Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn

I constantly get recruiter reachouts from big tech companies and top AI startups- even when I’m not actively job hunting or listed as “Open to Work.” That’s because over the years, I’ve consciously put in the effort to build a clear and consistent presence on LinkedIn- one that reflects what I do, what I care about, and the kind of work I want to be known for. And the best part? It’s something anyone can do- with the right strategy and a bit of consistency. If you’re tired of applying to dozens of jobs with no reply, here are 5 powerful LinkedIn upgrades that will make recruiters come to you: 1. Quietly activate “Open to Work” Even if you’re not searching, turning this on boosts your visibility in recruiter filters. → Turn it on under your profile → “Open to” → “Finding a new job” → Choose “Recruiters only” visibility → Specify target titles and locations clearly (e.g., “Machine Learning Engineer – Computer Vision, Remote”) Why it works: Recruiters rely on this filter to find passive yet qualified candidates. 2. Treat your headline like SEO + your elevator pitch Your headline is key real estate- use it to clearly communicate role, expertise, and value. Weak example: “Software Developer at XYZ Company” → Generic and not searchable. Strong example: “ML Engineer | Computer Vision for Autonomous Systems | PyTorch, TensorRT Specialist” → Role: ML Engineer → Niche: computer vision in autonomous systems → Tools: PyTorch, TensorRT This structure reflects best practices from experts who recommend combining role, specialization, technical skills, and context to stand out. 3. Upgrade your visuals to build trust → Use a crisp headshot: natural light, simple background, friendly expression → Add a banner that reinforces your brand: you working, speaking, or a tagline with tools/logos Why it works: Clean visuals increase profile views and instantly project credibility. 4. Rewrite your “About” section as a human story Skip the bullet list, tell a narrative in three parts: → Intro: “I’m an ML engineer specializing in computer vision models for autonomous systems.” → Expertise: “I build end‑to‑end pipelines using PyTorch and TensorRT, optimizing real‑time inference for edge deployment.” → Motivation: “I’m passionate about enabling safer autonomy through efficient vision AI, let’s connect if you’re building in that space.” Why it works: Authentic storytelling creates memorability and emotional resonance . 5. Be the advocate for your work Make your profile act like a portfolio, not just a resume. → Under each role, add 2–4 bullet points with measurable outcomes and tools (e.g., “Reduced inference latency by 35% using INT8 quantization in TensorRT”) → In the Featured section, highlight demos, whitepapers, GitHub repos, or tech talks Give yourself five intentional profile upgrades this week. Then sit back and watch recruiters start reaching you, even in today’s competitive market.

🔥 How I got 1.8M impressions on LinkedIn  in 90 days (without ads, hacks, or a huge team) And no — I didn’t go viral by accident. Here’s exactly what worked (and what didn’t) 👇 1. Posted 3–5 times a week. No ghosting. No chasing “perfect timing.” Momentum beats overthinking every time. ✅ Tip: Track post performance weekly to understand what resonates - not just what gets likes. ❌ Don’t chase perfection. Chase authenticity. 2. Focused on emotional truth. People don’t follow facts — they follow people they feel. I wasn’t afraid to share doubts, failures, or the messy middle. ✅ Tip: If it feels vulnerable to post, it usually performs better. ❌ Don't share what’s “impressive”. Share what’s true. Real > polished. 3.  Experimented — constantly. Videos. Text-only. Carousels. Interviews. Some flopped. Some flew. Every format taught me something about my audience. ✅ Tip: Don’t assume — test it. ❌ Don’t measure success only by numbers. 4. Gave away value for free. I just shared real insights, frameworks, and hard-earned lessons. ✅ Tip: Package insights so people can apply them today. ❌ Don’t post tips you wouldn’t follow yourself. 5. Treated every post like a conversation, not a pitch. ✅ Tip: Write in your own voice — not “LinkedIn voice”. ❌ Don’t ignore your comments. Sometimes your comments or DMs were so spot-on, I’d screenshot them and share with my team. Not for the ego — but as proof that this work matters. One core truth I’ve learned about creating content here: You don’t build a personal brand by being impressive. You build it by being consistent — and by being honest. Everything else is just noise. Your thoughts?

One weekly LinkedIn post did what $10K in ads couldn’t. In 2022, I was exhausted, burning through funds, and starting to wonder if going solo was a mistake. Then one shift changed everything—without spending another cent on ads. I wasn’t a celebrity CEO (heck, I didn't even have 20k followers then). I didn’t have a big team. I wasn't using hacks or extensions. I just finally understood what actually builds demand on LinkedIn. Here’s the shift: Instead of trying to post every day, I committed to writing one "power post" each week that did three things: 1. Named the invisible pain my audience feels but doesn’t say out loud. I thought the pain my clients felt was "not being clear on their message." But that isn't very moving, is it? Here was their real pain because of messaging issues: They looked at their bank account, saw it approaching zero, opened a job posting, and wondered if they should give up their entrepreneurial passion and return to corporate to secure a high paycheck (even though the idea of that was pretty much hell for them). Now THAT's a pain. I started writing content about THAT. 2. Shared a bold perspective that made them stop, think, and trust me. I would share very tactical templates that I knew would help them overnight. Things like LinkedIn headline templates and personal brand content pillar playbooks. I paired these with before/after stories of clients that used them and experienced very measurable results (like 6-figure international contracts) 3. Closed with a line that made them feel seen. (That’s what gets shared.) Something like "If you're debating hanging it all up and going back to corporate because you can't figure out marketing, you're not alone. But there are proven templates and strategies to help. Save this to come back to." (P.S. - Want to cement your brand in someone's mind? Ask them to SAVE the post vs. comment and like. You become a part of their reference library. It's the ultimate signal of value.  After I did these 3 things in a "power post," that’s when it started happening: → People began tagging others. → Clients came to me. → My email list started to grow (and not at a rate of $3 per lead on Facebook) Look, I’m not saying you should stop investing in marketing. But if your message isn't clear, then you're probably throwing your money (and your potential) away. Save this framework to come back to when you feel like you're shouting into the void on LinkedIn. 💾

Your LinkedIn headline is killing outbound results. (Most reps make this simple mistake.) No one wakes up excited to talk to another "SDR at Tech Co." They wake up thinking about their problems. I know because I made this mistake for years. Here's the framework I use to coach sales teams: Your headline needs 3 key elements: ↳ Value Statement (What you help people do) ↳ Current Role (Build credibility) ↳ Career Journey (Show progression) Example transformation: ❌ "SDR at TechCo" ✅ "Making Influencer Marketing Simple for B2B Companies | Marketing Specialist | Learning All Things Marketing" The key? ➠ Lead with value, not title. You can still add your job title, especially if you're a CEO. Or you can call it a specialist like I did in my example. Just don't make it the main focus. Why this works: ↳ Shows how you help buyers ↳ Proves you know your stuff ↳ Builds trust with your story I've tested this across thousands of profiles. The results? ↳ More profile views ↳ 20% higher acceptance rates ↳ Way more qualified conversations Your headline is often the first thing prospects see. Make it about them, not you. ------ P.S. ♻️ this and I will do a headline makeover for you.

If your entire job search strategy is filling out applications, uploading your resume, and then waiting… you’re missing the bigger picture. I can only speak for the software job market, which is an absolute mess for job seekers. Qualified candidates are everywhere, and you must take extra steps to stand out. Marketing yourself to a hiring manager is not a sin. Yes, some companies should change their hiring practices. Yes, I've made a ton of mistakes when hiring people. Just this last week, I accidentally ghosted someone when I had a last-minute family event jump on the calendar. AND YES, this is off the back of my post last week, where I shared why I no longer read resumes and gave tips on how to stand out in the interview process. Most of you loved it (thank you!), but a few strongly disagreed... STRONGLY disagreed. Who knew people would be so passionate about resumes? I get it. People have different perspectives. However, a resume and job application alone aren’t enough to stand out from the crowd. I promised a few in the comments that I would follow up with tips on making your LinkedIn profile stand out. So let's do it. Start with the Headline: Avoid default titles like “Marketing Manager at XYZ.” Instead, showcase your value: “Driving Revenue Growth through Data-Driven Marketing” or “Empowering Teams to Create Scalable Strategies.” Spend Time on the About Section: This is your elevator pitch. Highlight your skills, achievements, and passions in 3-5 paragraphs. Make it you, not just a resume dump. Add Key Achievements to Your Experience Section: This is one of the most effective and least used. Use bullet points that emphasize results and impact. Quantify whenever possible (e.g., “Increased MQLs by 50% through revamped campaigns”). Keep it concise, but USE NUMBERS. Don't Ignore the Featured Section: Add links to your portfolio, blogs, presentations, or standout projects. This is the place to shine a spotlight if you’ve published articles or spoken at events. Keep Your Profile Active & Current: Update your profile with every new role, project, or milestone. Stale profiles give the impression of inattention. Set a calendar block or invite every other month to update your profile. Start there. Your LinkedIn profile is more than a digital resume because who wants to read a resume? It’s your chance to tell your story, highlight your skills, and make someone want to talk to you. Go forth and conquer.

I've grown my LinkedIn audience to over 95,000 followers. Here's a breakdown of what you should do if you’re trying to build your brand on LinkedIn: 1) What is your end goal? Before you begin, define your goal. Do you want to become a thought leader in your field? Are you trying to land clients? If so, who is your ideal client? Speak to those people: What are people in your field looking to learn that you can teach? Create content that answers their questions. 2) What should you post? When starting out a lot of people feel imposter syndrome. To combat that feeling, document what you're learning. It gives you permission to teach on the timeline in an honest, guilt-free way. And there are always people behind you who will benefit from the information you share: Follow the 3 Es. Your content should be: • Educational • Emotional • Entertaining Educational is 'How To's' Entertaining is memes + personality Emotional is “choosing an enemy” or sharing a strong opinion. Next comes scheduling: It's a good idea to batch your content. Create a week's worth of content. Then schedule it all in Buffer, or Publer. Batch creating your content allows you to enter a flow state and avoid context switching. 3) Engagement You have content and then you have "distribution"—generating traffic. And one of the best ways to generate traffic is through engagement: Go to industry experts in your field and comment on their posts. They’ll sometimes hit you back. If they don’t, that's okay. You could always reach out to them and create more of a connection. But commenting on their posts serves an additional purpose: As thought leaders, they get a large amount of traffic on their posts. So you get exposure to people in their audience regardless. The combination of great content + engagement is where the magic happens. 4) It’s called a personal brand for a reason If you only talk about technical ideas you may only hit experts in your field. Your ideal clients aren't usually industry experts, that's why they'll hire you: So keep your content personal. Talk about elements of your life as well. It builds trust with your prospects. It shows them you’re a real person. 5) Networking Build real connections. I'd rather build fewer deep connections than collect a bunch of shallow acquaintances. Social media is a game changer for this: It allows you to find like minded people. You might not find people like this in your local neighborhood, but here on LinkedIn it's easy. Thanks for reading. Enjoyed this post? Follow Jordan Nelson And share it with your network.

Three years ago, I started posting on LinkedIn with no clear strategy, just a simple goal: share what I was learning about data science and career development. I had no audience, no idea if anyone would care, and honestly, no expectations. But I kept posting. Every week. For three years. Now, with over 5,000 followers and recognition as a LinkedIn Top Voice, I can confidently say that consistency is what built my personal brand. But what did I do differently? I never tried to “go viral.” Instead, I focused on these three things: 1. I showed up. - At the beginning, my posts got almost no engagement. But I treated every post like a long-term investment. I focused on sharing value, and over time, people started noticing. 2. I shared my Journey, not just my expertise. - People don’t just connect with knowledge, they connect with stories. I not only posted about data science tips; I shared what I struggled with, how I broke into the field, and lessons from my career. That made my content more relatable. 3. I made it easy for people to learn from me. - Every post had a clear purpose: teach something, inspire action, or challenge conventional wisdom. I wrote the kind of posts I wished I had seen when I was starting out. Posting consistently led to more than just followers. It brought job opportunities, speaking engagements, and industry recognition. Most importantly, it built credibility—when people see you show up every week for years, they start paying attention. A personal brand isn’t built overnight. It’s built post by post, lesson by lesson, over time. If you’re on the fence about posting, my advice is simple: Start. Keep going. Stay consistent. Your audience will find you.

The brand of the company you work for is not your personal brand. If all you talk about is the company you work for, you’re simply a mouthpiece for it, and it can stifle your individual voice. Here are three ways to develop your own personal brand while still championing your company: 1. Showcase Your Expertise: Share industry insights, trends, and thought leadership content. Demonstrate your skills and knowledge beyond the scope of your company. When people associate you with valuable expertise, they remember you. 2. Highlight Personal Achievements (these can include learnings): Share your professional milestones, successes or where you fumbled and how you recovered and grew from it. Whether it’s a project you led, a problem you solved a skill you honed, or how you fumbled, learned and recovered, your achievements and learnings contribute to your personal brand. 3. Engage Authentically: Interact with your network in a genuine way. Comment on posts, join discussions, and share personal stories that resonate with you. Authentic engagement builds trust and sets you apart. Often times, I see people talk about the company they work for constantly and they amass a following because people love the company — but they don’t know how to separate their own voice. Remember, you can have a strong personal brand and also complement and enhances your company’s brand, but the company’s brand voice is not your own. Let your unique voice be heard.

You're making yourself invisible to recruiters. My client just got 2 recruiters reaching out within 24 hours of fixing their LinkedIn profile. Same skills, same experience - just stopped doing what 90% of data professionals do wrong. The truth is: You're competing against thousands of other "Python/SQL/Tableau" profiles that all look identical. Your technical skills aren't the problem - your positioning is. I've placed 50+ data professionals in the last 3 years, had 700+ calls with them, and the pattern is always the same: smart people making themselves invisible because they think being technical is enough. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁. Here's what separates those who get contacted from those who get ignored: 𝟭. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 Stop this: "Data Scientist | Python, SQL, Tableau" Start this: "Data Scientist | Helped hospitals reduce readmission rates by 37% using predictive analytics | Python • SQL • Tableau" See the difference? One shows what you know, the other shows what you accomplish. 𝟮. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 "𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁" 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 Recruiters spend 7.4 seconds scanning your profile. Your opening line either hooks them or they're gone. Try this formula: • Bold opener: "I help fintech startups turn messy data into revenue" • Proof with numbers: "Built classification model that reduced customer churn by 15%, saving $230K annually" • Call to action: "Let's discuss how data can solve your biggest challenges" 𝟯. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 Instead of: "Responsible for data analysis and dashboard creation" Write: "Designed automated dashboard used by 5 departments, reducing manual reporting from 5 hours to 30 minutes weekly." Every bullet point should make them think: "We need someone who can do THAT." 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find technical talent. If you're not showing up in their searches, you might as well not exist. 𝟮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. Stop hoping someone will notice your technical skills and start making it impossible for them to ignore your impact. 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 Jaret André 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 ↻️

Posting and praying? Let’s fix that. If your engagement feels like a gamble, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Engagement isn’t about luck, it’s about intention. Here’s the Engagement Equation to ensure your posts get noticed and spark interaction: 1. Ask to Engage: -Want comments? Ask a thoughtful question. -Want shares? Share something relatable or highly valuable. -Make it easy for people to respond by giving clear prompts. 2. Use Features That Work: -Polls: People love to share opinions. Use polls to ask simple, engaging questions. -Tagging: Mention people or brands you admire—but only when relevant. -Media: A strong visual (photo, video, or infographic) can double your engagement. 3. Post When They’re Active: -The best content won’t matter if no one sees it. Analyze your audience’s activity and post during peak hours. Mornings on weekdays often work, but test what’s best for you. 4. Spark a Conversation: -Don’t just post and disappear. Respond to comments quickly and keep the conversation going. Engagement isn’t magic, it’s a formula. 💡 Valuable content + thoughtful timing + clear calls to action = results. Find this post helpful? Connect with me Maher Khan for more such posts.