The content you need to grow your personal brand

Why should you focus on content that serves and educates your followers? The answer is simple: your content builds your reputation and helps others see your expertise. On LinkedIn, unlike platforms like Instagram or Facebook, the priority is professional and informative content rather than personal updates. LinkedIn is a hub where professionals share insights, business news, and industry trends.

What types of content gain traction? Content that highlights social issues, workplace challenges, or current industry topics often sparks meaningful conversations. When people comment or tag others in your post, your reach extends. This interaction can improve your visibility and strengthen your personal brand.

How important is consistency? Very. Posting regularly helps you stay top of mind for your audience. Planning a varied content calendar ensures you cover different topics and post types. But don’t forget to be flexible—spontaneous posts that capture timely opportunities or thoughts can be very powerful as well.

When planning your next post, what should you consider? Mainly, the type of post, its relevance, and format. These elements help your content connect and stay engaging.

What types of posts should I share on social media?

What kinds of posts can you share on LinkedIn? Here are some key examples:

• Actionable advice: Tips or how-to guides that your audience can apply right away.
• Personal testimonials: Stories from your work life that show your skills or lessons learned.
• Questions or polls: These invite your network to share opinions and increase engagement.
• Announcements: Share news like promotions, project completions or company changes.
• Hiring updates: Let your followers know about job openings or recruitment drives.
• Career moves: Inform your network about your new roles or shifts in your career path.
• Company news: Big changes like mergers, launches, or awards.
• Endorsements: Recommend colleagues, clients, or partners to build goodwill.
• Fun but relevant content: Viral videos, cartoons, memes, or infographics related to your industry.
• Opinions on trends: Share your take on current hot topics to show thought leadership.
• Blog posts: Share articles you have written to demonstrate your expertise.

For example, if you work in marketing, sharing a quick video tip on social media trends can engage your audience. Or if you’re a recruiter, posting a poll on preferred interview styles might spark lively conversation. Meanwhile, endorsing a colleague’s skill can cement your professional relationships.

How to know if your post is relevant?

How do you check if your content is relevant? Consider these questions before posting:

• Does it answer questions your audience often asks?
• Is your message aligned with your values and career goals?
• Are you confident in your knowledge of the topic?
• Will this topic interest a good part of your network?
• Is it offering new or unique insights?
• What is the best angle or way to present this information?
• Is it easy to relate to and understand?
• Will it work well on social media, especially in terms of length and format?
• Are you avoiding repeating similar posts too often?

For example, if your audience is mostly young professionals, posting advanced financial advice may not connect well. Instead, simple tips on budgeting could be more valuable and relevant. If you notice the topic has been covered extensively already, try adding your unique perspective or recent experience.

Assessing relevance regularly helps you avoid wasting effort on posts that don’t engage or build your brand.

How to choose the right post format

What does the format of a post mean? It has two parts: the type of post and the carrier.

The post type refers to how you deliver the content. Is it a standard post, a detailed article, a story, or a live video? Each format works differently. Articles allow deeper insights, while a quick post suits brief updates or tips.

The carrier is about the content’s form – will it be a video, a photo, text-only, a link, a poll, or perhaps slides or PDFs? Videos and images tend to grab attention quickly, while text-only posts often suit thought leadership or storytelling.

Say you want to share a quick industry update. A short text post with an eye-catching image may work best. For a detailed tutorial, consider writing an article with step-by-step instructions and examples. Or you could host a live video Q&A to directly engage your audience in real time.

Remember, mixing formats keeps your content fresh. Use polls to gather feedback, share infographics for easy-to-digest data, and post videos to boost engagement.

Ready to take the next step? Plan your calendar, use a mix of content types, keep relevance front of mind, and choose formats your audience prefers. Your personal brand will grow with consistent, thoughtful posts.