Stand out on LinkedIn: Strategies for content creation and becoming a thought leader
If you’re looking to build your career and professional profile and connect with other professionals, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for career growth and personal branding. By mastering content creation and establishing yourself as a thought leader, you can significantly enhance your LinkedIn presence and open doors to new opportunities. Here’s how to get started.
Understanding LinkedIn’s potential
With over 12 million Aussie users (and 810 million users worldwide in 2023, according to Accumulate Australia), LinkedIn offers a vast audience for professionals seeking to expand their networks and showcase their expertise. A strong LinkedIn presence can lead to job offers, collaborations, and industry recognition. Successful LinkedIn thought leaders like Sue Ellson have demonstrated how impactful a well-crafted LinkedIn strategy can be.
How to create high quality content for LinkedIn
Identifying your niche
To stand out on LinkedIn, focus on a specific niche relevant to your industry and expertise. Whether it's HR, Supply Chain, Accounting & Finance, or Customer Service/Call Centre, pinpointing your niche helps you create targeted content that resonates with your audience. For example, if you’re in Supply Chain, sharing insights on the latest industry trends or technological advancements can position you as an expert.
Creating engaging posts
Engagement is key on LinkedIn. Write compelling updates and articles that provide value. Use attention-grabbing headlines and start with a hook to draw readers in. Incorporate storytelling techniques to make your content relatable and memorable.
Design eye-catching visual content
Images, infographics, and videos are powerful tools to increase engagement. Posts with visuals are more likely to capture attention and encourage interaction. Use tools like Canva to create visually appealing content that complements your text.
Be consistent
Consistency is crucial for maintaining visibility and engagement. Develop a content calendar to ensure you post regularly. This not only keeps your audience engaged but also signals to LinkedIn's algorithm that you are an active user, potentially boosting your content's reach.
Four ways to position yourself as a thought leader on LinkedIn
Sharing expertise
Share your knowledge on industry trends, challenges, and solutions. Write in-depth articles and whitepapers to showcase your expertise. LinkedIn's Publishing Platform is a great place to start.
Engaging with your network
Engagement goes beyond posting content. Respond to comments on your posts, participate in industry discussions, actively comment and engage on posts that your connections have shared, and network with other thought leaders. This not only builds your credibility but also expands your network.
Building credibility
Build credibility by consistently sharing high-quality content and engaging with your audience. Seek endorsements and recommendations from colleagues and clients to reinforce your expertise.
Optimise your LinkedIn profile
Profile picture and banner
First impressions matter. Forget the old photo from 10 years ago that’s been collecting metaphorical dust in your desktop folder. Choose a professional profile photo (or get an updated professional headshot) and design a banner image that reflects you, your business or the company you work for. Ensure your images are high-quality and appropriately sized.
Headline and summary
Your headline and summary is your chance to shine on LinkedIn. It can be seen when you comment on posts as well as when people head over and check out your profile, so make it count. Ideally, you want a headline that captures your expertise and a summary that tells your professional story. Use keywords relevant to your industry to improve searchability, and add a bit of flair or personality if that’s a key part of your professional brand.
Experience and skills
As the heading suggests, this is your opportunity to highlight key your professional work history and skills. Be specific about your roles and accomplishments and if applicable add context to your achievements. For example: As part of this role, we grew sales by 20% over the 2023-24 financial year.
Recommendations
Request recommendations from colleagues, supervisors, and clients. These testimonials can significantly enhance your profile's credibility and provide social proof of your expertise.
For further guidance on optimising your profile, check out LinkedIn’s article on 20 Steps to a better LinkedIn profile in 2024 or get in touch with one of our team members who will be able to assist you with some pointers.
Analyse and adapt your LinkedIn strategy
Tracking engagement
Use LinkedIn's analytics tools to monitor the performance of your posts. Use a spreadsheet to track metrics like views, likes, comments, and shares to understand what type of content resonates most with your audience.
Adapting content
Based on your engagement metrics, look at what content performs best and tweak and adjust your content strategy as needed. You may like to experiment with different content formats and topics to see what works best. You can also check out other LinkedIn thought leaders and ‘Top Voices’ for some inspiration.
Creating a stand out LinkedIn profile
By mastering content creation and thought leadership, you can significantly enhance your LinkedIn profile and open doors to new opportunities. Start implementing these strategies today, and watch as your professional network and influence grow.
We’d love for you to connect with us on LinkedIn and share your stories with us too.
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