LinkedIn is no longer just a job search platform. It’s a global community with powerful potential – one that can act as a no-cost marketing tool to get you exposure as an entrepreneur to thousands of potential customers, clients, partners, employees, and investors.
My LinkedIn content has reached 1.3M across 70 countries over the past two years. Those impressions would have run up a five-figure bill through paid social channels. This is why building your brand on LinkedIn as an entrepreneur is a great way to get free exposure for yourself and your business.
It wasn’t always easy though – everything worth doing takes time. One of my first posts got less than 500 views and looking back on it now, I can see why. I formatted it like two massive paragraphs in a College English essay. I also wasn’t active on the platform. Due to this, the potential reach of the post was greatly hindered. I didn’t let that stop me.
I continued creating content several times a week over a two-year span, learning about the algorithm and honing my craft. The consistency paid off as I recently wrote my 300th post, with some posts surpassing 75,000 views – much better than the 500 from when I started.
So if you haven’t considered using LinkedIn to its full potential as a marketing tool, it may be time to reconsider. My hope is that this article will accelerate your learning and teach you what I wish I knew when I first started my LinkedIn journey.
1. Comment On Other Posts
The LinkedIn algorithm makes commenting on posts a powerful tool to get great exposure. When you comment on a post, you get exposure to the author, their network, and their network’s network.
They’ll see your headshot, name, headline, and comment. At the same time, your network will see your comment and the original post, simultaneously adding value for your network and the author – it’s a win-win!
Commenting also shows your audience that you’re accessible should they want to reach out to you for a time sensitive order or ask a quick question about your business.
Set aside 15 minutes per day to leave 5 to 10 insightful comments on posts related to your industry. It’s a quick and easy way to get noticed, drive profile views, and add value for your community.
2. Create Content
Once you get the hang of commenting on other people’s posts, you’ll want to start creating content of your own to fully utilize LinkedIn as a marketing tool. Many people feel hesitant to post on the platform and are unsure if their posts will be well received. Worst case? Someone scrolls past your post and carries on with their day. Best case? Your post is seen by a potential customer, investor, partner, or teammate.
Life as an entrepreneur is busy, so aiming for two posts per week is a great place to start. You want to make sure you don’t burn out too quickly or run out of ideas to post about. I often batch create content to optimize productivity. That way you can write when you have the motivation and creativity without feeling pressured.
The best time of day to post depends on who your audience is. For many, it may be in the 8 am-10 am window as people start their days. You can use a third-party scheduling tool to schedule your posts so you don’t need to remember to manually upload them.
3. Connect with Like-Minded People
The best part about LinkedIn is connecting with amazing people from around the world and adding value to each other’s lives.
To get started, you can send up to ~100 connection invitations each week. I recommend taking 30 seconds to add a brief, personalized note as to why you want to connect with the person.
Once they accept, they’ll start to see your content in their feed. You’ll also be able to direct message them to share helpful resources, ask questions, and make introductions.
If you’re not sure who to connect with, you can start off with LinkedIn’s suggestions. The connections tab will often suggest people you share commonalities with (same school, company, role, city, and more).
If you want to be more targeted with your connecting efforts, you can use the powerful search filters to find exactly who you’re looking for. For example, if you’re a clothing entrepreneur, you may want to connect with fashion buyers, at a certain company, in a specific geography. You can do that with LinkedIn.
4. Build Credibility and Trust
LinkedIn has a high domain authority score, meaning that it ranks well in Google search. If someone searches your name, they’re likely to see your LinkedIn profile as one of the top results. If they visit your profile and it appears inactive, you may be deterring that individual from reaching out to you.
Earning trust is key to the success of your business. By creating content consistently and engaging with your community, you’ll have a credible and trustworthy landing page whenever someone comes across your profile.
Final Thoughts
If you take anything from this piece, it’s that being active on LinkedIn through commenting, creating, and connecting can be a powerful, no-cost marketing tool to accelerate your growth as a founder.
