The concept of ‘self-promotion’ can feel a bit… icky. The same goes for the phrase ‘personal brand’. Both sound like the kind of terms a candidate on The Apprentice would roll out in their on-camera intro. But move past that connotation and you get to the nub: these are just ways to make it clear to everyone how great you are – and that’s a vital skill. 

We also tend to think of brand-building as only important for, well, brands and businesses. But in fact, people in the job market need to do this too. The difference is that we need to build an ‘employee brand’. 

“If one of your career goals this year is to switch jobs, get a promotion, or grow your professional network, it might be time to consider investing in your ‘employee brand’,” Molly Johnson-Jones, CEO & co-founder of Flexa, tells Stylist. “Your employee brand is essentially your professional reputation. It tells prospective employers, managers and peers what you’re all about, and what you have to offer them: values, interests, skills and expertise included. This makes employee brands a powerful tool for unlocking new, meaningful career opportunities – particularly with the help of social media platforms.”

In terms of social media platforms for work purposes, LinkedIn is a winner. It’s also Johnson-Jones’ area of expertise (she’s recognised as a ‘top voice’ on the site). So, how do we start building our employee brand on LinkedIn? Here are six key tips. 

Your LinkedIn probably isn’t the best place to post whatever hot takes pop into your head or memes that are making you cackle. Instead, be strategic with what you share, comment on, and so on. 

“The key thing here is to be selective,” Johnson-Jones says. “Consistently sharing content on specific subjects can help you be heard and known as an expert on them. So think carefully about what you want those subjects to be – picking no more than three – based on your current areas of expertise, and where you want your career to take you.

“For example, HR professionals may choose to focus on DEI, flexible work, and/or mental health. All that’s left to do is to start posting. Remember, consistent content needn’t be boring. Mix up the format and length of your posts, and relate to your chosen subjects in different ways, citing relevant personal experiences and industry events you attend, for example.”

Johnson-Jones recommends: “Look to relevant sector publications, newsletters, company blogs and high-profile LinkedIn users in your field to stay up to date on industry news, and build up a bank of content ideas. Use this to plan more thoughtful posts that add to existing conversations, and schedule them using LinkedIn’s in-built tools or specialist platforms like Hootsuite. Quick, ad-hoc hot takes on trending issues work well, too.

“A mixture of more snappy, reactive posts and more considered ones will help to vary your content. It’s also the most sustainable way of creating consistent content, which will get your voice heard and grow your reputation as someone who’s on the pulse and informed on industry issues.”

Writing a genius post is great, but only if you make sure it actually gets seen. “It’s important to consider how your posts will appear on your followers’ screens,” says Johnson-Jones. “Our attention spans are notoriously short in this digital age, meaning that long blocks of text can be a turn-off for LinkedIn users. 

“Keep sentences concise (around 10-20 words) instead, and leave a line between each one. I love using emoji to break up text and emphasise key points. This will make posts easier to read, and grab people’s attention when they are scrolling through their feed. Sharing relevant images or videos alongside your posts is also a great way to attract users and vary your content.”

“Posting consistently is important, but posting and ghosting won’t win you followers that count,” Johnson-Jones notes. “To build meaningful connections with people who can help you unlock new opportunities, interacting and engaging with fellow LinkedIn users is key.

“Respond to anyone in your comments section, ask questions at the end of posts to spark conversations, and be sure to like and comment on the posts of users that you’re keen to build relationships with. This also helps make your comments and profile visible to a wider audience. Comments don’t have to be long. ‘Love this’ or ‘100%, this is so insightful’ work perfectly well.”

Also a turn-off? When a social media post feels lifeless, dull, or is clearly written by AI. Show your personality and passion. 

“Overly long, preachy or technical posts don’t tend to perform well on LinkedIn,” Johnson-Jones tells us. “More personal posts work best if you want to be seen and make useful connections. So, by all means use ChatGPT to spark ideas or proofread, but don’t use it as a tool to draft your posts. People can tell. 

“Instead, show your personality through personal anecdotes, humour and by sharing your honest opinions. You can showcase your expertise at the same time, by calling out industry issues and proposing solutions, for example.

“As a golden rule, LinkedIn posts should have one of three main purposes: to inform, spark conversation or entertain. Even better if a post does all three.”

Johnson-Jones says: “Building an employee brand and growing your LinkedIn network will take time, so don’t wait to start until you’re looking for a new role. Start posting today. This way, you’ll be ready to put your best professional foot forward and leverage your connections when it is time for a career change. 

“Don’t worry if it feels slightly uncomfortable at first. Putting yourself out there becomes easier over time, and you can always adapt your content and tone depending on what performs well. You’ll find your own unique voice and grow in confidence one post at a time. Good luck!”

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Images: Getty