Content Creation
Yasmina Akni Ebourki
Last updated: May 21, 2025
●
It’s everywhere on LinkedIn , people are talking about it, posting about it, chasing it… but very few actually know how to build it right.
We’re talking about personal branding.
That magnetic, high-impact version of you, your story, your voice, your expertise, that makes people stop scrolling, pay attention, and remember who you are.
But the real question is: how do you actually create a personal brand that works?
Let me show you exactly how to do it, step by step.
Why LinkedIn Is the Best Platform for Personal Branding
You might be asking yourself: Why should I even bother building a personal brand on LinkedIn?
Well, the truth is, brands alone, on LinkedIn, don’t hold the same power they used to.
These days, people don’t connect as much with logos or polished ads.
What grabs attention and sticks with them are faces, stories, and real people behind the message.
Why Personal Branding Drives Growth and Visibility
Personal branding brings a range of benefits:
It builds trust and visibility in your industry.
If you're job hunting, it massively increases your chances of being noticed.
You attract collaborations and connections just by showing up, sharing your thoughts, and explaining what you do.
Over time, people start to associate your name with a specific expertise. You become the “go-to person” in that space.
And with that, your network grows, and so do the opportunities.
In short: putting yourself out there on LinkedIn can be one of the smartest moves for your career or business, especially if you're looking to gain visibility.
10 Steps to Build a Personal Brand on LinkedIn
Now that you know why a personal brand matters… the real question is: How do you actually start?
Building a personal brand isn’t something that happens overnight, it's a strategy you develop and refine over time.
That’s why I’ve outlined these 10 essential steps to help you get started and grow with intention.
Step 1: Lay the Foundation First
Before publishing anything, you need to set the foundation. And by that, I mean getting clear on a few key things:
What’s your goal?: Why are you building a personal brand in the first place? Whether it’s to find a new job, attract clients, grow your account, or be recognized as an expert in your field, define it clearly from the start.
What’s your story?: Once you’ve set your goal, craft a clear narrative. What topics do you want to talk about? What’s your message? What do you want to be known for?
What’s your style?: Some people stand out by creating educational carousels, others build their brand through video or text posts. Choose the format that works best for you and feels authentic.
Of course, all of this can evolve over time.
But the clearer your foundation is, the easier it will be to stay consistent, track your progress, and make sure your message connects.
Step 2: Understand Your Audience
This is one of the most important and often most overlooked steps: knowing exactly who you're speaking to.
Are you writing for recruiters? Potential clients? Industry peers?
The tone, language, and content you use will vary depending on who your audience is.
For example, if you’re targeting finance professionals or lawyers, your writing will likely be more formal and structured.
If you're speaking to small business owners, like local food shop owners, a more relaxed and relatable tone will be more effective.
Take the time to define:
Who you’re targeting
What type of company or role they’re in
Where they are, either geographically or in their career
What their main challenges, questions, and goals are
What motivates or inspires them
Once you have that clarity, you'll be able to create content that speaks directly to them, addresses their needs, and positions you as someone worth following and learning from.
A well-defined audience persona will make your content more focused, intentional, and impactful.
Step 3: Choose Your Personal Brand Identity
Once you’ve defined your goals and your story, it’s time to make sure your visuals reflect that identity.
Start by choosing 2–3 brand colors that you’ll use consistently, whether it's in your visuals, carousels, or even small design elements.
These colors will eventually become part of how people recognize you on their feed.
You’ll also use them to optimize key elements of your profile before you even start posting, including:
Profile photo: Make sure it’s clean, professional, and aligned with the vibe you want to give.
Banner: Use this space to reinforce your message or story, think of it like a visual elevator pitch.
Headline: Craft a short, bold statement that clearly communicates what you do or what you stand for.
Fonts & visuals: If you’re creating graphics or slides, stick to a consistent font style and color palette.
Visual elements like color or layout help people quickly associate your content with you.
Over time, consistency builds recognition and strengthens your personal brand, while still leaving room to evolve.
Step 4: Build Real Relationships
A big part of personal branding is growing your network with purpose.
Why? Because your brand isn’t just about what you post, it's also about who sees it, engages with it, and shares it.
The more relevant, high-quality connections you have, the more credibility and visibility you gain in your space.
Start by reaching out to people in your industry, founders, recruiters, peers, clients, and focus on building genuine relationships.
One simple habit: connect with 10–15 new people a day.
But don’t just hit Connect and disappear. Send a short, personalized message explaining why you’re reaching out and how you found them.
If you're looking for clients, for example, make it clear you're interested in their work or see a possible collaboration.
That small personal touch sets the tone for meaningful conversations, not just cold outreach.
The stronger your network, the stronger your brand, and the more opportunities will naturally come your way.
Step 5: Build an Engagement Strategy
The second part of building real connections is about staying visible and creating genuine rapport with the right people.
Once you’ve identified the profiles you want to stay connected with:
Leave thoughtful comments on their posts
Reply to their comments on your content
Send DMs to ask questions or share thoughts
Celebrate their wins publicly, a promotion, a new launch, or even a great post. People remember those who support them.
One simple strategy:
On the days you publish, set aside 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after to actively engage. Comment, send a message, reply to stories, whatever feels authentic.
The goal is to become a familiar name in their feed, someone who not only shares valuable content but is also genuinely present and engaged.
And remember: this isn’t about faking interest. It’s about playing the long game.
Step 6: Create a Clear Content Strategy
You might be wondering: Is content alone enough to build your personal brand on LinkedIn?
The short answer is no, not without a clear strategy behind it.
To stay focused and actually make progress, start with this simple structure:
Choose 2–3 content pillars: These are core themes that align with your story and goals. For example: personal growth, client lessons, or behind-the-scenes in your industry.
Set a realistic posting rhythm: If you’re just starting out, 1–3 posts per week is more than enough. The key is consistency, not volume.
Mix your formats: Use storytelling, how-to or educational posts, opinions, or case studies. The more human and relatable your content, the easier it will resonate.
And if you’re struggling to come up with fresh LinkedIn content every week? you can always use a LinkedIn post generator like Magicpost, it helps simplify the writing process and keeps your ideas flowing.
This way, you’ll always have fresh content ideas for your personal brand without the constant stress of figuring out what to post next.
Step 7: Use LinkedIn Groups
One underrated way to grow your brand and stay informed? Join LinkedIn groups related to your niche.
These groups give you access to:
Industry-specific conversations
Trending topics and pain points
Like-minded professionals you can connect with
Just search for groups with titles related to your space (e.g., “Organic Marketing” or “Startup Growth”), and start observing what people are sharing, struggling with, or reacting to.
It’s a great way to both fuel your content ideas and gradually build meaningful connections within your industry.
Step 8: Use Visuals to Show More of You
Finally, one of the key tips for growing on LinkedIn is learning to create your visuals gradually.
Over time, you’ll figure out what formats works and which doesn’t, but most importantly, keep that hunger to improve.
Over time, you'll figure out what formats work and which don't, but most importantly, keep that hunger to improve.
Visuals let you share more about yourself, the good, the challenges, and everything in between, in a dynamic and engaging way.
Think of visuals as a second hook.
Step 9: Analyze Your Metrics
One of the most common mistakes is ignoring the data.
If you're not checking your metrics regularly, you’re missing out on valuable insights.
Use LinkedIn’s analytics tools to track impressions, engagement, and reach.
Look at what’s performing well and identify patterns in the posts that get the most interaction.
Ask yourself:
What kind of topics generate the most comments?
Which format works best for your audience?
Are certain posting times getting more visibility?
Metrics aren’t just about likes and views.
Metrics aren’t just about likes and views, they’re about reaching the right people.
That includes how your network evolves, the kind of connection requests coming in, and whether your content is sparking real conversations or attracting potential clients.
Step 10: Post With Intention
This may sound obvious, but it makes all the difference: post with purpose.
If you're repeating generic advice or copying trends without adding your own perspective, your content won’t stand out. Instead, focus on providing value.
Your posts should solve real problems, share practical tips, or offer a fresh point of view.
And remember, personal branding is a long game.
Not every post will go viral, and that’s okay.
The goal is consistency, authenticity, and continuous improvement.
5 Bonus Tips to Succeed with Your LinkedIn Personal Brand
Finally, every strong strategy has those extra details that help bring everything together and make it feel more cohesive and meaningful.
Here are a few key points to keep in mind on top of the 10 steps you’ve already seen.
1. Use Storytelling
People follow you for two main reasons: you help solve a problem, or they feel an emotional connection with your story.
And that’s where storytelling comes in.
If your entire narrative is aligned, your posts, your tone, your experiences, you’ll naturally start to build that emotional bond.
Storytelling makes your content more human, more relatable, and way more memorable.
So don’t be afraid to show both your wins and your challenges. It’s in that honesty that real connection happens.
2. Plan Content Ahead with a Calendar
One of the most stressful parts of LinkedIn? Feeling like you have to post every day at the same time and constantly remember to do it.
That’s why planning ahead is a game-changer.
You can either schedule posts directly on LinkedIn or, if you prefer having everything in one place, use a content calendar in Notion, or any planner you like to map things out.
Even better? Tools like MagicPost can also let you schedule them directly, so you can focus on engaging, not scrambling to post.
3. Write Hooks to Capture Attention in the First 3 Lines
What makes someone stop scrolling and actually read your post?
It’s usually the first 5–7 words, those first two lines, that’s what we call the hook.
Getting good at writing hooks is key, and it’s something you improve with time.
In fact, sometimes you can take an old post that didn’t work, change the hook, and suddenly it gets way more reach and engagement.
A few tips for writing better hooks:
Start with a bold statement or opinion that makes people react.
Use curiosity, leave part of the answer out so they want to keep reading.
Start with “I” to make it personal and relatable.
Use numbers or lists (e.g., “3 lessons I learned after losing my biggest client”).
Hooks are like the headline of your story, spend time crafting them, testing them, and learning from what gets people to stop and read.
4. Use Comments to Sharpen Your Strategy
Your comments section is more than just feedback, it’s your built-in research tool.
It helps you understand not just who your audience is, but also what they’re asking for, how they talk, what they’re struggling with, and how they’re interpreting your message.
Taking the time to read and analyze what people are saying can teach you a lot.
You can find ideas for new posts, clarify points that weren’t clear, or even spot common objections or questions.
Sometimes, just turning a comment into your next post is the easiest (and most effective) move.
Reactions also give you signals:
What topics are resonating?
Which tone works best?
Are people saving or sharing your content?
5. Ask Creators for Honest Feedback
One of the most effective (and underrated) ways to check if your message is landing? Just ask.
Reach out to fellow creators, not necessarily big influencers, just people whose content you respect, and say:
“Hey, when you look at my profile or recent posts, what impression do you get about what I do?”
It might sound basic, but it’s a super direct way to validate whether the message you're trying to communicate matches what others are actually perceiving.
Their responses will give you insight into things like:
Whether your value proposition is clear.
If your personality or tone is coming through.
Whether you’re generating trust or curiosity.
Plus, these kinds of conversations often lead to valuable feedback, new ideas, or even potential collaborations.
FAQ
Is LinkedIn good for personal branding?
Absolutely. It’s one of the most powerful platforms to build professional visibility, credibility, and meaningful industry relationships.
How do I grow my personal brand on LinkedIn?
Start by defining your message, post consistently around a few key themes, and engage actively with others in your space.
Growth happens when you're visible and valuable.
Is it okay to post personal stories on LinkedIn?
Yes, as long as there's a takeaway.
Stories that share professional lessons, mindset shifts, or values can help you build emotional connection and trust.
How often should I post on LinkedIn?
Aim for 2–3 times per week. That’s enough to stay top of mind without burning out.
The real key is consistency over perfection.
If you're wondering how often to post for effective personal branding on LinkedIn, this guide breaks it down clearly.
How do I write a personal branding statement for LinkedIn?
Ask yourself: What do I want to be known for?
Then write a short, confident sentence that combines your expertise, mission, and value to others. Think clarity over cleverness.
