Finding Clients On LinkedIn (& How To Get Your 'Top Voices' Badge)

THIS WEEK, WE’RE COVERING:

???Personal Anecdote:?“Best Case Scenario” Perspective?

???Why Focus On LinkedIn:?How The Platform Is Changing?

?? “Browsers” Versus Buyers:?Find Clients Who Are Looking For You?

???LinkedIn Top Voices:?What It Is & Why You Might Need It?

???“Top Voices” Tricks: Get Your Badge in 30 Days

Change in Perspective

I don’t think I’ve ever really seen myself for who I actually am, and I’m willing to bet many of you feel the same way.

There are plenty of things I don’t know, and even more that I need to work on from an interpersonal perspective,?but I’m slowly warming up to the idea that I?may?have a lot to offer.

Not just professionally, but personally too.

…And this is a long time coming.?

Can you relate?

I’ve been an avid journaler since before I quit my job, but now it’s become one of my favorite activities to help me process problems and dream a little loftier, and most recently I’ve returned to?‘Best Case Scenario’ journaling.

Basically, you write down the best-case scenario for everything.?

And more often than not, it ends up becoming reality.

One of my best-case scenarios was to get gifted a flight to NY to see my family.

Not only did that happen a few days later, but it also combined with other scenarios I had been trying to create (seeing an old friend and celebrating our birthdays together & meeting the?Novo?team in person).

Not only did my trip last week remind me that I have the power to create whatever I want, but I’ve overcome and done some pretty incredible things.?

And so have you.

There’s more I need to digest before I share more about my perspective shift, but more on that soon????

Why Focus On LinkedIn?

From 2016 - 2020, I predominantly used LinkedIn ONLY for keeping a digital resume, connecting with my colleagues, and looking for jobs.?

But today, I post on there semi-regularly as a creator and it’s helped me generate new listeners for my podcast, establish brand partnerships, and find new clients organically.

It still feels a little cringe to me to post on LinkedIn, but the platform is changing rapidly - and like any emerging or newly revamped platform -?the early adopters are those who have the most to gain.

LinkedIn is changing into a creator-focused App, NOT just a stuffy, business networking tool with cringe posts about how your dog’s behavior reminded you of an experience you had at your old job (lol).

Over the past ~2 years,?LinkedIn has been introducing more content?creation-focused tools like a video feed (in Beta - see below), brand-partnership tools, newsletter/article creation, and ‘Top Voice’ badges to encourage creation within the App (more on attaining the badge later).

It’s never smart to put all your eggs in one basket BUT it also makes sense?that at times you’ll shift gears on where you post content depending on what you’re trying to achieve and who you’re trying to talk to.

Over the past few years, I’ve been focusing more on “working smarter, not harder” - which means?less focus on sexy metrics?(i.e. chasing followers and virality on TikTok) and?more time on establishing connections with decision-makers and people who are buyers versus browsers?(i.e. crafting quality content that may not go viral but creates like-know-trust).

I’ve also experimented A LOT over the past 3 years, and writing is something that I love, has generated money, and I’m damn good at.

I don’t think I’ll ever 100% commit to LinkedIn because my personality is too big for just writing alone, but I think?it’s the perfect place for me to showcase my intelligence, skills, and professionalism which is something that often doesn’t translate well on TikTok?(for me at least).

“Browsers” Versus Buyers

I made $17k in my first year in business because I was targeting the wrong audience AND in the wrong place.

Although building up my following has been a phenomenal tool when it comes to expression, credibility, and media attention…?

But followers do not always equal money.

I generated a fuck ton of podcast listeners through TikTok, but?almost all of the money I’ve made has surprisingly come through Instagram and LinkedIn?(as of right now).?

So how do you find clients, customers, listeners, or brands to collaborate with on LinkedIn?

Better yet, how do they find YOU? (we out here manifesting and shiiiit).

??

OPTIMIZE

It may sound insignificant, but it’s not.?Optimizing your profile can be the most basic, simple fix to generating more of what you want.

Think of when you have a problem you want to fix - you go to Google and search for the solution - and the only way you can find the solution you’re looking for is if you type in the right keywords or phrases to find it.

If you don’t have those in your profile,?people who are desperately seeking your solutions literally can’t find you.

I just tested this with a client of mine who does relationship coaching on Instagram - we niched her down - and within 30 days she closed her first client.?

So this works across all platforms, not just LinkedIn.

But here are simple steps on how to optimize on LinkedIn:

Headline?→ describe what you do, not just your job title

About section?→ tell your story, don't just list achievements

Experience section?→ highlight results you achieved for clients, creator milestones, etc. not just responsibilities

Skills section?→ go for quality, not just quantity - highlight the skills your target customers, clients & brands care about

Recommendations?→ showcase testimonials that demonstrate your expertise and value

??

ENGAGE

I’m guilty of being a poster-and-ghoster in recent years, but it’s not the best strategy if you’re trying to build new connections digitally.

Here?are some basic reminders on how to engage in a meaningful way:

Be genuinely interested in others: Ask questions, comment on their posts, and congratulate them on their achievements.?

Share your expertise:?Provide value to your network by sharing your knowledge and insights (the “give to receive” method is great).

Keep it personal:?Add a personal touch to your interactions. Authenticity and “humanness” will always go farther

??

POST

This is the most obvious but hardest of the three steps.?

If you’re stuck on what to post, try the below as prompts:

Think about the last conversation you had with a friend:

• What did you talk about?
• A problem you solved??
• A funny story??
• A realization you had??
• Something you’re excited about?
• Something you’re afraid of?

That's your post.?

Just because LinkedIn was once for dry, corporate robots, doesn’t mean you have to be that way. And you shouldn’t

You're not a resume. You're a human.

Write like you're having a conversation with a friend and not only will it make your content more likable, but it'll also make it more likely to be shared.

LinkedIn Top Voices

Just like how the blue checkmark on Instagram feels like a status symbol, the same is emerging for?LinkedIn’s Top Voices.

LinkedIn’s Top Voices badges are awarded to top creators with the intention of helping users find?quality experts and content creators to follow and consume information from.

Now, you don’t NEED to be a Top Voices badge holder to go viral or get clients - but it can help in several ways.

PERKS

• Get more visibility and reach on LinkedIn
• Get more credibility and authority in your field
• Get more engagement and feedback on your content

GET YOUR BADGE IN 30 DAYS

Posting in general is a great tactic, but to actually start working towards your badge, you need to contribute towards?Collaborative Articles.

You can find Collaborative Articles to contribute to through your Notifications panel, at the top of your main feed, or through their?Masterlist.

If you’re brand-spankin’ new to creating content and you’ve never posted before OR your profile is barren, you may not get prompts or suggestions through your notifications as I do (see below)

Now the thing here to note is that there’s a TON of Top Voices badges, and in order to snag a specific one, you need to contribute to articles within that topic (see below example: ‘Community’ Top Voice badge).

If you’re unsure which badge to work towards, think about what goals you want to achieve and work backward.?

For example, I’m working towards the ‘Creator Economy’ badge at the moment because I want to be known as someone who's not only a creator, but who understands what’s?really?going on in the creator business world (and can talk about it on podcasts, in the media, etc).

Another example is if someone wants to get more public speaking gigs, or maybe give a TEDx talk, it may make sense for them to contribute towards articles speaking-related content.

Overall, you’ll have to experiment to see what works and doesn’t!

I plan on spending the next 30 days really ramping up my content output and contributing to articles a few times a week to see if it’s worth trying to attain - I’ll report back soon????

Get Your Badge In 30 Days

This past week, I had the absolute pleasure of welcoming one of my very best business friends, Tiffany Knighten on the show to talk about all things?media-related, how to position yourself as a brand, and how you can utilize LinkedIn.

Even if LinkedIn isn’t necessarily something you want to use, I highly recommend listening to this?episode?as Tiff drops a lot of knowledge bombs that we BOTH wish we had known when we first started in business.

Tiff talks about how she achieved her Top Voices Badge in just 30 days, how you can do the same… and also how she lost it (we didn’t even know this could happen).

Tune in to find out more!

Episode 150: Craft A Compelling Brand Story For More Money & Media Placements with Tiff Knighten

Thanks for reading!?

Gabby ????

This communication is not intended as business counsel. It serves as a weekly briefing on entrepreneurship and my initiatives, designed for informational and entertainment purposes. Revenue may be generated through sponsorships, affiliate links, and digital product sales.