From Credibility To Connection: How To Build Trust As A Thought Leader

To build trust on LinkedIn, you need to start with a compelling profile. LinkedIn has become more than just a professional networking site; it is a powerful platform for positioning yourself as a thought leader and establishing trust with your ideal client.

Building trust and becoming a thought leader on LinkedIn requires more than posting random content. It starts with having a compelling profile that reflects your unique value. You must also set clear, actionable goals guiding your thought leader journey.

Creating a Compelling LinkedIn Profile That Builds Trust

Your LinkedIn profile is often the first impression people will have of you because it is one of the top results when you Google your name. A strong, optimized profile establishes credibility, builds trust, and invites others to engage with you. So, where do you start?

Start With A Strong Headline

Your headline is the most essential part of your LinkedIn profile because it is the first thing people see when they come across your page. It’s also one of the key elements that show up in search results. You must use the 220 available characters wisely.

Your headline should clearly communicate what you do, who you serve, and how you serve them. Don’t just list your job title; highlight what makes you unique. This will help you attract your ideal client while setting yourself apart.

Your headline follows you around LinkedIn.Part of your headline appears when you post or comment on someone else’s post. It is important to communicate what you do at the beginning of your profile.

For example:

• Instead of: Marketing Manager at ABC Digital Marketing
• Try:? Growing the Online Presence of Six-Figure Business Owners with Magnetic Marketing. | Digital Marketing Strategist Specializing in Content and SEO | Fractional CMO | Sales Funnels | Launches | LinkedIn and Facebook Ads

The second option highlights your value, making your target audience more likely to see you as someone who can solve their problem.

Craft a Personal and Engaging About Section

The About Section is where you tell your story. The key to building trust is authenticity. People want to know who you are, not just what you do.

Don’t make this section read like a resume. Focus on the challenges you solve and how your expertise benefits others. Tell your story about what makes you passionate about what you do. Speak directly about your client's pain points and how you have helped people or businesses overcome those challenges.

Follow this framework:

• Attention-getting hook .
• Who you help
• How you help?
• Results of working with you
• Who you are.
• Why you do what you do
• Call to Action

Showcase Experience and Accomplishments

In your Experience section, demonstrate your impact instead of just listing your job title and responsibilities. When writing about previous roles, illustrate your impact, how they are relevant to the audience you want to attract, and the expertise you want to be known for.

Use measurable results to provide concrete evidence of your skills and achievements.

For example:?

• Instead of: Increased organic website traffic by 30% in six months through a strategic SEO campaign.
• Try: Led a team of five marketers to successfully launch a multi-channel marketing campaign generating $500,000 in revenue.

Leverage the Featured Section

The Featured section of your LinkedIn profile allows you to showcase your best work. This is where you can highlight your thought leadership content, whether articles, case studies, presentations, podcast appearances, or videos. The content you feature should align with how you want to be known.

The Featured section is another opportunity to reinforce your credibility and provide social proof, essential for building LinkedIn trust.

Optimize Your Skill and Endorsements

The Skills section might seem like a minor part of your profile, but it is important for boosting your credibility. The key here is to focus on the skills that align with your thought leadership goals. Don’t overload this section with irrelevant skills from past jobs. Be strategic.

Endorsements of these skills will bolster your profile’s trustworthiness.?

This assessment, Elevate Your LinkedIn Profile: An Assessment for Entrepreneurs, Coaches, and Creatives , will help you elevate your LinkedIn profile.

After optimizing your LinkedIn profile, your next step is to set clear goals to guide you toward becoming recognized for LinkedIn thought leadership. Without clear goals, getting lost in the sea of LinkedIn content is easy, and your efforts may lack focus.

Define Your Purpose and Audience

Before you begin to set goals, ask yourself:

• Why do I want to become a thought leader on LinkedIn?
• Who am I trying to reach?

Your goals should align with your purpose and the needs of your target audience. For example, if your purpose is to attract clients for your consulting business, your goals might focus on increasing your visibility and engagement among potential clients in your niche.

Conversely, if your goal is to establish yourself as an expert in a specific industry, your focus might be on creating high-value content that resonates with professionals in that field.

Set SMART Goals

SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. They are an effective framework for ensuring that goals are realistic and actionable.

Here is how to apply SMART goals to your LinkedIn thought leadership strategy:

Specific - Be clear about what you want to achieve. Instead of saying, “I want to grow my LinkedIn following,” say, “I want to increase my LinkedIn connections by 20% in the next three months.

Measurable - Ensure your goals are measurable so you can track your progress. For example, “I want to publish four LinkedIn articles and generate at least 200 views and 50 comments on each.”

Achievable - Set realistic goals that you can achieve, given your current resources. If you’re new to LinkedIn, don’t aim for 10,000 followers in your first month. Start small and build.

Relevant - Ensure your goals align with your overall purpose and business objectives. If your business is focused on leadership development, your goal should revolve around building authority in that area, not just increasing followers.

Time-bound - Set a deadline for your goals. For example: “I want to reach 500 connections by December 31, 2024.”

Focus on Engagement

While growing your following is essential, numbers alone don’t equate to trust or LinkedIn thought leadership. Engagement is where the real magic happens. Your goals should focus on building meaningful relationships and sparking conversations with your audience.

Set goals like:

• Increasing the number of comments on my posts by 50% over the next three months.
• Engaging with five new thought leaders in my industry by commenting on and sharing their content each week.

Focusing on engagement helps you build a community of people who see you as a trusted voice in your niche.

Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress is essential to accomplishing your goals. LinkedIn’s analytics tools measure key metrics such as profile views, post engagement, and follower growth. Regularly reviewing your progress allows you to adjust your strategy and refine your approach to meet your goals better.

If your goal was to increase the engagement on your posts but you don’t see the results you hoped for, tweak your content style, try different posting times, or experiment with new formats like video or polls.

Review and Adjust

LinkedIn thought leadership is a journey; your goals may evolve as you grow. Regularly review and adjust your goals based on what’s working and what’s not. Be flexible and open to shifting your strategy as you gain more insights about your audience and what resonates with them.

A compelling profile and defined goals will help you begin your journey to becoming a thought leader.

If you are ready to start your LinkedIn thought leadership journey but uncertain where to start, let’s schedule a coffee chat to explore the possibilities.