3 principles to help grow your LinkedIn presence
You don’t have to change who you are to get there.
Jayde Powell has found a way to monetize content on LinkedIn by building trust, community and a powerful following. But she didn’t compromise who she is as a person to get there.
Powell, who is a professional marketing strategist and creator, has earned more than $80,000 from LinkedIn alone this year
Her tagline on the profile she uses to write to her more than 30,000 followers, states, “hey. I help brands do cool sh*t on social. hire me.”
“I know that people feel like they have to show up (on LinkedIn) in a very corporate, buttoned-up way, but while that may work for some people, that’s not really true to who I am,” Powell said in an interview with PR Daily.
Powell’s trademark purple hair stands out immediately in her profile picture. Then you notice her posts, which feel conversational, candid and authentic.
When brands or creators want to build a LinkedIn following that will resonate with the community they’re trying to engage, they need to remember some core principles to help them be successful.
This is Powell’s advice on how to get there.
- Develop your tone
Powell approaches her LinkedIn presence “the same way I approach my clients and their brands on social media – with strategy,” she says.
Tone is everything. Decide what kind of tone best reflects you as a person, and stick with it. It’s OK to have a conversational voice. It’s OK if you’re more professional. But it needs to feel authentic and consistent.
“Seventy percent of my content is what I consider ‘off the cuff’ content,” she said. “These are random thoughts I have when I go about my day or are inspired by conversations I’ve had with friends or other creatives and professionals in my community. Often when I post, I’m just operating on vibes, meaning I let my creativity and my spirit guide me, which is reflected in my content.”
Powell’s main KPI is joy, she said. So this is something she attempts to bring throughout her content and in the tone she presents it in.
Your tone shouldn’t feel like you’re trying too hard. It should be reflective of your brand or you as an individual. Stay consistent once you’ve decided what this looks like for you.
- Build trust through authentic engagement
Powell has a segment of content she calls her “Wins and Losses.” This is where she goes over what’s been working well for her and what’s been lacking, whether that be content, a brand partnership or something in her daily life. She does this to foster trust, an essential part of a brand-follower relationship, she said.
Transparency furthers this culture of trust, she said. Powell additionally shares her LinkedIn metrics and quarterly earnings with followers to keep things real, she said.
By sharing these takeaways candidly, Powell is ensuring that her audience knows she’s credible.
“I also make sure that I’m listening directly to the wants and needs of my community,” she said. “This ensures that I’m providing value in an authentic way.”
When traveling for work, Powell likes to get other creators in a room together, showing she’s not just an online personality, but a real person who strives to engage in-person as well.
“I’m a real community builder,” she said. “Not just the person who’s giving people platforms online, but in real life too.”
When you live the advice you give to others, when you listen to your community and when you’re actively transparent, the trust comes naturally, she said.
- Keep your messages simple
Brands know that people’s attention spans are short-lived. If you want your message to resonate, don’t overthink it. Keep it simple.
“I like to keep things short and sweet on LinkedIn,” Powell said. “If I’m not creating text-only posts, I like to post memes or short-form videos that show off my humor and personality.”
Think about the best way to engage your audience in a short time span. Short form, digestible content is best. Keep the language simple and easy to understand, she said.
Prioritize clarity and brevity in your messaging to engage your audience. Establish goals that can help you generate ideas of how to share the content. Would it be better said in a quick video? Does it warrant a text-post? What is most important to your audience?
“We’re consuming so much on the internet now and people don’t really have time for it,” she said. “Quick-hitting information is really best.”
Join Powell and others for Ragan’s Communication Boot Camp Virtual Conference on Sept. 18 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].
