If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to creating your own LinkedIn strategy, think about how you can address the concerns of your ideal clients.

What are they struggling with? What problems are stopping them from reaching their goals?

The answers to these questions should be at the center of every piece of content you post. For example:

  1. Share tips and resources that will be valuable to them.
  2. Create content that provides real and actionable help.
  3. Craft your posts to answer questions, share useful information rather than brag about yourself.
  4. Keep the distinction between private and professional but don’t be afraid to inject storytelling and your personality into your posts.
  5. Regularly comment on posts with insights (your comments can be seen by others who are not part of your network and it’s a great way to dip your toes into LinkedIn) and sending messages to people you haven’t talked to in a while (use LinkedIn notifications such as birthdays, work anniversaries and new jobs as prompts). This helps to keep you top of mind and build closer relationships.

When your audience’s needs are met by your content, you become a trusted resource, building your brand and business in the process.

If you are ready to get serious about using LinkedIn, here are some ideas for how you can more effectively build relationships and your network, write posts and consistently provide value to your connections.

  1. Focus more on what you’re posting rather than how much you’re posting. Put quality over quantity every day. And structure your posts in a way that will resonate with your network and make it easy for them to find connection points.
  2. Post relevant and useful content consistently (find a cadence that works for you and no it doesn’t need to be every day!). Think about serving and helping others in each of your posts – NOT about promoting yourself. Here are some content prompts to help inspire you.
  3. The more people in your network, the more people will see your content. Make your goal to get to 500+ if you want to demonstrate that you’re valuable as a connection to a significant number of people and businesses. But again, it’s quality over quantity.
  4. Storytelling works. People connect with you more when you share stories. It makes your content personal and unique, and makes you stand out from the sea of sameness on LinkedIn. And yes, you can share elements of yourself while still being professional.
  5. Share career and business opportunities. LinkedIn is a great place to find candidates and referrals. Relationships are everything.
  6. Engage with your connections’ content. Your reactions, shares and comments can help them build their brand and audience, and strengthen your relationships too.
  7. Give away helpful free stuff, such as free webinars, free articles, free tip sheets, free infographics, etc. – think how can this content can showcase what differentiates you and your organization and how it supports your content pillars (the 3 to 5 areas in your wheelhouse for which you want to be known that support your branding and business goals). There’s no such thing as giving away too much free stuff. They will want more and they’ll need your expertise.
  8. Be a mentor. There’s always someone who can learn from you. Pay it forward.
  9. Be YOU. You can add value by simply being you!