How to build your personal brand using LinkedIn

When was the last time you visited your LinkedIn page?

Do you remember? And what did you do when you where there? Update it with a new job title? Maybe search for a new one?

If that sounds familiar, you are not getting the most out of this powerful Web platform. With more than 560 million users, LinkedIn has become far more than just an online resume. It’s become a prominent thought leadership publishing platform. More importantly, it can be your thought leadership publishing platform.

The phrase “personal brand” is a catchy phrase that is thrown around a lot these days in professional settings. Although it might induce some eye-rolling, it’s actually a very important concept. Phrased another way, it is your professional reputation. What are you known for professionally? How well are you known? Are you respected for your expertise? LinkedIn allows you to develop your personal brand and promote it to the world, or, more importantly, to those professional contacts and influencers most important to you.

Here are four ways to begin using LinkedIn as your personal thought leadership platform to build the personal brand you need:

Whip your profile into shape.

Think of LinkedIn as a virtual welcome mat for your professional “home.” To make the best impression, make sure your profile is up-to-date and fully fleshed out. Here are a few tips:

Profile picture. Make sure you have a current, professional profile photo. Not having one just looks lazy. Also resist the urge to post a picture of you waterskiing or having a cocktail by the lake. That may be who you really are, but on LinkedIn you need to keep it professional. Summary. Far too many people don’t write a summary on their LinkedIn profile. Don’t miss this opportunity as it is the first thing visitors see and is a chance to put your best, most-impressive foot forward. Take the time to write a paragraph about who you are, your passions, and why you are good at what you do. Recommendations. Ask for and give recommendations. Nothing gives better color and perspective regarding your talents than personal references. Plus, it provides a reason to reach out to old contacts you’ve been meaning to call.

Keep it professional. LinkedIn is the preeminent professional social networking site, unlike more casual platforms like Facebook or SnapChat. The thought leadership content you develop on LinkedIn should be professional and career oriented. It’s not the place to drone on and on about a recent vacation or a favorite show you’ve binge watching. And it certainly isn’t a platform for political rants. Keep it professional, and you will be rewarded.

Know your platform. What are you expert at? And what do you want to be known for being expert at? Those are the two fundamental questions you should ask yourself before you begin publishing thought leadership content. The last thing you want is to come across as scattered. Trying to be knowledgeable on all things to all people, or presenting a mish mash of topics that don’t have any logical relation to one another, is a sure way to be dismissed on LinkedIn. Identify 3-5 core themes (sometimes called pillars) that you are genuinely passionate and knowledgeable about. Stick to those themes and over time your connections and followers will begin to associate you with them as an expert.

Make your content timely, interesting, and actionable. Once you feel good about your personal platform, it’s time to start developing actual content. That content can come in the form of articles, Q&As, videos, etc. The key is to keep them relatively brief (700-800 words on the high side for articles, and 1-2 minutes max for videos), but also make sure that what you develop is relatable, digestible, and ultimately useful to your audience. People want to be more than just informed when they read through thought leadership content on LinkedIn. They also want to be inspired, and, more importantly, receive actionable advice they can use in their own lives and careers. Give them that. Be helpful and empowering, and people will come back for more.

When it comes to building out your thought leadership platform, the key is to simply get started. There is a whole world of professional contacts out there who want to hear what you have to say.

The Capella University Career Center helps students best position themselves for professional and career success.