The Entrepreneur’s Playbook: Elevate Your LinkedIn Presence and Build Your Brand
One of the unique things that I noticed is many of our foreign clients are not on LinkedIn.
This is especially so from Korea and Taiwan, where they are more comfortable with their own local platforms.
However, when out of their countries and into Southeast Asia markets, it is essential for them to be searchable and connect to folks who they will meet when scaling their business.
These are the few suggestions that I shared with them and I am putting them here for all too -
To build a compelling personal brand on LinkedIn as an entrepreneur, consider the following detailed strategies infused with a human touch.
A. Authenticity is Key
Start by reflecting on your values, passions, and what you stand for. Your brand should resonate with who you are at your core. For instance, if you are passionate about sustainability, let that shine through in your posts and interactions.
For me, it is about entrepreneurship as someone who started from zero, it took me a lot of hard knocks and lessons learnt to get where I am today. Thus, I see that sharing with others what I believe in and what I hope to help others to navigate around especially in the complex markets in Southeast Asia markets.
B. Craft Your Unique Value Proposition
What makes you different? Identify your strengths and skills that set you apart from others in your field. This will help you articulate your brand clearly.
I have been in the Startup ecosystem since the late 1990s, having run one at the age of 18 years old designing websites for SMEs clients. With the opportunities to see the evolution of how others raised funds, failed their businesses, how founders fought with each other etc. It gave me a lot of insights on how businesses can be better operated and how owners should prepare themselves better too.
C. Research Your Target Market:
Understand who you want to reach. Are they startups, established businesses, or specific industries? Tailor your content to address their pain points and interests.
Check the statistics that LinkedIn provides, the information is very useful for you to see where the readers, commenters and even followers are from. Test out your posts and see the reactions and then from there you work out what is best for your positioning.
D. Engage with Empathy
Approach your audience with empathy. Acknowledge their challenges and offer solutions through your expertise. This builds trust and rapport.
Commenting on other posts can also help you to share your knowledge and experience and help to expand the conversation further too. Caring and sharing is important as I strongly believe the more you share, the more you will also learn from others.
E. Share Your Expertise
Regularly post articles, insights, or tips related to your industry. For example, if you’re in tech, share trends or innovations that could benefit your audience.
I like to share stuff about what I saw and experienced when advising founders and scaling businesses, especially when traveling in the regions as each market offers different exposure and lessons to be learnt.
F. Storytelling Matters
Use storytelling to make your posts relatable. Share personal anecdotes that illustrate your journey as an entrepreneur. This humanizes your brand and makes it more approachable.
I like to share quotes that have an impact on the way I see things and content that I have come across. It serves as a reminder and also for others to learn through what I experienced and to discuss about it. Don’t be surprised that there are many in the same journey and facing similar challenges too. Make yourself relatable to your readers and yourself.
G. Visual Content
Incorporate images, infographics, or videos to make your posts visually appealing. Visual content tends to engage audiences more effectively than text alone.
Photos of events that you attended, quotable quotes, places you visited will bring your readers closer to you.
H. Be Present
Dedicate time each day to engage with others' content. Comment thoughtfully on posts, share relevant articles, and participate in discussions. This not only increases your visibility but also positions you as an active member of the community.
I. Build Relationships
Networking is about building genuine relationships. Reach out to connect with people in your industry or those who inspire you. Personalize connection requests to show genuine interest.
Arrange to meet up virtually or physically to create more opportunities for yourself.
J. Share Your Journey
Don’t shy away from sharing both successes and failures. Discussing challenges you’ve faced can inspire others and foster a sense of community.
Everyone makes mistakes and it is okay to tell the world about it. You learn and you gain insights when others share their failures and wins.
K. Highlight Milestones:
Celebrate achievements—big or small. Whether it’s launching a new product or reaching a personal goal, sharing these milestones can motivate others and reinforce your brand narrative.
Add in the photos and videos to celebrate the occasions, while at the same time share your feelings and emotions how you felt about these milestones and the lessons you learnt from it. Explain in detail how you achieved the objectives and some tips for the readers.
L. Regular Posting Schedule
Establish a posting schedule that works for you—whether it’s daily or weekly—and stick to it. Consistency helps keep you top of mind within your network.
Post it even if it is a local public holiday, so as to be consistent as it may be a working day in other parts of the world.
M. Maintain a Cohesive Brand Voice
Ensure that your messaging aligns with your brand identity across all posts. This consistency builds recognition and trust over time.
Trial and errors will take time as you learn along the way, what works best and what may not. Just keep trying out different methods and ways in the content sharing and identify what works the best to bring this brand across to the target audience.
N. Utilize LinkedIn Articles
Write long-form articles on topics you’re passionate about. This not only showcases your expertise but also enhances your visibility on the platform.
“Why, What, When, Where, How” about the topics will help you give insights to your expertise and how you handle challenges and wins.
O. Participate in Groups
Join LinkedIn groups relevant to your industry. Engage in discussions and share insights to position yourself as a thought leader.
Be humble and be willing to learn, are the keys for community building and engagement.
P. Track Engagement Metrics
Use LinkedIn analytics to monitor the performance of your posts. Pay attention to what resonates with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.
In conclusion, by implementing these strategies with authenticity and empathy, you can effectively build a strong personal brand on LinkedIn that resonates with others and opens doors for new opportunities. Remember, branding is not just about self-promotion; it’s about creating meaningful connections and contributing value to the community.
