LinkedIn is marketing: how your profile sells your personal brand
Marketing: the key to personal brand
Marketing is the one essential skill you need to be successful today. I learned it the hard way—through trial and error, making lots of mistakes and wasting plenty of time. I've shared my experience with friends, and many have developed their own strategies, building personal brands that push their growth and inspire me to continue mine. Unfortunately, some still refuse to accept this reality, stuck in the commute-work-sleep loop, pretending they don’t need marketing at all. If this sounds familiar, I’ve got a message for you.
Since I’m an engineer, I’ve used LinkedIn from the very beginning of my career, just like many of my friends—even those who underestimate marketing’s power. Though the truth is If you're on LinkedIn, you’re already a hustler, whether you realize it or not, whether you want it or not. Your profile with work experience is certain, undeniable proof, and here’s why.
I hope you’ve read my last post, where I introduced a framework on marketing basics. These fundamentals apply across all online platforms—whether it’s Google, Twitter, or you name it. Today’s spotlight is on LinkedIn, and I’m going to show you how it fits perfectly into this framework. If you’re on LinkedIn, you’re already a salesperson, actively doing marketing.
How LinkedIn marketing works
Most of us, myself included, use LinkedIn to look for jobs. Does this fit my marketing framework? Absolutely. Marketing is just a tool for sales success, and if you’re job hunting, your employer is your customer, and your skills are what you’re selling. Sure, you could apply to jobs directly, but having recruiters find you is more effective and scalable. A lot of my friends landed jobs this way. At one point, recruiters reached out to me with hot offers almost weekly—it’s a great feeling to be in demand. So, that’s our goal here.
The only four questions that matter in marketing:
- WHO is your customer?
- WHERE is your customer?
- HOW do you attract your customer?
- WHAT do you offer your customer?
So, let’s apply this to LinkedIn. Your customer is the employer. They’re on LinkedIn—obviously, since that’s our focus. You attract them with your profile. And what do you sell? Your skills, qualifications, and time. That’s essentially what you bring to any job.
Now, let’s check out some classic ways to promote your profile. LinkedIn strategies? Just the same good old marketing playbook
- Organic Content
- Paid Promotion
- Integration
LinkedIn brand via organic content
Your organic content is your personal page: job title, experience, education, and skills. LinkedIn feeds this to recruiters searching for talent like you. Optimizing your profile is essentially SEO. Think like a recruiter—what search terms would they use? Be specific. Instead of “Software Engineer,” try “PHP Developer” or even “Symfony Developer.” I know “engineer” sounds way cooler, but believe me, a little humility might land you more opportunities. In the end, we’re optimizing how search engines rank us. There’ll be a chance to prove our engineering skills once we hook a recruiter. Sure, this advice may not apply to everyone, but it’s a solid rule for most.
So, you know that organic content isn’t just about search—it’s also about your feed. How do you use it? Simple: start posting. You’ve probably noticed I’m a big advocate for posting, and I say go for it on any platform where you’re building your brand. Not convinced? Check out why posting is essential. Here’s a basic job-hunting trick: post about it. Your connections and their networks will see it. Even if your contacts don’t have an offer, they might know someone who does. Pretty cool, right?
LinkedIn integrations
Ask a friend to repost your content, or better yet, have them post about you. This lets you tap into their network too—basically, integration. If there’s an influencer with connections you need, ask them to feature you. Make a deal, whether that’s cash or another form of exchange. This strategy works on LinkedIn as it does on other platforms.
Paid promotion on LinkedIn
Did you know you can promote posts on LinkedIn, like YouTube or Google Ads? If you’re in a service-based job, say as a freelance architect, this could be a great option. It’s also a solid way to build your following. Sure, it costs money, but look at it as an investment in yourself and your growth. Nothing pays off better than investing in your brand.
Linkedin branding is just a marketing
My goal is to show you that marketing and personal branding are simple once you know the patterns. My last post introduced these marketing essentials, and today’s post shows how LinkedIn fits into that framework. If you’ve job hunted on LinkedIn, you’re already a salesperson. If you landed a job through LinkedIn, congrats—you’re a successful one.
Hope I opened your eyes a bit! Wanna dive deeper? Subscribe for more insights and get ready to level up your brand even more.