Personal branding on LinkedIn means being known, by the right people, for something specific. For a founder that might be your view on your industry. For a member of staff it might be their expertise in a particular service. Either way, people buy from people, and on LinkedIn a person’s profile almost always gets more attention than a company page.

The good news is that it does not take hours a day. A strong profile, a steady posting habit and a bit of genuine conversation will do more than any trick. Here is how I would approach it as a founder, and how to bring your team along with you without making anyone feel like a walking advert.

LinkedIn is small on time but big on intent

It helps to be realistic about how people use LinkedIn. Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report found that LinkedIn reached 38% of UK online adults in May 2025, with an average of around 2 minutes a day per visitor. DataReportal’s Digital 2026 United Kingdom report lists 48.0 million registered LinkedIn members in the UK, though it notes that these are registered accounts, not active users.

So people dip in briefly, but when they do they are in a work frame of mind. They are thinking about suppliers, hires, partners and ideas. That is why a handful of the right people seeing your posts can be worth more than thousands of views elsewhere. You are not trying to go viral. You are trying to be remembered by decision makers.

Your profile does the first impression

Before anyone reads a post, many will glance at your profile. Get these right first:

• A clear, friendly photo. Your face, good light, plain background. It does not need to be a studio shot.
• A banner that says something. Use the wide image at the top to show what you do, your business name or your work in action.
• A headline that is more than a job title. You have up to 220 characters. “Founder at X” says little. “Helping Surrey trades businesses get more enquiries from their website” tells people why to follow you.
• An About section written like a person. Who you help, how, and why you care. Write in the first person and end with how to get in touch.
• A Featured section. Pin your best post, a case study, your newsletter or your website so visitors have somewhere to go next.
• A custom profile URL, such as linkedin.com/in/yourname, which looks tidier on email signatures and business cards.
• Experience that tells a story, with a sentence or two for each role rather than a bare list of titles.

For staff, the same rules apply, with one extra: make sure everyone has the correct company page linked in their current role, so the business logo shows and their profile connects back to it.

Related reading: Top Strategies to Create Personal Brand Online and Expand Your Network

The creator tools are now open to everyone

LinkedIn used to have a switch called creator mode. It was retired in early 2024, and the tools that came with it are now available to individual profiles, subject to some criteria. You can find them in your profile’s analytics and resources area, where each tool shows whether it is available to you.

• Follow as the main button. You can make “Follow” the primary button on your profile instead of “Connect”, which suits founders who want a wider audience without accepting every connection request.
• Newsletters. A regular article series that people can subscribe to. Subscribers are notified when you publish, including by email.
• LinkedIn Live and audio events. Live video and audio sessions, which require a minimum audience and a history of posting original content.

LinkedIn’s own access criteria for newsletters and live events currently look for more than 150 followers or connections, a recent history of sharing original content, and a record of following its Professional Community Policies. These criteria can change, so check what your profile shows before you plan a launch.

Newsletters build a loyal audience

A LinkedIn newsletter is one of the best tools for personal branding because subscribers opt in to hear from you. A few tips:

1. Pick a narrow theme. “Marketing tips for Surrey retailers” will attract more of the right subscribers than “my thoughts on business”.
2. Choose a rhythm you can keep. Monthly is fine. A newsletter that stops after three editions does more harm than good.
3. Give each edition one clear idea, with a strong title and a cover image.
4. Share each edition as a post with a short summary, so non-subscribers see it in their feed.
5. Link to your website where it genuinely helps, such as a detailed guide or a case study.

What makes a good LinkedIn post

There is no such thing as a perfect LinkedIn post, but the good ones share some habits:

• A strong opening line. Only the first two or three lines show before “see more”, so start with the most interesting point, not “I’m excited to announce”.
• One idea per post. If you have three points, that is three posts.
• Your own experience. A lesson from a real project, a mistake you made or a decision you took will always beat generic advice.
• Short paragraphs and white space, so it is easy to read on a phone.
• A real image or short video where it adds something, such as your team, your workplace or the thing you are talking about.
• A question or prompt at the end that invites people to share their own view.
• A light touch with hashtags and tags. Tag people only when they are genuinely relevant, and keep hashtags to a small number.

Posts can be up to 3,000 characters, but you rarely need that many. Plenty of strong posts are a few short paragraphs long. Posting formats worth trying include document carousels (a PDF uploaded as swipeable slides), short native videos, polls with a genuine purpose, and simple text posts with a story.

A useful mix for a founder might be:

Type of post	Example
Expertise	“Three things I check before quoting for a website”
Story	“What I learned from losing our biggest client”
Behind the scenes	A photo from a team training day, with what you covered
Opinion	Your honest view on a change in your industry
Celebration	A team member’s promotion or a client launch, with credit to the people involved

Growing your LinkedIn presence takes conversation

Posting is only half of it. Growing your LinkedIn presence comes from taking part:

• Comment thoughtfully on other people’s posts, especially clients, prospects and people in your industry. A useful comment is seen by their audience too.
• Reply to every comment on your own posts, ideally in the first hour or two.
• Connect with intent. Add a short note explaining why. Accept requests from relevant people and politely ignore the rest.
• Post consistently. Two or three posts a week is plenty for most people. Consistency over months matters far more than a burst of activity.
• Check your analytics monthly. Look at which posts brought profile views, followers and messages, not just likes.

Bringing your staff along

Your team’s networks are usually far bigger than your company page’s following combined. Encouraging staff to build their own profiles, sometimes called employee advocacy, can make a real difference, as long as it is voluntary and genuine.

• Offer a short session on profiles and posting, and help with photos and headlines.
• Give people topics they know well, rather than scripts to copy and paste.
• Use your company page’s tools to recommend posts for staff to share, and let them add their own words.
• Celebrate their wins on the company page, which encourages them to share in return.
• Agree simple guidelines on confidentiality and client names, then trust people.

For B2B businesses in particular, a team of active, credible profiles is one of the strongest signals you can give. It is a big part of how we approach B2B marketing for professional services and trade clients.

Frequently asked questions

Does creator mode still exist on LinkedIn?

No. LinkedIn retired creator mode in early 2024. The tools it offered, such as newsletters, LinkedIn Live and the follow button, are now available directly from your profile if you meet the access criteria.

How often should I post on LinkedIn?

Two or three times a week is a realistic target for most founders and staff. If that feels too much, one good post a week, done consistently, is better than a burst followed by silence.

Should my staff post about the company?

Yes, if they want to. Their posts often reach people your company page never would. Make it voluntary, give them ideas and training, and let them write in their own voice.

Is a personal profile better than a company page?

You need both. Personal profiles usually get more reach and engagement because people connect with people, while the company page gives your business credibility and a home for jobs, news and ads.

Build a LinkedIn presence people remember

If you want help sharpening your profile, planning posts or training your team, we can help. Take a look at our B2B marketing and social media management services, or get in touch and we can talk through what you want to be known for.