widmembers Archives - Women In Digital

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Your profile on LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for promoting both your own personal brand as well as your company’s brand. But with only a limited amount of hours in the day, it more important than ever to be proactive in accessing this valuable networking resource, obtain resources and support and build
relationships with potential clients.

In March 2024, Women in Digital were joined by Sarah Morgan, Managing Director from Bespoken Agency, to delve deep into the world of ‘If I Google You, What Will I Find’. With an incredible understanding of all things Public Relations, Sarah showed attendees how important LinkedIn was to not only promote your personal brand, but also to train the algorithm to make sure LinkedIn works for you.

LinkedIn isn’t just for Salespeople

Everyone should be building their brand and developing strategic relationships on LinkedIn. And while your news feed may be filled with irrelevant posts written by Chat GPT, it is up to you to train the algorithm. Sarah often talks to people who are only using LinkedIn when they are looking at changing jobs, but is an advocate for using LinkedIn for many other purposes.

“LinkedIn has a fundamental part in career progression and career development. I will never shy away from that. But it is only one part in the cog in the wheel.”

Crafting a compelling profile

Your LinkedIn profile serves as your digital resume and professional portfolio. As discussed by Sarah at our April Professional Development Series, you should be ‘cleaning house’ and taking the time to craft a compelling profile that highlights your unique skills, experiences, and achievements. Start with a professional profile picture and a headline that succinctly communicates your expertise and aspirations. Use the summary section to showcase your personal brand and value proposition, and optimise your profile with relevant keywords to increase visibility.

Engaging with purposeful content

Engagement is key to maximising your presence on LinkedIn. Actively engage with content that aligns with your professional interests and goals. Like, comment, and share posts from other professionals in your network, and contribute meaningful insights to discussions. By demonstrating your expertise and thought leadership through engagement, you can expand your reach and attract like-minded professionals to your network.

Sarah suggests maximising the search bar to find content you are interested in. The search bar is at the top of any LinkedIn page you’re viewing, and it allows you to search for people, companies, posts, and more. Here are 4 search topics to get your started:

Search connections of your connections.
Search for job titles or organisations – for business development.
Search hashtags.
Follow and converse with people who shared or authored a post that is relevant to you – by doing so, you will be introduced to more of their connections and be exposed to relevant content.

Creating valuable content

“Don’t just consume content—create it.”

Share original articles, updates, and insights that showcase your expertise and provide value to your audience. Share success stories, lessons learned, and industry insights that resonate with other professionals. Utilise LinkedIn features such as articles and native videos to diversify your content and capture your audience’s attention.

Strategic networking

Networking is a cornerstone of success for professional, especially in the technology industry. Be strategic in your approach to connecting with others on LinkedIn. Personalise connection requests and focus on building meaningful relationships with professionals who share your interests and values. Join LinkedIn groups and communities relevant to your industry or areas of expertise to expand your network and engage with like-minded peers. Check out Sarah’s 6 Steps on ‘How To Use LinkedIn For Business Development’.

Step 1: Optimise your page – Use translations if you serve a global audience, add keywords in your description as LinkedIn is
indexed by Google, add hashtags to follow (not in your page copy), add a branded cover image and lastly, add a custom button
(i.e., Visit website/contact us).
Step 2: Execute your LinkedIn marketing strategy – create a social media strategy and a content plan for LinkedIn i.e., what are
your goals for the page?, what will you use your page for?, are you going to advertise?, what are your competitors doing?
Step 3: Make a content plan – how often will you post? what topics will you cover?, how can you repurpose existing content to use
on LinkedIn? are you going to curate content from others?
Step 4: Turn on Creator Mode – If you’re constantly sharing updates, this is the feature for you.
Step 5: Look at Sales Navigator
Step 6: Follow your community

Continuous improvement

LinkedIn is not a static platform—it’s constantly evolving. Regularly review and update your profile to reflect your latest achievements, experiences, and skills. Monitor your performance metrics and analyse what content resonates best with your audience. Experiment with different posting times, content formats, and messaging strategies to optimise your results and continually refine your personal branding efforts.

And of course, the number one tip Sarah has when it comes to using LinkedIn for your personal brand…

“Start Now!”

In the hustle and bustle of our fast-paced lives, it’s easy for our achievements to sometimes fade into background noise, drowned out by the everyday cacophony. We too often overlook the essential task of acknowledging and recording these moments which can go a long way in boosting confidence, especially when you need a pick-me-up! Sound like you? Well, we have a second question for you: Have you ever heard of an encouragement bank?

In February 2024, Women in Digital held an event in Melbourne powered by Corporate Member, Cisco featuring Ai Mawdsley, Fiona Boyd, Vinojini Nair and MC’d by Helen Fridell. The topic was: lessons on the career climb (is it really a ladder?)

Among all the incredible insights and advice shared by our panel, one thing that really stuck with us was a piece of advice from Ai Mawdsley, Chief Operating Officer of Private Media and 2023 Women in Digital Employer of the Year Winner. What is that you ask? An encouragement bank.

What is an encouragement bank?

An encouragement bank is essentially a collection of compliments or positive affirmations. But it’s really much more than that; it is a deliberate practice of self-care, self-empowerment and pulling apart imposter syndrome brick by brick. It serves as a repository for moments of validation, recognition and support that often get overshadowed or forgotten. By consciously recording these instances, you not only acknowledge your achievements and strengths but also cultivate a mindset of gratitude and self-worth.

Here is what Ai Mawdsley said about what the encouragement bank means to her:

“It’s a human condition: you could be told nine positive things and one negative thing and that negative thing is the only thing you’ll remember from that meeting.”

How to implement an encouragement bank?

It’s actually pretty easy, just start an excel spreadsheet or wherever you like to take notes. Every time someone gives you words of encouragement, like telling you that you are good at your job or that particular project you delivered was amazing – write it down!

It’s a tool that helps you reframe your narrative, instead of dwelling on setbacks or criticisms and helps you navigate challenges with greater resilience and confidence. But most importantly, on those bad days when life will inevitably get you down – it’s something to reflect back on to remind you how amazing you are.

Ai mentioned she also sought out a boss who could be her career champion:

“I was being repetitively torn down by a former manager and I had to ultimately exit that role for my own wellbeing. Now I’m in a role where my manager is a champion for me and regularly reinforces that I’m good at what I do.”

What if you are a manager who struggles to give positive feedback?

It’s true. Sometimes just giving a compliment or positive feedback can feel vulnerable, let alone receiving one.

What we can tell you is that just like every good habit, it takes consistency and practice. So here are some of our best tips to train those positive feedback muscles:

Be specific and timely: Provide compliments that are specific and timely to maximise their impact. Instead of generic praise, highlight specific behaviours, actions or achievements that you genuinely appreciate. For example, instead of saying “good job,” you could say, “I really appreciate how you handled that client meeting today. Your thorough preparation and clear communication made a significant impact.”
Regular feedback sessions: Schedule regular feedback sessions with your staff to create structured opportunities for recognition and encouragement. Use these sessions to not only provide constructive feedback but also to express appreciation for their contributions. Incorporating positive feedback as a regular part of these discussions helps create a culture of recognition and support within the team and improves retention.
Lead by example: Lead by example by modelling the behaviour you wish to see in your team. Demonstrate the importance of recognition and appreciation by actively acknowledging and celebrating the achievements of your staff. Whether it’s publicly recognising accomplishments during team meetings or privately expressing gratitude for their efforts, your actions speak volumes and set the tone for how feedback is given and received within the organisation.

We wish you luck building your encouragement bank!

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How To Train the LinkedIn Algorithm To Optimise Your Personal Brand