How to Leverage LinkedIn for Personal Branding and Business Growth

November 4, 2025 - 12:38am - by Luke Thiessen

LinkedIn remains the most consistently popular social network for professionals, and for anyone looking for networking or B2B opportunities, it’s a no-brainer.

A whopping 97% of B2B marketers use the platform for content marketing, while 89% use it for lead generation. On a platform where 4 out of 5 members are making some kind of business decisions for their companies, it pays to invest your time on LinkedIn.

Beyond B2B, the platform also remains hugely popular for networking, hiring and job seeking, with 11,000 members applying for jobs every minute.

So, whether you’re looking for a new opportunity, building your network, or trying to find new clients for your business, let’s look at some tried-and-true strategies for personal branding and business growth on LinkedIn.

Your personal profile

Think of your profile page on LinkedIn as a digital version of your elevator pitch and business card – you get just one short line of text to pitch yourself, along with space for your name, title, and photo.

Chances are, if someone is seeing your profile for the first time, they came from one of three places: a post of yours that showed up in their feed, a recommendation from the algorithm of who to follow, or from a search. In all of these cases, someone was curious enough to click on your profile, but may know little to nothing about you. So it’s time for an introduction.

Arguably the most important part of your profile is your “headline,” the one open-ended line of text you get to add which isn’t tied directly to some specific piece of information or formatting. The headline has a character limit of 220, allowing for about two short sentences, but best practice is to keep it significantly shorter than that, since in some places it may be cut short.

The headline is a place to summarize or “pitch” what you offer – both professionally and as someone to follow on LinkedIn, if possible. Remember that your actual job title and work experience will follow underneath, this is just an introductory hook. If you are a freelancer or small business owner, this may double as a pitch for your business and work, but should still clearly be about you as an individual; there are other places to get deeper into your business.

Beyond your headline, my advice on LinkedIn profiles is to keep things professional, with just a bit of personality. It’s a professional networking platform after all, so this isn’t the place for overly whimsical profile and cover photos (unless that really is your personal brand). That said, showing some personality – without compromising professionalism – will help make your profile more memorable. 

Your content

Like any other social media platform or blog, it helps to have a content strategy and plan. Two things LinkedIn rewards in terms of content are quality and consistency – so plan for a posting schedule that feels realistic and attainable, and also allows you to deliver quality content every time.

As for what to post, that’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself – but we can help you narrow it down.

Many of the most successful thought leaders and power users on LinkedIn, regardless of their industry or role, have leaned into a niche and a fairly narrow set of topics. Find the thing you’re best at within your industry, or the aspect of your perspective that is most rare and unique to you, and have that be the focal point of most of your content. 

This might feel limiting at first, but with a well-developed content strategy and plan, you can find many different ways to talk about the same subject and share the same expertise. For example, LinkedIn marketer Gus Bhandal created a “content album” strategy which takes inspiration from musical albums, where all the songs sound different, despite being played with the same instruments and by the same artist in the same genre. He created numerous types of post styles to help inspire and frame different types of content, knowing they will all remain cohesive due to his specific perspective and personal brand.

Building and engaging with your network

Quality content and a strong profile is a great place to start on LinkedIn, but building a network and growing your following requires you to engage with other users.

Start by connecting with people you actually know, people you’ve worked with, and other people in your industry or related industries whose content genuinely interests you. LinkedIn is not the place to be picky about privacy and who sees your posts – you can follow strangers, and let strangers follow you. 

Next, start engaging everywhere that it feels natural. Leave comments on posts you like, and reply to comments on your own posts. Be authentic, but also don’t be afraid to push yourself outside your comfort zone and engage with strangers. It can help to pretend that you’re at a large party or event where everyone’s been invited but most don’t know each other – you won’t offend anyone by leaving comments, especially if they’re supportive or asking relevant questions. And make sure to reward others for doing the same on your posts by replying promptly and warmly.

LinkedIn for business

So far, we’ve largely talked about personal profiles and personal branding – which certainly crosses over into business if you’re a freelancer or small business owner whose name is synonymous with their business. However, if you run a business with its own LinkedIn page, there are additional things to consider, and additional opportunities for growth.

One of the first things to do is ensure your page is fully complete. Many business pages lack some key pieces and are therefore less likely to be found in search. Make sure your page is filled out and includes plenty of keywords that interested users might be searching when looking for a service, a job, or businesses in their industry to follow. 

Next, just like your personal page, make a content strategy and plan. Similar rules apply here, although most businesses can get away with a slightly broader range of content. We also recommend implementing video and photo content as much as possible for businesses, as these types of posts tend to get far more reach and engagement.

If your business has employees, utilize them to expand your reach. Tag them whenever it’s relevant, and ask them to share your posts where appropriate. Showing the human faces behind your business always helps too.

Finally, use LinkedIn to post jobs. Job postings are one of the most popular features of the platform, tend to get more shares, help build credibility, and give more people a reason to follow you. Even if you use some other platform for hiring, just posting about your job openings on the platform can get you most of these benefits.

Getting outside help

Did you know that Starling Social manages corporate LinkedIn pages? Our team has a lot of experience with LinkedIn for a variety of businesses and nonprofits, and a proven track record of building audiences and engagement on the platform.  Get in touch today to book a discovery call!

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What Viral Dance Videos Can Teach You About Building a Signature Series That Sticks

July 2, 2025 - 11:55pm - by Hayley Dobson

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for creating scroll-stopping content. Anyone peddling you a playbook for success is just repackaging their own luck. We don’t know what will go viral or become the next content zeitgeist, but there are a few patterns worth paying attention to, especially when it comes to the content that sticks.

Take, for example, viral dance videos. Some creators hit on something so good, so recognizable, that it becomes more than just a one-off post. It becomes a signature series.

A signature series is a go-to content format or theme you become known for. It’s something your audience can count on seeing again and again. Think of it as your content identity within your larger brand. It’s consistent, recognizable, and uniquely you. Whether it’s weekly dance videos, a recurring segment, or a signature edit style, a strong series builds connection, brand affinity, and staying power. Although finding content that resonates enough for a signature series can sometimes feel like a happy accident, it is usually a strategic piece of content designed to meet your goals.

Viral dance videos can teach us valuable lessons about creating a powerful signature series. They are lessons that apply whether you’re a creator, a business, or someone trying to figure out what to post next.

Let’s dig into the key takeaways:

1. Find What Works — Then Lean In

When Brian Jordan Alvarez set out to create his TV show English Teacher, he was already an internet personality made famous via comedy videos on TikTok. He had a following who knew his characters - the marketing for his new show was separate from that. 

But one day, he made a dance video to a trending audio, and everything changed. The internet loved it. So he made more. Consistently, week over week, his audience came to expect his dance videos. Then, comments started appearing, users saying things like ‘I watched your new show because of these videos,’ and ‘I didn’t know about your show until I saw you on my feed, and I binged it all.’ 

He realized that his dance videos were marketing the show for him, and were doing better than any traditional campaign had done. He started adding captions that said “Binge the English Teacher” and “Stream the English Teacher on Hulu.” And it kept working. He was interviewed by the New York Times, his show took off, and no matter how many dance videos he made, his audience could not get enough.

Now, almost 9 months later, he’s filming season 2, and guess what? The dance videos are his primary marketing strategy, and his audience isn’t tired of them.

Alvarez stumbled upon a viral marketing campaign, embraced it, and saw success. His videos are the perfect example of being open and agile to what your audience wants to see and running with it. He found what works for him and stuck with it, following his audience's lead.

The trend has died, but his success hasn’t. 

The lesson? Let your audience tell you what they want more of — then give it to them.

2. Commit to the Bit

The most memorable series are often the most committed. Take @lemurbrain’s affinity for ‘throwing it back’ in his viral dance videos, which feature the same dance move in different places and different background characters. Or @babydaddysull, who amassed 150 million views in 90 days by doing his signature dance in a variety of increasingly unhinged places, including the countertop at lululemon, on top of a baggage claim carousel, and at countless Chipotles. 

No matter how weird it gets, these creators have committed. Every video builds on the last, and the audience knows exactly what to expect, even if they have no idea what’s coming. That’s the magic. Consistency builds trust, repetition builds recognition, and committing to the bit (even when it’s niche, silly, or offbeat) creates the kind of content people keep coming back for.

It’s not about chasing every trend or constantly reinventing yourself. It’s about finding your lane and absolutely flooring it. 

3. Structure Breeds Creativity

Every great series has its own recognizable structure, whether that’s a hook, a visual cue, or a naming convention. It makes the content feel cohesive and builds anticipation. Just as a dance has repeatable moves, your content should have a rhythm that people recognize.

Take @sydwingold, whose videos start with “outfits I would wear based on our date.” It begins innocently enough, until she shows up in hilarious costumes for absurd date ideas. Followers see the hook and instantly know they’re in for something good.

The structure you choose should be one that works for you (and doesn’t have to involve cosplay). Start by identifying what your audience needs and how your business, expertise, or niche can deliver that value in a repeatable way. Are you a fitness coach? Try a myth-busting carousel series. A makeup artist? Put your own spin on the GRWM format. Find a structure that works, and let your creativity live inside that framework.

4. Authenticity Always Wins

We speak to the value of authenticity a lot on our blogs, because it’s true. People don’t follow perfection — they follow honesty and personality.  Signature series feel authentic when they reflect the creator’s voice, sense of humour, or worldview. For generations that have grown up online, it’s so easy to see when content feels canned, inauthentic, or like it's pandering to the wrong audience. Authenticity matters, and in the age of AI-generated everything, a real human moment stands out more than ever.

Sometimes creators just get it, like @moandmarofficial, whose chaotic cocktail-making videos struck a chord immediately. Make-a-drink-with-me videos aren’t new, but their style of including bloopers and unplanned moments in the finished product is fresh, feels authentic, and brings a ton of laughs. It feels like you’re hanging out with two besties, and the internet loves it.

A signature series isn’t about being ultra slick or overly polished. It’s about being you. If you do that, your people will find you.

So, how do you get started?

Creating a signature series doesn’t have to be complicated, but it should be intentional. Start by defining your goal: are you trying to educate, entertain, or give your audience a peek behind the scenes? From there, identify your audience’s needs. What questions do they ask most? What content already performs best for you?

From there, build a series that aligns with your brand, feels fun to create, and offers value to your audience. Ensure your series is branded with a recognizable hook or visual style and stick with it. Get creative, be authentic, and stay consistent. 

Need help figuring out what that looks like for your brand?

Book a discovery call with Starling Social and let’s create a signature series that’s unmistakably you.

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