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How to Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn As a Sales Professional

How to Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn As a Sales Professional

I started using LinkedIn back in 2006, and while that hardly made me an early adopter (it was started in 2002), I have seen how LinkedIn has transformed and changed over the years. Every week I feel I stumble on a new trick, a new way to engage, or I discover new communities and connections! My time on LinkedIn is ever-evolving, and if you’re not careful, you can fall down the proverbial social media rabbit hole on LinkedIn, just as you would on any other social media network.

I was at a conference a couple of years ago, and I overheard someone say, “I don’t get it, I scroll through LinkedIn every single day, but I don’t get anything out of it.” I’ll never forget that conversation and a braver version of myself would have helped him understand the power in LinkedIn doesn’t come from the endless scrolling, but rather it comes from intentional activity. Below are intentional ways that you can optimize your time spent on LinkedIn as a sales professional.

How To Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn – 10 Different Ways!

  1. Complete your profile – Taking some time to complete and update your profile is the biggest tool in your LinkedIn toolbox. The intent of any LinkedIn activity is to attract them back to your profile and compel them to learn more about you. By having a complete profile, you’ve given them something to learn and hopefully something to ask questions about.
  2. Create native content – Native content is something that is created just for LinkedIn and does not appear on any other platform. LinkedIn’s algorithm will favour posts that do not contain external links, and you’ll receive more engagement and views on this content. It needn’t be lengthy, but posting insightful tips, advice or industry topics will attract connections and followers to your profile.
  3. Post regularly – By showing up consistently, your content will also regularly show up in your connection’s home feed. Hubspot recommends posting up to 5 times a week for optimal post reach.
  4. Use messaging to provide value – As with other social media platforms, LinkedIn has a direct messaging function that you can use to connect with fellow connections.  Use this function to further the relationship before you hit the sales part of your interaction. The goal of LinkedIn’s messaging is to ultimately move the conversation off of LinkedIn where you can further the business discussion.
  5. Write an articleLinkedIn’s long-form article feature can garner a great deal of attention with great engaging content. If you’ve considered blogging as a platform but are just starting out, LinkedIn articles are a great way to cut your teeth on your blogging skills and acumen.
  6. Contribute in Groups – LinkedIn Groups are where professionals from the same industry or with similar interests can share insights and experiences, ask for guidance and build valuable connections. When contributing to groups, ensure you are not breaking any group rules by self-promoting within the group.
  7. Include hashtags – Just as with other social media platforms, hashtags are a great way to track conversations on a similar topic. Researching your ideal client using hashtags, or including hashtags in your content so you can be found, is a simple way to create more engagement.
  8. Set your profile and viewing settings to “public” and “full” – The option exists on LinkedIn for you to view others’ profiles privately and anonymously, as well as have certain aspects of your own profile hidden from public view. The reason we are on LinkedIn is to network and grow our business connections, so ensure people can find you, and view you, in full view.
  9. Grow your network through connections – This is the most robust way to utilize LinkedIn. Extend invitations to prospects, clients, thought leaders and other respected industry members through a personalized invitation to connect. Growing connections and followers does quite a bit for you and your brand:
    1. opens doors for referrals and increased sales
    2. opens doors to other opportunities such as thought leadership, volunteerism, speaking engagements, etc
    3. opens doors for collaborations with other professionals
    4. widens your network for when a job change is required
  10. Continually update! – When your profile is complete, it is not a “one and done” process. Continually updating and refreshing your profile gives your audience something new to view. The following sections are great places to update on a regular basis:
    1. Your headline – Examples include when you are attending or speaking at an upcoming conference or event.
    2. Your banner – New creative in your banner is eye-catching, and it provides a billboard for announcements.
    3. Your Featured Section – Regularly reviewing this section allows you to add new media, new services, and new eye-catching graphics as your reader scrolls through your profile.

There are additional ways of how to build your personal brand on LinkedIn but these give you a great place to start increasing your presence and increasing your LinkedIn Social Selling Index.

 

 

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