We are in a totally digitalized era, and proof of this is the importance of having a presence in social networks, as they have long ceased to be a tool to keep in touch and became a platform to show your knowledge to the world.
While most of the content on social networks is designed to entertain, there is a large percentage of users who use the networks to show the talent and knowledge they possess; for example, many artists have been discovered through YouTube, and hundreds of ventures have grown through Instagram or TikTok.
In addition, there are social networks for every niche: the perfect example is LinkedIn, which is focused on people’s professional profiles. In this social network, unlike others, personal brand is not built through an amazing style or a unique sense of humor, personal brand is established through academic and professional achievements.
What is a personal brand?
The professional world is becoming increasingly competitive and it is necessary to build a strong identity that stands out in the crowd, the concept of personal branding was born relatively recently to guide people in the process of improving their presence.
In 1997 the famous writer and business management expert Tom Peters, defined personal branding as a process in which we self-perceive and manage ourselves as a company by knowing what we can offer, developing a strategy to ”sell ourselves” and differentiate ourselves from other professionals by making our skills visible.
The creation of a personal brand should not be with the objective of looking for a job, but to differentiate ourselves from other professionals by showing our essence and generating trustworthiness to improve networking.
LinkedIn: the ultimate tool for your personal brand
The development of your personal brand is nowadays linked to your online presence and thanks to platforms like LinkedIn you have an ideal space to transmit your identity.
This social network allows you to connect with people at a corporate level, so it is perfect to approach someone you want to do business with, learn about business events of companies that interest you and perform job search in an optimal way.
It is possible to give your personal brand an extra boost by developing different marketing strategies on LinkedIn that will allow you to build a brand that differentiates you from others.
In fact, by applying marketing to your LinkedIn profile you increase your chances of being visible to multinational companies, getting a job remotely and growing professionally; but for this, you need to optimize your profile.
What aspects of your profile should you take into account? It is essential that basic data such as name, experience and education are well written and structured to show your knowledge.
You should also have an appropriate profile picture, with a flat background and showing your face. It is important that you use every space to convey who you are, your skills and the achievements you have had.
Besides having a properly structured profile, it is also necessary that you make yourself visible in the social network; you must build relationships by adding valuable contacts and interacting with their content, because the more relationships you have, the more impact you will have.
Content creation is another essential aspect of LinkedIn, as it is an excellent way to strengthen your personal brand by sharing information focused on your industry and making your knowledge or position on a topic known. Remember that you must maintain a tone of communication according to your profile and be constant to connect with people.
What to do and what not to do on LinkedIn?
In addition to the guidelines and rules of use, every social network has certain unwritten rules; knowing what you should do and what you should avoid on LinkedIn allows you to take better advantage of the platform.
Remember that, unlike Instagram or Twitter, LinkedIn is designed for networking among professionals, so both your profile and your content must be completely corporate.
Thanks to LinkedIn, showing your professionalism and knowledge is much simpler and more effective, as this platform is becoming a replacement for the traditional resume, as it is much more complete and allows companies a deeper knowledge of the professionals in the market.