In the B2B marketing world, LinkedIn isn't just a platform; it's a critical tool for building your personal brand. 

But navigating the balance between personal and professional content to strengthen this brand can be a delicate art. 

For advanced marketers, this is not just about networking; it’s about strategically positioning yourself as a trusted authority in your field.

Ever scroll through your LinkedIn feed and wonder - how did she build such an impressive personal brand? Why does his face keep popping up as an industry leader?

As a CEO and Founder, Caleb Avery successfully built a personal brand that benefited his company and paved the way for supersonic growth. His company, Tilled, raised over $30M in the last 2 ½ years and has gone from 5 to over 50 employees. Caleb’s LinkedIn followers have grown from 0 to nearly 15,000 in less than 3 years without any money spent on advertising. 

Check out the video below to hear Caleb Avery share insights on how to build an authentic personal brand on LinkedIn and utilize the platform to maximize reach and engagement. 

Check out the video here: 

Crafting an influential yet authentic persona on LinkedIn takes strategy.

In this guide, we'll learn the basics of brand-building on LinkedIn based on these five pillars:

• Engaging consistently over time to build relationships 
• Balancing professionalism with personality 
• Getting Targeted with Goals
• Optimizing efforts for efficiency at scale 
• Ensuring mutual success with customers

I'll also be breaking down critical insider tips that the LinkedIn algorithm loves - yes, smart optimization can grow your audience faster!

We'll tackle each step with clear advice and examples you can implement right away.

So whether you're a marketing manager, small business owner, consultant or anything in between, these trust and brand-boosting strategies will set you up for success on LinkedIn and beyond!

Let's get started.

Building Engagement and Trust Through Regular Connection

The truth is, cultivating an audience and relationships takes real effort. 

Posting thought leadership content consistently? Exhausting.  Responding to comments and messages? _Time-consuming. _

However, committing to regular communication over months will grow your network. 

Why?

Because consistent human engagement builds trust and connection, however small the interactions. A demonstrated commitment to providing others with valuable insights and helpful solutions will lead to increased engagement and as you help others, will strengthen your position as an authority in your field.  

So what does this look like day-to-day?

Mix Up Your Content Style

Share the latest industry report one day then comment on your family weekend adventures the next. Sprinkle in a client success story then ask for recommendations on a book genre you want to explore.

Profile visitors should get a taste of both your professional expertise and personality.  This demonstrates authenticity and well-roundedness.

Carve Out Consistent Response Time

I know, I know - no one loves sitting down for an hour of comment responses or cold outreach messages. But look at it like a relationship investment that pays back over time. Even 30 minutes 3x a week engaging with your community cultivates the trust and comfort people crave before committing time or money to a brand.

Deepen Dialogue Through Questions

Pose questions related to what you share, both in posts themselves and response messages after. This sparks two-way dialogue so followers open up with you in return.

People ultimately commit to other people, not faceless brands. So give your audience chances to connect!

Now that you're actively engaging your community, let's tackle the second brand pillar:

Finding the Brand Balance Between Professional and Personal

Many people make the mistake of treating their personal profile and company page exactly the same.

But over-professionalizing your personal brand misses opportunities for authentic connection. 

And while you certainly want some personality on your company page, too much casual content loses sight of your offerings.

So what does the golden ratio look like for standing out while still being relatable?

Blend Professional Updates and Personal Moments on Your Profile

Share career wins, industry insights, and new services. But also open up on hobbies, family life, weekend fun.  Sprinkling in vulnerability and humor alongside expertise reminds followers you're a real person. And therefore more trustworthy!

For example, when landing a new consulting contract, consider posting a photo of the signed agreement. Later in the week try to show off a slightly more persona aspect of your life - time with your pets, engaging in hobbies, enjoying the weekend. Both establish different facets of your personality. 

Find Ways to Humanize Your Company Page Too

Without a doubt, leading with services offered, case studies, and business operations is important. 

But you can also integrate elements like:

• Employee spotlights
• Office culture photos
• Company value initiatives
• Community events or fundraising

This breathing room reinforces the people behind your brand. Visitors connect with the humans standing beside them, not abstract mission statements.

Consider what strategies you use to showcase different dimensions of your brand and enhance the personal aspect of your connection where possible. 

Not that we've covered the foundational pillars of engagement and balanced branding, let's get into the optimization strategies to scale up your efforts

Getting Targeted With Goals and Analytics Tracking

It’s quite simple, really - stay targeted with your engagement. 

Map Out Goals and Desired Actions

Do you want followers to download an ebook? Contact you for consulting? Attend a webinar? Identify 2-3 key conversion points to direct your efforts. 

Being specific about tangible outcomes focuses your posts and response messages to guide your audience down those pathways through:
  
- Strategic call-to-actions  
- Conversation flow  
- Profile layout optimization  

Having clarity of purpose will give your efforts direction and shape measurable impact.

Track Performance Trends

Analytics are key for measuring content resonance and relationship ROI (return on investment). Research follower demographic data, engagement rates per post, traffic sources, and conversion numbers. 

Then double down on what content and messaging works best. 

Growth Compounds Over Time

Trust that consistency compounds over months and years. Lean into this framework as fuel for the long play game as it will inevitably pay off and help you grow your audience and following. 

Now that we've got solid engagement and branding techniques locked down, let's peek behind the LinkedIn curtain for advanced insights. 

Optimizing Your Profile for Maximum Visibility

We all know algorithms can feel fickle and mysterious but understanding a few factors within your control will level up discovery and distribution. 

Time to get savvy at targeting those algorithm preferences.

Complete Profile Signals Credibility

Fill out *all* sections fully - featured media, volunteer experience, certifications, awards etc. This profile depth and authority surfaces you more across feeds and opportunities.

Essentially you rank higher for partnerships and collabs so complete that digital resume as well.

Post Consistency Trains the Algorithm

Share valuable updates multiple times per week. This consistent engagement trains LinkedIn's AI to prominently feature your brand since people interact. 

Commit to regularly nurturing your community and you'll see compounding returns.

Monitor Analytics for Optimization Insights

Pay attention to post performance trends and metrics like:

- Impressions  
- Engagement Rates    
- Follower Growth Velocity
- Content Formats Resonating

Then double down on what's working - hashtag use, messaging focus, pivoting video vs. long-form articles etc. 

Work smarter not harder, utilizing traffic data points to amplify your efforts. 

Ensuring Shared Success with Customers

If you sell B2B, both your brand's and your customer's fates are intertwined. Invest in their success and your partnership will be strengthened as a result. 

Provide Insights Relevant to Your Customer's Buyers

Do you sell software to schools? Share tips on how administrators can secure more funding. Are you an agency supporting local bakery marketing? Analyze consumer dessert trends. 

Publish social posts, long-form articles, even customized one-pagers helping your B2B client sell to their customers. This will make you a trusted advisor accelerating collective growth, not just that of another vendor.

Celebrate Shared Wins

Cheer on big partnership deals closed or goals mutually hit together. Being vocal about these wins multiplies credibility. 

Spotlight client homepage takeovers, product launch success, target revenue achieved - whatever displays the rising-tide-lifts-all-boats mentality.

At the end of the day, you accomplish more together. So promote the partnerships propelling you both onwards and upwards!

Now let's connect the dots on why owning your presence matters.

Pulling Together All Facets of Your Brand

Take steps to becoming a thought leader by positioning yourself as an approachable marketing advisor who wants to see partners succeed as much as your own brand.

Consistent Content and Engagement

Show up to the digital table sharing valuable insights and responding to genuine connection attempts, even just a few minutes a day. This cumulative effort compounds, slowly transitioning strangers into advocates.

Multidimensional Brand Personality

Balancing industry insider perspectives with lighthearted glimpses into personal life events reveals authenticity - I'm a real person who cares, not just a faceless consultant.

Goal Orientation With Analytics Tracking

Getting clear on desired conversions and metrics informing content strategy will allow you to double down on what works. Spend the most time on highest impact activities.

Mutually Beneficial Partnerships

Positioning your specialty domain expertise to propel customer success builds loyalty and referrals. Invest in trust-building and this will pay exponential dividends long-term.

Pulling together all these personal brand pillars will pays back tenfold in opportunities and fulfillment. But it does require patience and commitment in those early phases.

The juice is worth the squeeze - start where you are now incorporating any of these principles into your current approach. Consistency and commitment above all else!

In Summary:

LinkedIn provides unmatched reach for establishing a personal brand and shaping perception. Constructing an authentic brand requires intentional relationship building with your audience.

Let these strategies below guide you in creating and optimizing your personal brand: 

Regular Engagement Builds Relationships and Trust
- Post consistently with a mix of professional and personal content 
- Respond to comments and messages to further connections
- Getting to know your followers makes your brand authentic

Balancing Personal and Professional Personas
- Maintain separate personal and company pages  
- Blend professional and casual content appropriately on both
- Find the right balance to humanize your brand

Setting Goals and Optimizing for Results 
- Identify desired follower actions and conversions
- Include clear CTAs and track performance over time
- Double down on content that best resonates  

Understanding Algorithm Factors
- Complete all profile sections to signal credibility
- Post consistently to train the LinkedIn algorithm
- Monitor analytics for optimization insights

Pulling It All Together
- Various brand-building pillars work together to establish trust 
- But it requires commitment through the early traction phase
- Consistency and value-focused intent pay dividends long-term

Approach social media relationship creation as you would face-to-face encounters. Seek authentic connections by adding value wherever you can. 

Show you care about your audience's wants and needs and invest in their success, not just your own. 

And most importantly, don't get discouraged if traction feels slow at first! 

Consistent and strategic efforts will pay off in the long run and compound community trust.