Guide to Building a Strong Personal Brand on LinkedIn

What if you could offer your brand’s value proposition to one billion people all at once? By building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn, you’re throwing open the doors to potential engagement with the platform’s one billion members.

According to Semrush, LinkedIn saw 1.77 billion visits in February 2025 alone. More than 80% of business-to-business (B2B) social media leads come from LinkedIn and 63% of marketers rate LinkedIn as the most effective platform for B2B marketing. 

Today’s entrepreneurs know building a personal brand on LinkedIn is not simply a “nice-to-have”—it’s a necessity for establishing yourself as an expert in your field and building lasting connections with your audience. But how do you start?

Ahead, find out what it takes to build your LinkedIn personal brand, see inspiring LinkedIn personal branding examples, and learn how to overcome challenges in pursuit of building an authentic personal brand. 

Why personal branding matters on LinkedIn

A personal brand helps build credibility and trust, supports relatability, and sets you apart from your contemporaries. When people resonate with your story as a small business owner, they’re more likely to buy from you and may even recommend your brand to others: data shows 70% of consumers report feeling more connected to a brand when its founder is active on social media platforms.

Although entrepreneurs may assume they need to announce something monumental before they take to LinkedIn, that couldn’t be further from the truth. If you’re starting out, sharing your journey, your wins, and your struggles helps your audience connect with you on a deeper level. Just remember to show your authentic self. Your content doesn’t have to be perfect. It only has to express the real you. Research shows customers crave and value authentic conversations. One NIH study displays a positive correlation between a founder’s perception as agreeable and open with a 5% higher likelihood of attracting funding.

How to differentiate founder-led content from brand-led content

If you run a commerce business and only post on your brand’s LinkedIn page, you’re missing out on an opportunity to directly connect you with your audience. As a founder, posting on your personal LinkedIn increases your visibility while also driving website traffic. And, it can generate sales for your business. 

The impact of sharing content on your personal LinkedIn profile is powerful: 88% of marketers say their audience views personal branding as more genuine than corporate content. Moreover, 69% of consumers trust small businesses more if their founder is posting on social media.

Your brand’s page and your content serve different purposes. While your brand’s page focuses on showcasing your products, your personal content highlights your humanity. “Personal branding is the intentional creation of a brand that is distinctly you. And that carries authority, builds trust with your customer, and feeds into direct business goals,” says Shoaib Ahmed, a LinkedIn expert with more than 56,000 LinkedIn followers. 

For example, your streetwear brand can post photos of a new t-shirt launch while you, as the founder, can share the story behind the designs or the challenges faced during production. Personal storytelling adds emotional depth and can make the launch memorable for readers.

How often should you post to LinkedIn to reinforce your personal brand?

While experts suggest posting on LinkedIn up to five times a week, quantity should not be prioritized over quality. If you post one high-value post per week, that is better than five hasty posts that generate little to no value (and likely will garner little to no engagement). 

“Start with one to two posts a week and build a scalable system that allows you to then scale that up to five posts a week,” says Shoaib. “Don’t just post (or) throw stuff at the wall. Instead, start small, analyze what’s working… and then scale up when you’ve built the confidence and you are writing quality content. It’s always better to be quality driven than quantity.”

What are the types of content that can help you build a strong personal brand on LinkedIn?

There are primarily four types of posts you can create for your LinkedIn content strategy. They fall into four pillars: attraction, authority, affinity, and action. Each content pillar serves a specific purpose. “Attraction” content is optimized for search and sharing, “authority” content positions you as a thought leader, “affinity” content builds emotional connection, while “action” content drives conversions. 

Not sure what to post? Here’s a breakdown to help you get started:

Personal stories

Taking your audience through your journey and sharing personal snippets about your life—such as pivoting careers, bootstrapping the business, or navigating through failures—help build affinity and create an emotional bond with your audience.

Personal storytelling is a great way to help your audience connect with the person behind the brand. For example, the Original Duckhead umbrella was founded in 2012, but it was based on the stylish hand carved duckhead handle umbrella founder Morgan Cros remembered her mother used on rainy days when she was a child.

In this LinkedIn post, Connie Lo, co-founder of Three Ships, shares a powerful personal milestone of finally pitching on Dragons’ Den after manifesting the moment as a teenager. Coupled with a photo of her and her co-founder pitching on the show, her story gave an insight into her personal ambitions and garnered more than 2,200 likes.

Behind-the-scenes (BTS) moments

Launching a new product? Write about it—the good, the bad, the research that shaped it, and the challenges you faced along the way. Sharing unpolished, everyday moments helps build affinity and increases your personal brand’s authenticity. 

Let’s say you’ve been gearing up to fulfill a massive ice cream order for an event but, as the big day arrives, your freezer breaks down. You could write about how you navigated this hurdle. Did you scramble to find a backup freezer? Did it delay the delivery? How did you handle the pressure? Stories like these humanize your brand and allow audiences to share in the ups and downs of your journey.

In this LinkedIn post, Kathryn Kavner Woolf, founder of Heyday Canning Co. shares the story behind launching a scented candle.

Gymshark founder Ben Francis shared a collage of nostalgic photos as part of a LinkedIn post because it captures moments of his days as an entrepreneur. The images included those of him wearing a medieval costume, packing Gymshark products, and working in front of his computer. The post’s relatability lay in the reflection that being a founder is made up of many small moments. It’s something that resonated with his audience, garnering more than 6,000 likes

Educational and expert driven content

Sharing your take on social media trends, offering expert advice or teaching through examples establishes your authority and positions you as a trusted thought leader. 

Suppose you have a chocolate brand and spot a new chocolate trend blowing up on another social media channel, such as TikTok. You could write posts analyzing the potential of this chocolate and advising on different types of cocoa if someone wants to try making it themselves. This kind of content sparks conversation, boosting your visibility on LinkedIn.

Client stories and testimonials

Highlighting positive reviews, testimonials, and client success stories is a powerful way to showcase the tangible value your brand delivers. Testimonial type content like this, inspires the audience to take action and drives conversions through sales and leads.

For example, if someone praises your skin care brand’s sunscreen for how smoothly it glides on the skin, you could post that screenshot on your LinkedIn and share the story behind the product: the months you spent in the lab, collaborations with chemists, and the care that went into formulating the perfect sunscreen.

Khulan Davaadorj, founder of Lhamour, a skin care brand, shares the story of a customer, who soothed her sensitive skin with the brand’s healing balm. 

What type of storytelling format works well on LinkedIn?

From carousels and videos to image posts and long-form articles, each format on LinkedIn has its own strengths. “There’s not one format that works better than others,” says Shoaib. “Try different formats, experiment and see what is helping you achieve your goals and then do more of that.” 

See which format works best for your next LinkedIn post:

Carousel posts

LinkedIn carousels let you share multiple images in one post through a slide-by-slide layout. Carousels are perfect for breaking down complex information, sharing a story in chunks and guiding your audience through a clear, visual flow. 

For example, if you want to share your creative process of making a vanilla-scented candle from scratch, you can easily do it through carousels. On the first slide, you can highlight which beeswax you use and on the following slides, you can show how you melt the wax, add the vanilla fragrance, pour it into container molds, and let it cool. Simply break down each step of the process into its own slide and you will get a captivating carousel.

Image based posts

Imagine reading a plain text post about an entrepreneur speaking at a conference. The words might be captivating but visually bland. Now add a photo of them on stage and the post instantly becomes much more engaging and scroll-stopping.

Images are a great way to add context, emotion, and depth to your content. Need to simplify complex data? Add a colorful infographic. Want to showcase glowing product reviews? Share screenshots. Want to reveal the behind-the-scenes of your creative process? Include photos of your workspace.

Images also take up more space on mobile screens, boosting their chances of being noticed. “If you have a text-based post and the post on the newsfeed before yours and after yours is an image…your first two lines are…sandwiched between two visuals [so no one will notice your content],” says Shoaib, highlighting the importance of imagery in posts. 

Videos

According to LinkedIn’s own data, video posts drive five times more engagement than static posts. Whether explaining complex concepts or showcasing product demos, videos are a powerful medium to connect with your audience.

“(Videos) are a great way to build trust and credibility, because people can see you talk about topics that you’re passionate about, and that carries a different kind of weight,” Shoaib says. “They feel like they get to know you, so that can help be helpful for conversions.” Your LinkedIn video can be up to five gigabytes in size and should be between three seconds and 10 minutes long.

In this LinkedIn post, Dorian Morris, founder of Undefined Beauty, shares a video of her mother using the brand’s products, offering a relatable, real-life demo on mature skin.

Blog posts

Blog posts on LinkedIn allow you to dive deeper into a topic. Long-form writing allows you to provide additional value to an audience that wants more than just quick updates.

For example, if you run a chocolate brand, you can write a blog post about your journey of sourcing cocoa. It’s an opportunity to show how you conduct research on ethical practices to select the right suppliers to manage the challenges of consistent supply. This type of content gives readers insight into your expertise. 

What are some common challenges of building a personal brand on LinkedIn?

If you’re starting out, building a personal brand on LinkedIn can make you feel vulnerable. Putting yourself out there can be intimidating, especially when balancing multiple responsibilities as a founder. While these doubts are common, you shouldn’t let them discourage you from building your personal brand. Below, find some tactics for overcoming the most common challenges small business owners face on LinkedIn.

Staying consistent with posting content

You start strong with a few great ideas and aim to post five times a week. But as time goes on, your ideas either run dry or you start feeling overwhelmed. Those five posts drop to two and then to none.

The key to posting consistently on LinkedIn isn’t about forcing yourself to write more—it’s about building a solid system that focuses on the following:

• Batch creation: You don’t have to create content daily. Instead, dedicate a specific day and time each week to focus and prepare five posts in advance for the coming week. 
• Repurposing content: You don’t have to come up with multiple new ideas. One theme can be broken down into chunks of ideas and presented in different formats through a carousel, a video, or a text post. 
• Setting realistic goals: Start small instead of setting big goals, it’ll make it easier to commit to your goals. If updating your profile five times a week feels overwhelming, post one or two times a week and build from there.

Dealing with low engagement

Consistently publishing posts and barely getting shares, likes, or comments can be demotivating. In these moments, try the following steps to increase engagement:

• Add a question toward the end: Close your LinkedIn post with a question that motivates your audience to share their own perspectives. For example, if you post about your creative process to maximize productivity, end it with a question: “What’s one habit or routine that’s been a game-changer for your productivity?” This can lead to comments under your post, boosting engagement. 
• Focus on writing strong hooks: The first two lines of your LinkedIn post are crucial, as it’s what readers see before clicking “See more.” If your hook doesn’t grab their interest, people will scroll past your post without reading it. 
• Network on LinkedIn: Connect with potential clients, collaborators, and industry peers, and reach out to them with personalized messages. Instead of leaving vague comments like “good point,” share your perspective or experience when they post updates. Thoughtful comments can build a relationship with the original poster, and may also catch the attention of their audience who may identify you as someone worth following. 

Uncertainty around what content to post

Some days, you’re bursting with ideas. Other days, you’re hit with writer’s block. Lack of clarity about what to post can be a blocker when you’re building up your practice to enhance your personal brand on LinkedIn. If you face this dilemma, here are some tips to consider: 

• Niche down: If you write about everything, you will exhaust yourself. Instead, identify two to three niche topics you’re passionate and knowledgeable about. Focus your content around those areas. 
• Build an idea bank: Throughout the week, take screenshots of inspiring content or viral trends and save them in a dedicated folder. When creating content, go through this folder to avoid running out of ideas.
• Study creators in your industry: Which topics and hooks get high engagement? What storytelling styles work for them? Use their posts as inspiration for your own.
• Remember no one can tell your story like you can: Initially, it can feel cringe to put yourself out there, particularly if you’re not comfortable sharing your writing. Remember, only you can tell your story in your voice. To get more comfortable with writing, pretend you’re corresponding with a friend, and work on your conversational tone. You also can try voice-to-text tools like Google Docs voice typing, Apple Dictation, Otter.ai or Descript to transcribe your spoken thoughts into written posts you can edit.

Are there LinkedIn features and tools that help with content creation?

LinkedIn has built-in tools and features that can simplify your content creation journey. From upskilling and idea generation to helping you stay consistent, these tools are designed to enhance your content strategy.

Here are some tools you can use for an assist in your LinkedIn personal branding journey:

Scheduling content

LinkedIn’s “Schedule for later” feature allows you to schedule content without being online in real time. Not only is it helpful for when you batch-create content and want to schedule it for the week ahead, it can also ensure you post at a time when your community is online to interact with your content. If you’re an entrepreneur struggling to stay consistent with posting content, this feature can be a game-changer.

If you want to schedule your post, just paste your content into the “Start a post” box, then click the clock icon next to Post. You can then select your desired publishing date and time for your posts.

Saving posts for future inspiration

When you come across a high-performing or inspiring post on LinkedIn, you can save it using the Save feature. You can revisit it later for when you have time to thoughtfully comment or have time to study what makes it engaging.

To save a post, just click the three dots in the top-right corner of the post and select Save. When you want to view your saved posts, just click on Saved Items on your LinkedIn homepage.

Joining LinkedIn groups

LinkedIn groups are a valuable resource for expanding your network, staying updated on trending topics, and gathering content ideas.

For example, if you run a baking business, you can join groups focused on baking, chocolates, candies, etc. This will keep you informed about the latest trends in the dessert culinary world and help you discover content ideas based on discussions in those groups.

But how do you join LinkedIn groups? The first step is to use the LinkedIn search bar at the top to type relevant keywords. Using the previous example, type in “chocolate” or “baking.” On the search results page, click the Groups filter to narrow your results. Look for groups to join that have a good number of members and high engagement.

LinkedIn Learning courses

If you’re an entrepreneur beginning your personal branding journey, make sure to explore the courses LinkedIn offers on content marketing, personal branding, and storytelling. To access them, click on the For Business icon in the top-right corner of your homepage, select Learning from the dropdown and then browse the courses offered that focus on creating better content. 

How do you know if your LinkedIn content is working? 

When building your personal brand on LinkedIn, posting content is not enough—you also must evaluate the effectiveness of what you’re posting. Ask yourself: Is your content actually helping with boosting your visibility, growing your presence and generating sales?

The best way to measure if your content is working for you is by looking at keyengagement metrics such as an increase in likes, comments, reposts, and post impressions to decipher if people engage with your posts. But don’t stop there. Is there an increase in your followers and profile visits? Are people saving your posts? Are they messaging you to connect? All these are strong indications that your content is resonating with your audience and increasing your visibility on LinkedIn.

To access these insights, you can click on Analytics on your LinkedIn profile. This data shows you how your content is performing and is visible only to you. You can also click “View analytics” under the bottom-right corner of your post to see how an individual post is performing.

What are some benefits of building up your visibility on LinkedIn?

If you’re a business owner, posting on LinkedIn builds recognition for your brand. It can unlock a plethora of opportunities both personal and professional. Start today. Stay consistent. Share your story and the journey behind your brand with the world. 

Lastly, be patient. Engagement and online recognition take time. Like anything worth building, a LinkedIn personal brand may take time to build, and low engagement is a normal part of the early content journey.