How to Use LinkedIn to Build Your Brand, Earn Media, and Drive Leads

Since 2003, LinkedIn has been the primary platform worldwide for connecting with colleagues, finding and applying for new jobs, and building your professional network. The social networking website has more than 1 billion users across 200 countries and regions worldwide. If you’ve spent significant time on the platform in recent years, you’ll notice that LinkedIn may look and act a little different from how it did 20 years ago. 

LinkedIn is no longer just a job board; it’s a content platform. It’s a platform ideal for sharing high-quality, relevant insights with an audience already primed to learn about your company or your best practices. If you’re not posting on LinkedIn, you’re missing out on an opportunity to expand your reach and establish trust in your expertise and business.

In 2025, LinkedIn should be an integral part of your personal brand strategy or your company’s brand strategy. Not convinced? Here are three reasons why LinkedIn matters in 2025.

LinkedIn rewards high-value content

Unlike other content platforms, such as TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram, where every day brings a new viral meme or “challenge,” LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritizes delivering quality over quantity. You don’t have to rely on following a trend that feels gimmicky to get attention. Think of LinkedIn as just another platform for sharing the thoughtful best practices or ideas you’re sharing with your professional circle at your organization, with partners, or in your interactions with investors. 

LinkedIn’s algorithm in 2025 considers three factors to determine what you see in your feed:

• Quality: Posts are categorized as low-quality spam or high-quality content. Content can be flagged as spam if it tags unrelated people, has many spelling errors, or has more than 3-5 tags. 
• Engagement: From there, a post is shown to a small audience sample to measure interaction. If your content gets meaningful engagement within the first hour of publishing, LinkedIn will push it to the feeds of your second and third-degree connections. Meaningful engagement means thoughtful comments from people who work in relevant industries (your mom’s smiling emoji doesn’t count.) 
• Network ranking: LinkedIn prioritizes posts from individuals and topics you like, comment, or share the most

Because LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards high-quality, thought-provoking content that drives meaningful engagement, sharing your thought leadership on LinkedIn means you have a captive audience at your fingertips waiting to hear from you. Not sharing your ideas is a wasted opportunity. 

LinkedIn can help your business generate inbound leads 

Posting consistent, high-quality content on LinkedIn not only builds your own personal brand, but it can also help you generate inbound leads for your business. By positioning yourself as an expert, you can attract potential customers who are actively seeking solutions. 

The secret to creating inbound interest lies in three key elements: optimization, creation, and engagement.

• Optimization: Ensure your profile is polished, highlights your areas of expertise, and features social proof like links to articles where your thought leadership is featured. Your profile is your digital ‘storefront,’ so make sure it’s optimized.
• Creation: Create high-quality content consistently. Shake up what formats you use and create long and short-form posts, images, documents, and even try LinkedIn’s native newsletter feature.
• Engagement: Don’t just post and then bounce. Like in life, creating a community takes give and take. Block off time each day to engage with your audience by reading, reacting to, sharing, and commenting on content from your connections and other thought leaders in your industry. Build genuine relationships with your partners and customers to strengthen existing bonds. 

The act of sharing consistent, valuable content and fostering a community by engaging with your network builds trust and credibility with your audience. The more they trust you, the more likely they are to do business with you.

Journalists have moved to LinkedIn

In the days when X was known as Twitter, journalists of all levels flocked to the social network to connect, build relationships, and find sources for their stories. As Twitter’s algorithm shifted dramatically beginning in 2022 and 2023, the journalist and media communities have also shifted where they spend their time connecting online. According to Muck Rack’s State of Journalism Report 2025, nearly half of all journalists surveyed spent more time on LinkedIn this past year than the year prior. 

Journalists are constantly seeking credible sources for their stories. By posting quality content consistently, your LinkedIn content is more likely to get in front of journalists from the publications you would love to be featured in. 

Bottom line: Being active on LinkedIn is a non-negotiable for building thought leadership

LinkedIn isn’t just where work happens — it’s where reputation is built. Whether you’re aiming to attract top talent, new customers, or media attention, showing up consistently with valuable insights is how you earn trust. In 2025, ignoring LinkedIn means leaving opportunity on the table.

Not sure where to start with a LinkedIn thought leadership strategy? BAM can help.