How to build a personal brand and win on LinkedIn in 2025

September 15, 2025
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LinkedIn has evolved far beyond an online resume platform. It’s the go-to platform for professional thought leadership, and it’s where 80% of B2B social media leads are born. Why? Because people come ready to consume professional content. 


Hi, I'm Hannah, Account Manager at Hey Marketing. We’ve been deep in the world of LinkedIn strategy lately, so I’m here to share what’s working in 2025 and how you can build a personal brand that actually lands.


Personal profiles are where it’s at 


Why should you show up on LinkedIn? 


The data is clear: Personal LinkedIn profiles receive an average of 3x more engagement than identical content posted on company pages. 


People don’t follow companies, they follow people. Why might this be? Your personal career journey, insights, learnings, failures are all stories that only you can tell and what a company page cannot replicate. 


Start with strategy 


Before you post that brilliant idea you had at 2am, take a step back and  understand your purpose for LinkedIn. Is it showcasing expertise? Positioning yourself as a thought leader? Driving leads? Sharing what your wedding taught you about sales? IYKYK. 


Every post should be working towards something. If it's not, it’s just noise. 


Set the foundations


Your LinkedIn profile is your digital first impression. It’s part CV, part pitch deck, part capability document, all in one. 


Here’s how to optimise it:


  • Use a professional headshot (this doesn’t mean boring — just clear, high quality and current)
  • Level up your headline. Go beyond your job title. Share your specialty or value proposition
  • Your summary is not your resume. Tell a story. Share your achievements, your values and what drives you
  • Add relevant keywords throughout your profile (especially in your headline and ‘About’ section), but keep them sounding natural


If you’re building a personal brand on LinkedIn, your profile is step one. But what happens next? Content. Connection. Consistency.


In Part 2, I’ll show you how to actually show up with the types of posts, formats and daily habits that get real results.


Sign up for a free express Linkedin audit below, which includes:


  • A health check on your personal LinkedIn page
  • Quick fix suggestions for your personal LinkedIn page
  • Tangible next steps for your LinkedIn profile



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