliantly to highlight his skills and provide value while also including calls to action at the end. Carousels like this one can be simple, highly engaging, and offer great opportunities for repurposing content across other platforms like Instagram.
One under-utilised format on LinkedIn is LinkedIn articles. Why are they so powerful? First, they allow you to showcase your expertise without needing a personal blog or website. Plus, LinkedIn is a high-authority domain on Google, so your articles can rank really well in search results. For example, a LinkedIn article about becoming a better speaker may rank higher than a blog post on someone’s site simply because it’s on LinkedIn! This gives you more visibility both on and off the platform.
Storytelling vs. Selling
Accounts that exist purely to sell can come off as spammy and unrelatable. Instead, focus on telling stories—share your challenges, lessons learned, mistakes made, and success stories.
Of course, you’ll eventually need to ask for something, whether it’s a sale, a connection, or a subscription. But balance is key. To structure your content effectively:
- Start with Industry Expertise to build authority. Look at how Gary Vee shares his insights unapologetically and establishes his voice as an industry leader.
- Include Personal Content to connect on a more human level. Even Gary Vee shares his failures, like how he missed the chance to invest in Uber. Steven Bartlett does this brilliantly by sharing behind-the-scenes details of his business. People love content that’s raw and relatable.
- Finally, incorporate Conversion Content—this is where you ask for something. Whether you want more calls, downloads, or sales, know your goals and make sure your content drives towards them. Justin Welsh is a master at this, sharing value consistently so that when he does ask for something, his audience is ready to engage.
Engaging with Your Network
Posting alone isn’t enough to grow your brand—you need to engage.
Commenting Strategy
Spending 10-15 minutes each day leaving thoughtful comments on other people’s posts can make a huge difference. This strategy helps build relationships, increases your visibility, and opens the door to new opportunities. Harry built his following by consistently commenting on posts in his niche, and this has now become part of his content strategy.
Personalised Connection Requests
When sending a connection request, mention where you found them or why you’re reaching out. LinkedIn is about building relationships, and personalisation goes a long way in standing out from the sea of generic connection requests. This also gives you a great opportunity to start a private conversation once they accept your invitation.
Leverage LinkedIn Groups & Events
Industry-specific LinkedIn groups and virtual events are gold mines for networking and gathering content ideas. If you want to take it up a notch, you can start your own group or host your own event to establish yourself as a thought leader in your niche.
Next Steps:
For even more in-depth strategies on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, make sure to check out my Powerful Social Media Marketing course.
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