Stop hiding behind your company page on LinkedIn.

It’s costing you. A lot.

And many tech executives are doing it: relying heavily on their company's LinkedIn page to communicate their brand's message. Now granted, corporate pages are valuable—essential even—but neglecting to develop a personal brand can be a costly oversight both for the present and the future.

Let’s get into it.

The Hidden Costs of Neglecting Your Personal Brand

Recent findings from the 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report highlight the tangible impacts of personal branding:

Diminished Trust: A striking 73% of B2B buyers consider thought leadership to be a more trustworthy basis for assessing an organization's capabilities than traditional marketing materials. 73%! You are your own marketing department, executive, and this is no slight to your marketing director/CMO’s efforts. The stat simply points to the human tendency to look to a leader for advice. You not building your brand is hurting your company now. 

Missed Opportunities: 75% of decision-makers and C-suite executives have been prompted by thought leadership content to explore a product or service they weren't previously considering. Which is to say that being a thought leader in your industry is not just to sway consumers. Your peers are watching. They are learning. They want their information to come from people at the top of the organizations. They are looking for you already.

Revenue Loss: Among those influenced by thought leadership, 60% realized their organization was missing out on significant business opportunities. How many did something about it? Probably not many. 

Becoming a thought leader takes a helluva lot more effort than slapping thought leadership lingo into your LinkedIn headline. Your audience will show everybody whether or not your a thought leader. That’s harsh, but it’s plainly visible. Deciding to play quiet for whatever reason—afraid your ideas will come back to bite you, unsure of what to say, you don’t have the time—is costing you—big. Here are five reasons why you need to find one way or another to develop your presence on LinkedIn.

Five Reasons to Cultivate Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn

Enhanced Credibility and Trust
Insightful content and industry perspectives enhances your organization's credibility. Period. The good news is that you take this credibility wherever you go because you are your brand. People feel like they are buying into you when they follow your advice. If you change companies, they change loyalties. Company branding becomes secondary because decision-makers are more inclined to trust and engage with individuals who demonstrate expertise and foresight.

Expanded Network and Influence
A robust personal brand attracts a diverse network of professionals, potential clients, and industry peers. Growth creates growth. And engaging with this network through meaningful content can lead to collaborations, partnerships, and new business opportunities that will not arise through the company page alone.

Increased Business Opportunities
Effective thought leadership can prompt potential clients to reconsider their current solutions and explore what you offer. Addressing industry challenges and presenting innovative solutions stimulates demand for your products or services because they see a human in the solution.

Protection Against Competitors
Regularly sharing valuable insights helps reinforce your position in the market and can deter competitors from encroaching on your client base. If you're not helping your audience think about their challenges in new ways, someone else will. But if you already are effectively and thoroughly helping your audience navigate their challenges, what can competitors do? Seriously.  This move will require transparency and a ruthless pursuit of the truth, and it’s the #1 deterrent of audience churn.

Enhanced Job Security

In the current job market, tech layoffs are prevalent, and maintaining a strong personal brand is crucial. Recent reports indicate that in 2024, there were 1,115 layoffs at tech companies, affecting 237,666 employees. For tech executives, the job search can be particularly lengthy, often taking about 10 months on average. By establishing yourself as a thought leader, you not only increase your visibility but also demonstrate your value to potential employers, potentially reducing the time spent in job transitions. My sources are in the comments.

Don’t miss the point.

Building a personal brand is not just a personal endeavor but a strategic business move—for you and your company.

Send this to five executives colleagues who need to get their their show on the road.