Optimizing Your Linkedin for Thought Leadership

March 14, 2022

LinkedIn delivers 46 percent of social traffic to B2B sites, and has long been the destination of choice for professional users and others looking to tap their networks for work. Thought leadership is a critical part of marketing in 2022 and LinkedIn is a key avenue for establishing yourself as a thought leader. Knowing how to use the tools at your disposal is all it takes to become a thought leader.

What is thought leadership?

A thought leader is someone who envisions the future and paves a path for others to follow. Thought leaders examine existing best practices before devising new ones. They instigate change, which frequently results in significant upheaval.

It takes time and effort to become a thought leader. All of the work and effort will be worth it if you embark on a strategic thought leadership program that merges public relations and digital marketing, and here are reasons why you should be a thought leader:

1. Build credibility with both customers and investors.

Consider the case of Sir Richard Branson. His name, as well as the name of his company, has become one of the most recognizable brands in the world throughout the years. It wasn't simply the name Virgin that made him famous; it was also what he put behind the brand as a person. He made his brand people-centered by allowing people to get to know him. When people trust and believe in a brand, they are more likely to engage with it. Allowing folks to meet the people behind the scenes makes a huge difference. Since then, he has influenced countless individuals all around the world.

2. Shorten the sales cycle

Thought leaders don't have to explain who they are, what they do, or why people should do business with them in the marketplace. Prospects instead search out thought leaders. As a result, your sales cycle shortens and your pipeline expands significantly.

3. Build your legacy

It's not only about getting people to do business with you. You have a distinct vision for the future of your industry, and leaving a lasting legacy ensures that vision lives on. Bill Gates' idea of a personal computer in every home was groundbreaking, and it left an indelible mark on how we think about computers today.

Using LinkedIn to promote thought leadership

Showcasing your brand on LinkedIn is an excellent method to demonstrate your thought leadership, and it only takes a few hours of your time. The following are five tips for using LinkedIn as a way to promote thought leadership.

1.  Optimize your profile

Many company leaders only look at LinkedIn when they're looking for a new job. LinkedIn, on the other hand, is no longer simply for job seekers. It is a part of your brand and is used for networking and contacts.

After meeting someone at an event or having a potential customer referred to you, your LinkedIn profile is frequently the first piece of information that a person sees about you, so it must reflect your brand. It's critical to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date; if you don't, you risk alienating people before they've even had a chance to learn about you and your brand.

2.  Identify your target audience

Ask yourself who you'd like to engage in your campaign to locate the proper audience. Is your target audience determined by geography, industry, authority level, or some other factor? If your campaign is like most, you'll use a combination of filters to specify the consumers you want to target with customized content.

Direct Sponsored Content allows you to run similar adverts for multiple audiences to help you quickly decide which target demographic is most profitable. As a result, marketers can compare campaign effectiveness in real-time and make adjustments as needed.

3.  Build content and share updates

When you decide to express something on LinkedIn, make your voice distinct. Make your feelings about new advances in your field known to others. Regular posting — roughly 20 posts per month — can help you reach 60% of your target audience.

What you post immediately informs others about your areas of interest, as well as your personality and communication style. This is important to folks who are considering collaborating with you. Furthermore, these talking points broaden your network's reach, resulting in more talks with individuals in your field over time.

4.  Make use of videos

If you've already been on TV or made video assets on your topic, that's fantastic: You've got a leg up on your competitors. You can put what you've got so far on your LinkedIn page natively. Then you may build a YouTube channel and host your assets there, while distributing them on LinkedIn and elsewhere, such as on a blog, website, or other social media channels.

5.  Be consistent

Consistency is key. Make a distribution timetable for your content. To begin, you must first determine when your target audience is on LinkedIn. (For various businesses, Hub spot provides some helpful suggestions.) You can use a service like Hootsuite to schedule your LinkedIn posts ahead of time, but you should also make time to interact with your LinkedIn network.

Layup content is helps financial services clients stand out using through content marketing, and LinkedIn is a major channel for us. With thought leadership campaigns based on our proven system, you can stand out from the crowd, gain authority, and drive ROI. Contact us to learn how.

Be a thought leader.
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