LinkedIn: Balancing Thought Leadership with Networking

LinkedIn: Balancing Thought Leadership with Networking

LinkedIn has become an influential social media app in the everyday lives of many. LinkedIn which has been seen as another social media platform to create an online presence and network is now being utilized by a great deal of people.

One might wonder, how can I balance thought leadership and networking on LinkedIn?

This article’s purpose is to answer that question and leave no stone unturned while at it.

What Is Thought Leadership?

Thought leadership which is a content marketing strategy is the showcasing of your skill, knowledge, and expertise in a particular field and engaging with people in your industry. Simply put, thought leadership is showing your target audience and the world at large that you know your onions and are good at them.

The idea of thought leadership views such individual as the “Knowledge Bank” of their field.

Steps Involved In Becoming A Thought Leader On LinkedIn

  1. Your LinkedIn profile must be optimized. An optimized LinkedIn profile should have every detail of personal and necessary information filled out. This gives the audience a solid idea of who you are and what you do.
  2. Validate your skills, expertise, and knowledge with social proof. This could be in the form of jobs done, recommendations, and endorsements.
  3. Connecting with other experts in your field. No man is an island a visible relation with other experts in your field proves authenticity. Networking practice must be employed here.
  4. Utilize LinkedIn groups or comment threads to communicate with those following you. A true leader does not only share his thoughts but is also interested in the thoughts of his followers. Doing this puts you on the path to being a thought leader on LinkedIn.
  5. ost relevant information about your knowledge and industry. Use your knowledge and skills to equip those who are yet to have such experiences with the necessary information to advance in your field. This information could include personal experiences and achievements.
  6. Post photos and videos on LinkedIn. Words are not the only form of passing information. After all, visual aids like pictures and videos have been proven to be more effective by research carried out. Therefore, utilize photos and videos in thought leadership.
  7. Collaborate in the creation of content with other thought leaders in your industry. Create content with those who are experts in your field and let your audience see your thoughts being validated by other experts. This improves trust and confidence in the thought leader.
  8. Cut across other social media platforms. Your journey of being a thought leader should not end on LinkedIn. Instead, take your thoughts to other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (now X) and gain traction there. 

What Is Networking?

Networking is the deliberate act of making connections and building friendships with people in a common circle to exchange ideas and information. Unlike the usual meeting people and making friends, networking is done with a goal in mind.

Networking can be selective as most times networking is done within one’s industry with the view in mind that knowledge can be gained, opportunities can arise and also experiences from making such connections.

Networking on LinkedIn is trying to connect with those in your industry, this could be to create awareness about yourself and what you do, for job opportunities and the like.

How To Network On LinkedIn

There are steps one must take to network on LinkedIn. These steps include;

  • Have a complete profile: You see those questions LinkedIn expects you to answer when you join, they are essential to your networking. You want to give your audience a solid idea of who you are and what you are about.
  • Optimize your LinkedIn profile: It is not enough to have a complete profile, it must be optimized. You can optimize your LinkedIn profile by:
  • Having a professional friendly looking profile picture
  • Using keywords in your headline
  • Including a brief and compelling bio
  • Ensuring your work experience is up to date
  • Get Endorsed On LinkedIn: The easiest way to get started on this is by asking friends, family, colleagues, and previous employers to endorse you and also do the same for them.
  • Gain Connections: You can leverage those you know to gain connections and meet new people, you also have the option to buy LinkedIn followers.
  • Post content regularly: Posting content is necessary as this is the major form of letting your audience know what you are selling. Contents could be in the form of words, photos, and videos but they should be more informative than prospective, as this is the surest way to get your audience to patronize you.
  • Join LinkedIn groups: Networking requires you to put yourself out there. Joining groups relevant to your field helps you meet new people and weather new insights.
  • Making connections with people in your industry: Joining LinkedIn groups about your field already allows you to meet and interact with people. You can take it a step further by building personal relationships with these people.

Balancing Thought Leadership With Networking On LinkedIn

For one to balance thought leadership with networking on LinkedIn one must;

  1. Have an aim for networking and thought leadership
  2. Be a person of value
  3. Learn how to manage time and prioritize
  4. Be growth oriented
  5. Leverage your strengths

 Conclusion

Balancing thought leadership with networking on LinkedIn might seem like a lot to handle, but utilizing this guide will make the task easier.