A strong personal brand is important for professionals in any given field. And online platforms allow you to showcase your personal brand to a wide audience.
But with so many options– Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, a blog, LinkedIn, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by choice and end up feeling stuck.
You’ve probably heard countless stories of individuals leveraging LinkedIn to build successful careers. But you’re just not sure where to start.
Here’s my advice for aspiring freelancers: build your personal brand on LinkedIn. Once you’ve established yourself there, you can expand to other.
LinkedIn is the best place to build your personal brand because of its unique focus on professional networking and career growth.
That’s why it’s no longer just for corporate professionals. Creators and freelancers are also using it to share their expertise and attract opportunities.
Let’s look at how you too can successfully build your personal brand on LinkedIn in 5 simple steps.
But first, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about what a personal brand really is.
What is a Personal Brand?
A personal brand is how people perceive you based on the values you represent and how you present yourself, both online and offline.
Every comment you leave, post you share, and interaction you engage in online contributes to your personal brand.
It’s the combination of your skills, experiences, and the way you make people feel when they interact with you.
The ultimate goal of a personal brand is to build credibility and trust. Because people prefer to work with people they know, like, and trust.
I’m sure you’re beginning to understand why you need to intentionally build your personal brand on LinkedIn. It’s essential for aspiring freelancers and online business owners.
It’s a great way to market yourself for professional and personal growth.
Now let’s get into the 5 simple steps to help you build your personal brand on LinkedIn.
Step 1: Decide on What Skill to Monetize
As a creative, you likely have many interests, but focusing on all of them at once is not realistic when starting out.
You can always find a way to incorporate all of them into your business portfolio down the road. But to begin, choose one skill to build your personal brand around. Narrowing your focus will help you stand out in a crowded market.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What do I want my brand to be about?
- What am I passionate about and comes naturally to me? (writing, graphic design, organization, etc)
- What does the market want that aligns with my skill set, experiences, or interests?
For example, if you love teaching, you could explore becoming a business, finance, or life coach. Or if marketing excites you (like me), you can become a copywriter, content writer, digital marketer, or social media manager..
Take a notebook and write down every idea that comes to mind. Then, choose the one you feel most drawn to.
Next, do some market research to understand your target audience. This will help you share content that consistently addresses their specific challenges and desires.
ChatGPT does a great job of helping you do your market research. Ask all the questions you have about your industry and your ideas, it’ll enlighten you.
Pro Tip: When creating content, imagine you’re speaking to your past self. What advice, tips, or insights would you have appreciated at the start of your journey? This approach makes generating content ideas easier and more authentic.
Whenever I’ve spoken directly to my target audience in my LinkedIn posts, I’ve noticed increased engagement and more inquiries from potential clients and students in my DMs. Showing up consistently with a clear focus pays off.
Step 2: Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is your online resume and portfolio. It’s the first impression you make on potential clients and partners, so it’s important to make it stand out.
Your profile should clearly communicate who you are, who you serve, and the unique value you bring.
Ask yourself: What’s my unique approach? How do I want people to feel when they visit my profile?
Here are some LinkedIn profile optimization tips:
- Use a professional profile photo with a clear background.
- Write an engaging headline that communicates who you are, what you do, and who you serve.
- Write a clear and concise “About” section that’s focused on the clients you want to serve and your expertise. Check out profiles of other professionals in your industry for inspiration.
- Include keywords relevant to your industry to improve profile visibility in LinkedIn search.
For example, my current headline reads:
Freelance Copywriter for Founders, CEOs & Entrepreneurs | I Write Business and Digital Marketing SEO Blog Content | SEO Content Writer
I’ll keep tweaking it up as I go and grow, but right now it reflects who I am (freelance copywriter), who I serve (founders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs), and how I serve them (SEO blog content focused on business and digital marketing).
- List your relevant skills and indicate the services you’re open to providing.
- Use the featured section to showcase your portfolio, best work, and a link to your website (when you create one). It helps potential clients learn more about you and your offerings.
- Optimize your experience section to match the freelance opportunities you want to attract. Focus on relevant roles rather than listing every job you’ve ever had.
Observe what others in your niche are doing to position themselves effectively. Stay curious, keep learning, and, most importantly, keep implementing.
If you could use some one-on-one guidance on getting started with LinkedIn, you can join my Upwork + LinkedIn freelance coaching program. It’s designed to help you confidently launch your freelance career and equip you with strategies that’ll save you time, avoid frustration, and start attracting inquiries and clients faster.
Use the phone number indicated in the poster to contact me.
Step 3: Start a LinkedIn Newsletter
A LinkedIn newsletter is a great way to attract new connections and position yourself as a thought leader in your niche.
Start by choosing a topic that aligns with your expertise. For example:
- As a content writer, you could share tips for creating high-performing blog posts, social media posts, or case studies. Whatever type of content writing you want to pursue.
- If AI is your thing, share insights on how it can be used in everyday life, and
- Web designers might focus on sharing design techniques and best practices.
Get creative and give your newsletter a catchy name to capture attention and make it memorable.
Decide on a publishing schedule—whether weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, and stick to it. Consistency builds trust and anticipation among your audience.
Maintaining an active newsletter requires discipline and good planning, but when done right, it’s a powerful tool for building your personal brand and creating opportunities to earn online.
I’ve personally used two articles from my LinkedIn newsletter as portfolio pieces, which helped me land my first client on Upwork.
Plus, gaining subscribers while growing my brand gave me a serious confidence boost. Each article became a practical lesson in copywriting and content writing, and I genuinely enjoyed the process.
Step 4: Connect Intentionally and Strategically
Building meaningful relationships on LinkedIn is key to growing your personal brand and creating opportunities.
Connect with the right people: Connecting with the right people helps you increase your visibility, establish credibility, and increase your chances of getting hired or partnering up with someone.
Here’s how to do it:
- Engage with industry leaders and decision-makers by leaving comments on their posts. It helps with increasing your visibility and building rapport.
- Send personalized connection requests to potential clients and peers to show genuine interest. Thoughtful, personalized requests stand out and are always appreciated.
As you look around the platform, you’ll notice a “1st,” “2nd,” or “3rd” icon next to a person’s name. What that simply means is that they’re already your direct connection if they have the “1st” icon. The “2nd” icon next to a person’s name means they’re connected to your first degree connection.
And the “3rd” icon means they’re connected to your second degree connection.
You can directly message first degree connections, but for 2nd and 3rd degree connections, messaging usually requires LinkedIn Premium.
Attend LinkedIn Live Audio Events: Another strategic way to connect with the right people on LinkedIn is attending live audio events in your industry. Use that opportunity to check out the attendees’ profiles and send them connection requests.
Invest in coaching programs: that align with your goals. When you come across a coaching program that resonates with you and is within your budget, make the investment. It’s a great opportunity to network with like-minded professionals as you learn and grow.
When I joined a 14-day LinkedIn bootcamp earlier this year, I connected with lots of ambitious professionals from Kenya and some of those relationships turned into collaborations and friendships that have so enriched my career.
Commenting: I can’t close out this section without mentioning the power of commenting! Commit to leaving meaningful comment on about 8-12 posts per day for a start and increase that number as you settle in.
This habit will consistently bring you in front of new audiences. Don’t be afraid to engage with big accounts. You’ve got something to share so go for it. Be strategic and leave your mark everywhere you can.
Just be sure to avoid generic comments like “I agree” or “great post!”
Step 5: Stay Consistent and Authentic As You Build Your Personal Brand
Building a strong personal brand takes time and consistent effort.
You’re working towards long-term credibility and building a community, so commit to showing up regularly for your audience. Don’t forget to market your services frequently because that’s the whole point of building your personal brand after all.
A personal brand that doesn’t generate income isn’t serving its full potential.
This is how you can stay on track:
- Focus on your goals and avoid chasing viral content if it doesn’t align with your brand or objectives.
- Embrace growth and change. Your brand will evolve over time, and that’s okay. Update your headline and positioning as often as you need to reflect your growth.
- Post regularly. Publish 3-4 posts per week and comment on 8-10 or most posts per day. Stay active and visible.
- Share a mix of content formats such as text posts, carousels, videos, polls, and even host live audio events.
- Be authentic and share your wins, challenges, and lessons learned. Your audience will appreciate the transparency and connect with you more.
When I started, I posted five times a week, even though engagement was almost nonexistent. I focused on the positives and noticed that every post I created brought more clarity to my message.
Eventually, my consistency paid off:
I got more engagement on my posts
I started receiving more DMs from potential clients
And writing LinkedIn posts became easier and faster for me. Woohoo!
You’re Now Ready to Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn
Congratulations! You’ve defined your niche, optimized your profile for freelance opportunities, and committed to creating meaningful content consistently.
Now, it’s time to put your plan into action!
Start small if you feel overwhelmed. Take the less intimidating approach and start with commenting on other people’s posts each day as you build momentum to publish your very first post.
Commit to commenting on about 8-12 posts per day, send personalized connection requests, and be yourself.
Most importantly, invest in yourself. Dedicate your time, effort, and even money where necessary to improve your skills and presence.
Take action today to build your personal brand and turn your career dreams into reality. Those dreams ARE valid, and they’re absolutely worth chasing.