The Importance of Personal Branding on LinkedIn

Personal branding is how you share your values, expertise, and personality with your audience.

On LinkedIn, it means curating your profile, content, and interactions to reflect who you are, what you stand for, and how you can help others.

Creating a personal brand is an ideal way to make a splash about your real strengths and ambitions.

Why does personal branding matter?

 1. It builds trust

People do business with people they trust.

A clear, consistent presence on LinkedIn helps your future employer understand your expertise, your approach and how you would make an impact in their organisation.

By sharing insights, engaging in discussions, and showing up consistently, you build credibility that can translate into new opportunities.

2. It helps you stand out

LinkedIn has millions of users, many of whom have similar skills or job titles.

Personal branding allows you to stand out by highlighting what makes you different, whether it is your perspective on industry challenges, your commitment to certain values, or your unique career journey.

Your volunteer work, for example, can be just as, if not more, interesting to an employer than your certificates or accreditations.

3. It attracts opportunities

When your personal brand is clear, it is easier for others to recognise how you can help them support their business objectives.

Whether it is job offers, collaboration requests, speaking opportunities, or media features, people are more likely to reach out when your expertise and interests are visible. All of these experiences enrich your CV.

How do I strengthen my personal brand on LinkedIn?

1, Optimise your profile

Your profile should be more than a digital CV.

Use your headline to share your value, not just your job title. Write an About section that tells your story and explains what you care about.

Add a professional photo and banner image that align with your industry.

2. Share valuable content

Posting regularly shows your expertise and interests.

Share your thoughts on industry trends, insights from your work, or useful resources. Comment thoughtfully on others’ posts to build your presence and contribute to discussions.

Actively participating in discussions by commenting on other people’s posts can help boost your profile’s visibility and increase the likelihood that your own posts will be seen by a wider audience.

3. Stay consistent

Consistency builds familiarity.

If possible, it is a good idea to post every day. This way, the LinkedIn algorithm will prioritise your posts over others who post less.

Over time, your name will start to become associated with your area of expertise, which is excellent for strengthening your professional identity.

4. 30,000 First Degree Connections

LinkedIn is a networking platform, not just a broadcasting platform. LinkedIn members can have a maximum of 30,000 first-degree connections.

Grow your network and commit time to engage with others by celebrating their wins, adding your perspective to their posts, and sending personalised connection requests.

It’s extremely common for recruiters to search LinkedIn for candidates to fill roles and the more connections you have, the more you’ll be found when recruiters are looking for people with your background.

Why Personal branding is a long-term investment

Building your personal brand on LinkedIn will not deliver instant results, but it will open doors over time.

You might find that people start reaching out for advice, potential employers discover your skills, or employers approach you with opportunities that align with your skills and values.

The more intentional you are about how you work your network, the more LinkedIn will work for you.