Building your authority and brand on Linkedin

Linked in is a powerful tool and as a wise person once said; with great power comes great responsibility.

I’ve spoken to a lot of people asking me about Linked In and recently went to a session about how to build authority and your brand on Linked In. There were so many insights that could help you and your business. With an estimate of over 80% of professionals on Linked In; it is for many an untapped resource of potential market leads and future employees.

There’s a few tips that Lisa Bourke shared that helped me and will help you get the most out of Linked in for your recruitment, engagement and social marketing presence. 

KLT- Know, Like and Trust

People want to deal with people they know, like and trust. Look at your social media content and make sure it is authentic to you and what matters to your business. People want to get to know you. Use it as an insight into your values and integrity as an individual and a business and ensure when you post- that your core values are what is shining through.

Whilst it's great to celebrate your team trip to Barbados you also need to ensure you balance that out with educational content and insightful shares so your clients can get a sense of your values and core operating principles.

The three E's- Educate, Empower and Entertain

Content needs to meet one of the three E’s. It should Educate, Empower or Entertain.

Is there something you can share that you have learned or valuable insights in your field that you can educate your network with? People love learning and you can never know who is reading your content. I was in a site office only a couple of weeks ago and one of my previous colleagues said “I’m reading your articles on Linked in- thanks they are great” and I just assumed given he hadn’t hit the like button that he wasn’t reading. Don’t be discouraged, keep educating on what is meaningful and you think could provide value to your network.

Empower: Empowerment is something I personally love to see on Linked In. I believe there is an abundance of success for everyone and the world is a better place when we lift up and inspire other leaders around us. Take the time to share your own inspiration, celebrate others success and empower those around you. It’s not only great for branding but great for the world!

 Entertain: They estimate there are thousands of memes on accounting alone. We all love a good meme and a laugh. One of my colleagues in Recruitment Joel Martin always pokes fun at adverts and it is great to pop in to my news feed. We all like to be entertained and see the lighter side of life so bring that into your social strategy. 

Find the platform that moves the needle

It’s not a case of more is necessarily more in social media so find the platform where your target market is. For me it is Linked in being a professional network but my graphic designer loves Instagram for her branding work and networking with creatives. Figure out what that is for your business and focus there. 

 Make powerful connections 

 When making connections think about who is going to educate and inspire you.

Connect with people genuinely where you think they can also get value from your content and focus on just building that connection.

Do not sell straight up. I’ve made this mistake before and people just do not appreciate it. It’s off putting and like every great relationship- business relationships take time too. 

 Have a content plan

Finally- have a content plan for outreach and build authority for your business. Have a weekly plan to connect with 10 people authentically as if you are meeting them at a networking event. Keep it simple when you connect, encourage them to have a great weekend and make sure you are engaging with their content and sharing the love!

 Own your hashtag

Finally; own your hashtag. I have been guilty of not doing this but we are going to start! You need to be posting 4-5 hashtags with your content and then having your own hashtag you use again and again.

Linked In is such a huge platform where you can really be connecting with some great people but remember to transfer those relationships to face to face where the magic really happens.

I have built some amazing connections through the platform and am constantly surprised by the people you can meet, stories you can share and inspiration that can be gained from consuming and sharing the right content.