5 ways to make a real mark as leaders in healthcare on LinkedIn
By Claire Sakaoka, Owner, Chief Strategist
Being known as an expert is not the same as being an expert. I know a lot of industry professionals who are bonafide experts in their field, but guess what? No one knows they are. Does that make them any less of an expert? Definitely not. They are absolutely the real deal. However, they are not known by people outside of their immediate network.
Who is this article for?
Those seeking a career change, growing a consultancy, or looking to share your expertise on LinkedIn.
How experts are created today
In the world we live in today, it’s unrealistic to assume people will trust you because of the credentials behind your name and the education listed on your LinkedIn profile. Though humans are driven by the same factors they always have been – i.e., the Know, Like, and Trust -- the difference today is that we have become pickier on how we determine if a person meets this criterion. With so much information at our fingertips, we have become selective and perhaps even a bit lazy. If we can’t find you in the haystack of experts online, we’ll find someone else shouting their expertise to the world.
It’s not too late. You can start showing up online, too, and LinkedIn is a great place to start. Why LinkedIn? It has great search engine optimization. You stand an excellent chance of seeing your LinkedIn profile pop up near the top of the first-page search results when you search your name (provided your profile is optimized correctly).
So, how do you begin to show up on LinkedIn and be seen as the healthcare leader and expert that you are? Below are five ways to make a real mark as a leader in healthcare on LinkedIn:
1) Be consistently visible. It’s vitally important to stay top of mind and on topic. When you comment on a LinkedIn post, share someone else’s post, or create your own post, you add to your credibility and strengthen your brand. Will everyone connected to you on LinkedIn see it? Probably not. But many will, which is why frequency is critical. The more you can participate in your newsfeed, the more results you will see. A word of caution here: be sure you are commenting, sharing, and posting things on topic with your expertise. Steer clear of controversial political posts or issues that generate a lot of division. This is not the kind of visibility you are looking for.
2) Network strategically. This is where IRL and online often intersect. Each time you meet someone in person, look them up on LinkedIn and connect with them. Send them a nice message, gently reminding them who you are and where you met. Another great way to network strategically on LinkedIn is to use the search bar function and sort people by job title or industry, depending on your target group. When you find a person you’d like to connect with -- request to connect. After you are connected, reach out to them and see if they’d be up for a brief chat. If you can score an intro call, they will be much more engaged when you post on LinkedIn and MUCH more likely to refer business to you or recommend you for a position.
3) Cultivate your desired reputation. To grow your reputation as an expert, you need to commit to what you want to be known for. What do you offer that others are seeking? How do you want to be perceived? Why are you doing this (end-game)? If you don’t immediately know the answers to those questions, don’t worry; you are not alone. You will get there by 1) being visible and 2) networking strategically. Often, these conversations and content creation exercises move you along a very natural trajectory of discovery and exploration, which helps you determine this.
4) Create authentic long-form content. LinkedIn offers several ways to get your original thoughts and ideas out there in front of your connections, including posts, articles, and e-newsletters. LinkedIn was created to help you build your brand as an expert. They have given you the tools, and now it’s only a matter of using them. How long is long, you might ask? It doesn’t need to be a research paper with an annotated bibliography. You can create meaningful, authentic content in 200-800 words easily. You can go longer if you like, but keep in mind that people’s attention spans are short. Topics should all support the reputation you are trying to build as an expert.
5) Seek support. Don’t be afraid to hire someone to help you build your brand as an expert. If the thought of creating content seems overwhelming or if you need help determining what you want to be known for, drop me a DM. I’d be happy to chat with you about how to position yourself best as the professional you are.
An important point to remember as you embark on becoming known as an expert or thought leader is that it takes time and is accomplished through consistent and intentional effort. However, it becomes much easier once you create a plan for achieving your goal.