We human beings have found a way to be more connected than ever. As more and more of us go digital full time, creating a personal brand online has become an increasingly important aspect of career development. We know that companies look at our social media presence and content online, so why not take advantage of that?
Why is a personal brand so important? We use social media mainly for three things: to connect, to educate and to learn. If you want to go on living a quiet online life, by all means. Growing your personal brand online not only helps you advance in your current job – it also enables you to develop a following and create exciting personal and professional opportunities.
In this article, you will learn not only why you should be using LinkedIn to enhance and accelerate your job search, but also how to create and execute a winning content strategy for your personal brand on LinkedIn. Look out, Gary Vee!
Why Roll Out Your Content Strategy on LinkedIn?
If you are undecided whether LinkedIn is for you, we think the numbers speak for themselves. LinkedIn has 660 million users spread over 200 countries. 61 million of those users are senior-level influencers and 40 million are in decision-making positions. 40% of active monthly LinkedIn users use the network daily. And finally, 77% of consumers are more likely to buy when the CEO of the business uses social media.st
Impressed yet?
These statistics make LinkedIn the ideal platform for connecting and networking with other professionals. There is currently no better place to turn topics into trends, ideas into actions, and conversations into opportunities – including job offers.
LinkedIn is the career opportunity place to be.
Define Your Audience
The first step to building your personal brand to accelerate your job search is to define your audience. Target and research specific employers that match your career goals. This is also critical for defining and communicating your personal brand. You can’t define yourself without defining your audience!
You need to be clear on whom you’re addressing in your personal content and how to communicate your unique professional qualities to your companies or organizations of choice.
LinkedIn offers a wealth of ways to dig into the nitty gritty of the companies you’d like to work for. You can:
- Conduct a LinkedIn search of keywords related to the type of job you want and click through to research the companies listed for that job
- Look at the LinkedIn company profiles for each company on your target list.
- Then, take a look at the LinkedIn profiles of employees of each company. See if you know them or have something in common.
- Send a connection request along with a personalized invite and start networking!
- Check LinkedIn Jobs to see if your target companies are looking for people like you. Make note of the qualifications needed and the terminology used to describe those qualifications (keywords).
Leverage all that LinkedIn has to offer – both passively and proactively – to promote the unique value you offer your target employers.
Take Your Brand Personally
Just because LinkedIn is a professional platform doesn’t mean it’s all work and no play. Once in a while, it helps to share personal experiences.
Tell stories, specifically your own stories. A storytelling approach helps your target audience relate to you more personally and builds trust. Authenticity is also what makes your personal brand relatable and reachable. Content need not be long, the key thing is how the story is presented. Tug the right emotions (perhaps a touch of humor) and inspire individuals gives you an opportunity to be one step closer to your audience. If you don’t want (or have time) to do this on your own, you can get professional support from experts.
Add Your Two Cents
Wait, put down that wallet! We don’t mean literally add your two cents.
We’re talking conversationally here.
Industry professionals drop comments and opinions on other people’s posts, and so should you! Engaging with fellow industry peers allows you to take a dive into new ideas and as well as exchange opinions. Always strive to listen as well as bring a fresh perspective unto the table. If you’re wondering which posts to comment on, take a look at the “What People Are Talking About Now” section on your LinkedIn feed. This can give you an idea on the latest topics on the platform.
It also helps you add people to your LinkedIn network. The higher number of connections show that you’re more open to meeting new people and sharing ideas compared to someone with just 100 connections.
Share Meaningful Content
Ultimately, there are many ways to create a content strategy on LinkedIn, but it helps to have a good marketing strategy to accompany it.
Articles and videos are a great way to engage your audience and connections, but you can’t just post something today and not update for the next month. People will lose interest and hop onto the next thing. Instead, create a consistent and attainable plan that will allow you to achieve your marketing goal.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
One thing to remember when you’re creating your content strategy for your personal brand: whatever it is you’re doing, a tool can help you do faster, more efficiently, and probably better.
But which tech tools should you pull from the rising ocean of options?
We’ve got you. Here are some of our favorite software applications for making personal branding a breeze:
- Content Planning/Writing
What would you say to a set of software applications that allow you to cover every aspect of your content strategy in a single place? GSuite, Google’s set of cloud-based communication, productivity, and collaboration tools, does just that. It’s a seamless system for planning and creating your posts, articles, and branded media. Let’s face it – you’re probably already using it. - Media Content Creation
With a lot of posts on your newsfeed, creating eye-catching visuals and graphics are important to capture your audience. Canva, one of the biggest unicorn startups right now, is a favorite for its easy-to-use platform and gorgeous graphic templates. - Project Management
Once you’ve created a steady flow to the content you put out, it’s important to not lose track of the tasks needed. Apps like Trello and Airtable are great productivity platforms that allow project management on a larger scale as well as calendar scheduling for posts and tasks. - Artificial Intelligence
Many of the tools we’ve already listed use AI to power features. In pushing out content that propels your personal brand to success, AI-driven content creation tools can help you speed up the process for writing and media content creation as well. Although usage of AI content generator became essential for professionals, it remains vital to infuse a human touch. Whether it’s refining the generated text or enhancing visuals through tools like Photoshop, combining the power of AI with human editing ensures the creation of top-notch content. Master these tools now and you’ll have an edge in the future as they become standard practice.
That’s a Wrap!
The lines between work and play blurred permanently in social media a long time ago. No matter how you feel about work-life balance, personal brands are here to stay. LinkedIn continues to dominate the social media landscape for personal brands. The interactive approach to information-gathering and networking that social media platforms offer is a growing opportunity.
Do you want to be left behind? Of course not. Now get out there and build that personal brand! Happy career-developing!
