How thought leaders get famous on LinkedIn
“The first thing I’d do if I wanted to make a difference is get famous.”
If you’re a thought leader, expert, or innovator in your field and Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok aren’t for you – I invite you to take a second (or 3rd or 4th) look at LinkedIn as a way to grow your network and expand your reach.
I’m not sure exactly what’s driving the changes I see or when they started, but LinkedIn is no longer the stuffy, painful replica of our corporate hierarchies and problematic systems.
(You remember when it felt like a bunch of well-connected suits congratulating themselves on their last promotion!)
These days, LinkedIn has become a globally inclusive network of happy, positive, progressive professionals who are starting to share their whole selves and build real community online.
(I know—I’ve started building my own community there and want to show you what I’ve found)
First, why “get famous” anyway?
This post by Victoria T. says it all for me.
Just like the promise of any other media channel, “getting famous” helps you:
Build your own network
Reach the people who need and want to hear about you
Attract opportunities to you once you reach a certain capacity
And all of this means expanding and amplifying the impact you are here to make
Think it’ll be a lot of work? I’ll show you my favorite shortcut to 500+ connections and 1000+ followers down below.
But first, let’s chat about why LinkedIn is different from other social media platforms.
Why LinkedIn is great for thought leadership & different from other social media platforms
🔍 LinkedIn has more built-in accountability: Because our companies and titles are attached to our profile, there’s a bit more accountability in what people post. You may still run into haters, but the platform feels much more civil and less trollish than others.
😎 LinkedIn has smart, progressive people: This is where LinkedIn’s reputation as a nerdy platform works as a complement to the work you’re doing in the world. I’ve seen topics like mental health, compassion in the workplace, shadow work, addressing systemic racism, and integrating spirituality all consistently get traction and engagement from thought leaders like you.
💗 LinkedIn has nice, diverse people: If you’re going to share your thought leadership publicly, your upcoming vulnerability hangover will need positive people to like your posts and engage. I’ve connected with, chatted with, and engaged with people from Sweden to Italy to Nigeria, of all different backgrounds and life experiences and ability levels. It’s the beginning of a truly global professional network.
🤝 LinkedIn has real people, engaging as themselves (mostly): So many other social media platforms are now really social media assistants posting and engaging with other social media assistants. I’ve seen it myself as I tried to gain footing on Instagram - it just rarely felt like I was interacting with a real person.
If you’re feeling that LinkedIn may be for you, here’s my favorite shortcut to 500+ connections and 1000+ followers — developed and cultivated by Victoria T.
How to attract these amazing positive people on LinkedIn?
Let go of the idea that you have to really “know” someone to connect with them. The lovely Morna Haist gave me this mindset shift. Once I gave up needing to know someone I could just connect with people because I liked them, and it allowed me to connect with people across the Americas, Europe, and Africa.
Try posting an intro in #SocialSaturday, hosted by Victoria T. It was Morna again who introduced me to #socialsaturdaysquad, and the community that’s been cultivated there is thirsty for real connection. Show up on Saturday, post an intro, comment on a few posts, accept all the requests, and repeat.
What to write on your intro: Using this prompt from Victoria T. as a starter, this is what I wrote for my first Social Saturday. I’ll share more tips on how to make your intros super engaging in the future :)
Who you’ll meet: Yes you’ll meet recruiters, marketers (I participate regularly!), and job seekers but you’ll also connect with other thought leaders, inventors, engineers, PhD students, and anyone else brave and open enough to be participating too. It’s like the whole process filters out mean people because you have to show up and say you’re looking for new connections. That’s vulnerable.
As your network grows in strength and numbers, you’ll start to reach the exact audience who needs your leadership and services. You’ll also meet new people who could benefit from an intro to your network, which is an amazing way to make a new friend.
Then, post to your own feed at least once a week, but aim for as much as every day. You can repurpose copy from your website, blogs, or articles you’ve already written. You should comment on other people’s content, too, to foster that feeling of camaraderie and celebration. Your new audience will engage and support your content, make intros, and reach out to you naturally to learn more about what you do or connect further.
Remember, what makes LinkedIn different is the quality of the conversations being had there - it’s the perfect place for smart, nice people like you to show up and be themselves.
BONUS Tips:
More Social Saturday tips from Victoria T. can be found here: https://bit.ly/3NLctUV
Set up a calendar to let people book a casual video chat with you. I use Acuity (included in your Squarespace website plan) and limited these chats to Mondays and Tuesdays for 30 minutes. I’ve chatted with professionals across the US and even Sweden, and hope to do more as my own network grows.
Final Tip :)
Share your 1-page website that shows the real you, in all your nuance and glory.
Now that you’re driving more eyeballs to your profile, let’s make sure you've also got a website that communicates the bigness of what you offer and makes it easy for people to inquire or buy products and services from you.
If what you provide is more interesting and powerful than it currently sounds, let’s fix that so your website connects, converts, and inspires people to take action. Check out my custom services to see if they’re right for you.
