How to Win on LinkedIn in 2021

This is the burning question on everyone's mind (using LinkedIn) in December as we wrap up 2020.

LinkedIn is a professional network that users leverage to build a personal brand, spread thought leadership, find employment/employees and connect with the right people (sales, networking, customer service, etc!).

To win on this platform isn’t hard. I used to be on the LinkedIn Top 1% Most viewed profiles a few years ago. The key was creating a reason for people to follow you. The only difference is how people want to consume information. Previously, writing medium/long articles to share thought leadership with the occasional post was a winning formula. Combine that with connecting with the right groups of people to expand your presence and you’ll quickly build a noteworthy following.

But that’s not enough anymore.

People today want to see more video content that both entertains and educates. This tag team combo also requires you to develop a unique style that keeps people coming back. Like YouTube, you have to create a brand, style of editing or SOMETHING that grabs people’s attention.

Being the smartest person in the room isn’t even a requirement anymore… yikes!

You have to create a variety of content lengths that are consumable in short doses. Subtitles are a must because most video is watched with the volume off - while people are on commute to their day jobs or while taking a ‘quick’ break at work. This means you’ll have to create additional content on the pieces that people are looking for more answers. Gary Vaynerchuk has done a great job at this.

Check out Gary’s:

• How To Create 64 pieces of content in a day
• The GaryVee Content Model

Another great person to follow on your journey to winning with video on LinkedIn is String Nguyen. String’s brand is all about building your personal brand on video and LinkedIn. She’s an incredible resource.

Rachel St.Jean has done an amazing job of building her brand, community and LinkedIn through video.

Next, thought leadership is going DEEEEEEEP.

With the abundance of information, people are looking for professionals that understand their exact situation to get the best results. You have to really tailor your thought leadership to your audience. This allows you to learn faster, stay focused and get paid more. Not a bad trade off! BUT it’s easier said than done.

I’ve really struggled with this because I didn’t understand the value of saying no. I was always taught to say yes to interesting projects as an opportunity to grow… but they actually do more harm than good if they don’t add up to your vision or align with your brand.

So dig deep to find the audience that needs you the most. People are already buying products/services that align with your knowledge and are seeking out background knowledge to educate themselves before buying. Find a few competitors to see what’s working for them. Instead of copying their every move… find one thing that’s really working that you can do 10% better and get to work!

Great examples are:

• David C Baker who has been named the Expert’s Expert for his work building expert businesses.
• Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang ? Disruptive Educator creating a classroom without borders and transforming formal education
• Who would you add to this list? Comment with the ONE person I missed!!!

Community engagement is no longer joining or creating groups and being a dynamic participant. Now, you’re expected to build a brand that commands a loyal following. Earning their trust with every post, interaction and update to your profile.

That’s a big weight on your shoulders - well… only if you’re faking it.

If you’re actually taking the time to get to know people, provide real value and be consistent then you’ll find that your audience will consistently grow. It takes time but it’s worth the daily investment.

Don’t get me wrong. I highly recommend joining groups of your peers to get access to industry information, news and changes. It’s a great way to stay on top of your industry while connecting with other professionals. Niche professionals that trust you will refer you to work that doesn’t align with their expertise / focus. Plus it’s one of the best ways to advance your education.

I also highly recommend joining groups that are your target audience. NOT TO SPAM them. Instead, to listen. Pay attention to how they act there: what are they looking for, where are they investing their time, and what is one thing they wish they could find?

The hardest part about creating good content is attempting to ‘create’ good content. If you change your approach to serving your audience instead. It instantly becomes a lot easier.

Look at how Catherine Brownlee, Vu Nguyen and Jade Alberts have built different content strategies to build loyal audiences.

How to win on LinkedIn in 2021?

In summary you need to focus your time, energy and budget on these 3 things:

• Make video your focus for content
• Develop focused thought leadership
• Build a community around yourself

This may feel like it’s going to be a part time/full time job to win on LinkedIn but it’s really not. You just need to prioritize your time so that you’re making consistent investments into the platform. That can be daily or several times a week. The past thing you do is start right now with a comment below :)