How to (actually) become an authority on LinkedIn

LinkedIn "Authority" is a tricky concept.

Does it mean more LI connections? More followers? More likes on every post?

Does it mean having a 'top voice' badge?

Truth is, becoming an "authority" is something most ambitious professionals aim for, but often haven't sat down and defined what it means.

When my first LI post went viral, it got 22K+ likes (!). My inbox was flooded with messages from people seeking career advice.

Now when I post as a personal branding agency owner, I get just around 100 likes per post. But in my DM's? 100% qualified leads.

The big issue I find with most Leaders and Founders is that they want to build "authority" on LinkedIn without this sort of context.

"Gabi, I want to go viral on LinkedIn"

"I want to get 10K followers on LinkedIn"

"I want to push thought leadership on LinkedIn"

But the big question is: Why?

I remember back in 2017 when I quit corporate to bet on myself.

I had big ambitions and a €0 marketing budget.

So I put a simple marketing strategy together:

Start posting on LinkedIn + reach out to relevant people in the DMs.

The only thing that mattered was to get paying clients.

Laser focus, commitment, and dedication to pay the bills.

I got fully booked. Even if my LI posts barely got traction.

But something shifted in me once my calendar got full.

I wanted more than business traction. I wanted LinkedIn fame too.

And that's when everything changed.

I started posting for virality. Not for business results.

In fact, when my posts started getting 300+ likes the amount of inbound leads in my business didn't change.

LinkedIn authority by many traditional definitions usually means having a huge audience, thousands of followers, and hundreds of likes per post.

(and yes, some of my clients have that)

I have some of that too.

But most Leaders, Founders, and ambitious professionals don't need to become influencers on LinkedIn.

Because for many of you reading this newsletter what you need is to scale your reputation to get seen by the right people for the right reasons.

So let's look closer at how to (actually) become an authority on LinkedIn.

1. Define your KPI's

Instead of saying you're "ready to become an authority on LinkedIn", say "I'm ready to scale my reputation to [insert goal]".

"I'm ready to scale my reputation on LinkedIn to attract investors for our scale-up"

"I'm ready to start posting on LinkedIn to get top talent to join our team"

"I'm ready to overhaul my LinkedIn personal brand to advance in my career".

Your desire to build authority on LinkedIn should always be driven by professional and business goals vs. vanity metrics, ego, or something you read in a social media post.

2. Identify your strategic positioning

You didn't think you'd get a briefing about building authority and not read anything about growing with smart strategies instead of vanity metrics, right?

Look, I want to be super clear... I couldn't care less if you are a C-suite exec, Founder, independent advisor, board member, or anything in between.

My focus is not on labels, but on how you build a personal brand that opens doors for your next big move in business.

The typical approach is what I call "The Naive Networker"... posts once every few weeks, expects to get seen by the right people, and doesn't receive any relevant DMs.

At some point, the Naive Networker gets overwhelmed by an aimless pursuit and decides that LinkedIn doesn't work for them.

That's why I challenge my clients in my 1:1 LinkedIn coaching sessions to be really specific on:

1. What are you the go-to person for?

2. What does your target audience need to know about you to trust you?

You don't need to make carousels, or video posts, and spend hours engaging with other people's content.

You need a strategic positioning and a smart strategy to get you to your goals.

3. Start investing now for compound effects

Your professional brand wasn't built overnight.

You've invested years in building your reputation in business.

You've attended networking events, conferences, Friday bars, town hall meetings, online events etc.

It's taken work and dedication to get where you are now.

So why do you expect to become an overnight success on LinkedIn?

Building authority on LinkedIn takes time. And it has compound effects.

LinkedIn success doesn't happen overnight. It happens through dedication.

If you have determination, I'm here to help you.

Start investing in your future. Build your authority on LinkedIn.

TL:DR:

Here's how to (actually) build authority on LinkedIn:

1. Define your KPIs
2. Identify your strategic positioning
3. Start investing now for compound effects

P.S. Here are 3 ways I can help build your LinkedIn Personal Brand:

1. Hire me as your LinkedIn ghostwriter. Book your discovery call to get started.
2. Book me for a 60 min 1:1 LinkedIn Personal Branding Session. Ask me anything you can fit into a 60-minute call about personal branding on LinkedIn. (249€ + VAT)
3. Follow me on LinkedIn for 3x weekly insights on Personal Branding