Best Way To Build A Personal Brand On LinkedIn

When it comes to building a personal brand on LinkedIn, there is a very specific formula for posts that works well. It’s a formula that jumps right in and makes it easy for a user to want to continue reading. So what is it?

Here’s the LinkedIn post formula you should be using:

• Problem – state the problem upfront right away in a strong statement
• Solution – follow that up with a quick statement of the solution or final outcome
• Explanation – then use the rest of the post to elaborate with an explanation that goes into detail

See more:

• How I Built My Personal Brand On LinkedIn In 3 Steps
• What Is LinkedIn Personal Brand Building?
• Who Needs To Build A Personal Brand On LinkedIn?
• Why Use LinkedIn To Create A Personal Brand?
• Don’t Do This On LinkedIn
• How To Format A Valuable LinkedIn Post

LinkedIn post formula

Want to see an example of the LinkedIn post formula in action? See below.

This continues to be my top performing post on LinkedIn. With over a quarter of a million impressions, 2,758 reactions, and 323 comments, it’s as close to viral as I’ve ever experienced. Did I expect that to happen?

Uh…no. Not for a second.

This was a post that was cathartic for me to get off my chest. It was me just laying it all out there and pulling back the curtain to reveal that the hiring process was broken. Surprisingly, I had no idea that it would resonate with so many LinkedIn users and I never expected the level of engagement that it generated. I’m so proud of it that I have it in my Featured section on my LinkedIn profile – a spot everyone needs to be using in the same way. Show off your best work front and center in the Featured section! Need help optimizing your LinkedIn profile? Let me know and I can help.

Do you see how this follows the LinkedIn post formula?
Problem:

Last week I reached my breaking point.

Solution:

But now, I feel great!

Explanation

Where else can you use this post formula?

This isn’t a content creation formula only reserved for LinkedIn. This post formula can be used everywhere from TikTok to Instagram. It’s actually a really great formula for driving engagement and retention on TikTok in particular. Creating content in this order will keep TikTok viewers engaged by giving the solution to the problem right away. Most content creators think storytelling should be done in a linear fashion from start to end, but that’s just not the case when it comes to social media where instant gratification is the name of the game.

Think of this post formula like a Quentin Tarantino film. He’s known for creating movies that jump around all over the place, but essentially, he starts with a problem, jumps into a solution and the rest of the movie is the explanation. And it keeps us wanting more. If he can successfully tackle non-linear storytelling in movies starring vampires, hitmen, and vengeful brides, you can certainly do it when it comes to showing off how you tackled a problem in your business.

Post formula examples

As humans, we’re naturally inclined to want to know more when we’re intrigued. We want to know the ending. So using this formula will automatically get readers hooked and invested because they want to know how the problem led to the solution so they’ll read on to the explanation at the end. Here are some additional examples of the Problem, Solution, Explanation post formula.

• Problem: My team was experiencing burnout.
• Solution: But now they’re thriving!
• Explanation: When I realized that my team was overwhelmed with handpicking their own work, we changed how we operated. We removed the roadblocks that were getting in their way and created a smoother process to help them get their jobs done faster – and easier. I could tell they were relieved with the change and it even came up in our 1:1 meetings just how much better the new method was. And our site traffic soared!

• Problem: “Never quit a job before accepting another job,” my mom’s voice rang in my head as I forced myself out of bed, preparing for another long commute to work.
• Solution: And that was when everything fell into place.
• Explanation: This is where you fill in the details of quitting that 9-5 job with a toxic boss. It’s this explanation area where you share your successful launch as a new entrepreneur in a niche industry. This is where you get the last laugh with mom, because it turns out that old advice isn’t always the best advice. And this is also where you get to remind readers just how wonderful it is to work from home.