18 Lessons from Reaching 18k Connections on LinkedIn

I will be sharing my lessons and takeaways from building an intentional brand and how grateful I am for the amazing people I've met along this journey.

1. Being Authentic- finding your voice isn't always easy. Sharing your story and accepting yourself, not comparing yourself to others. Be open about your career path, challenges you've faced, and lessons you've learned along the way.
2. Be Transparent about your failures and lessons. People appreciate the realness. If you only highlight your awards, you won't seem human and will be more relatable to your community.
3. Be Genuine in Your Interactions: When engaging with your community on LinkedIn, whether through comments, messages, or posts, be sincere and genuine in your communication. People can sense it. Of course, you're not everyone's cup of tea, but that's just life. Rejection is a part of anyone's journey.
4. Gratitude: Acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of others in your network. Tag individuals when sharing their content or thanking them for their support. Tag people when you are doing events at the end of the day. The more, the merrier.
5. Add Value: How exactly do you do this? Naturally, by sharing your gifts with the world. You are uniquely positioned to share yourself, and your experiences could make a difference for someone else.
6. Connect People Together: Always think about who would be good intros for people in your network.
7. Experiment/Trial and Error: Try different types of content, and you will find some that resonate and some that are epic misses. :P Remember, it's not always the number of likes that is important. There could be valuable insights you are sharing but not anyone is a like person- there have been many people who told me they read my comment even if they don't like pressing the buttons on the screen to show it :P
8. LinkedIn Newsletter: This has been interesting and has huge potential. It can reach many people that you usually don't associate with.
9. Get a LinkedIn Community Voice Badge: you do this by adding valuable insights in an industry that you can speak to by writing short articles. These are AI-generated prompts in certain subjects that will be recommended to you based on your profile.
10. Be Polarizing- although it can be scary having a point especially if not everyone agrees with it can be a good thing. That means you caused for someone to think differently about something. Different opinions is good for the world. That's what makes it interesting.
11. Leverage LinkedIn Polls. They will help you reach more people and gather data for ideas for newsletters and posts.
12. Consistency is key- Doing things when you feel like it vs doing it because you know you are adding value to the world is a different way of being. One will get you to the next level, and the other will keep you staying the status quo.
13. Vulnerability is a superpower. When I have been the most vulnerable, I have received the most feedback, both negative and positive. At the end of the day, once you figure out your why in the world, noise is noise. By sharing your voice, you are able to tune out and double down on what makes you unique.
14. Be Courageous: Don't be afraid to share your unique ideas, perspectives, and opinions on LinkedIn. Whether it's discussing industry trends, challenging conventional wisdom, or advocating for causes you believe in, sharing your voice can demonstrate courage and leadership.
15. Take feedback with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, you know yourself best. If feedback ultimately stops you from using the platform. Don't implement it, but if it helps you become a better writer. You can choose when to implement it, but you don't always have to.
16. Speak Up on Important Issues: Use your platform on LinkedIn to speak up on important social, political, or environmental issues that matter to you. Taking a stand on controversial topics requires courage, but it can also help you connect with like-minded individuals and showcase your values and principles.
17. Humanize your Professional Persona. Whether it's discussing challenges you've overcome, lessons you've learned, or moments of vulnerability, sharing your story can inspire others and foster deeper connections.
18. Take Calculated Risks: Don't be afraid to take calculated risks with your content and engagement strategies on LinkedIn. Experiment with new formats, topics, or approaches to see what resonates with your audience and pushes the boundaries of your comfort zone.

Thank you so much for the support!

What else would you add to the list?

Let me know if you found this valuable in the comments below.

Like it if you want me to continue to write this type of content.

I can elaborate on these points if enough people ping me about it.