Success Stories
Using LinkedIn as a Growth Tool: How Personal Branding and Sales Can Strengthen Your Company
"For me, LinkedIn is more than just a networking platform – it's a space where I share what inspires me professionally. It's genuine, reflective and has attitude. It's where personality, professionalism and dialogue converge."
– Maria-Liisa Bruckert
.png)
From Résumé Hub to Brand Powerhouse
In recent years, LinkedIn has evolved from a digital CV portal into one of the most important platforms for brand building, B2B communication, and digital networking. For innovative companies such as IQONIC.AI, it is a vital tool for generating visibility and strengthening their positioning as technological pioneers in the beauty and healthcare industries.
So, What Does LinkedIn Have to Do With Branding?
It is the most important platform for digital reputation management. No other platform enables professional content to be presented in such an authentic, relevant and effective manner. Branding on LinkedIn is not just about showcasing products; it's about showcasing attitude. Who are we? What do we stand for? What drives us? Who is behind it?
Branding is created through daily dialogue, including content, comments and interaction. By combining reach, the network effect and targeted content development, companies and individuals can build a strong and trustworthy image. The distinction between corporate communication and personal branding is becoming increasingly blurred: people follow people.
People trust brands that are represented by real personalities with genuine views. In the B2B sector in particular, this trust directly impacts strategic business objectives. For example, a CEO who credibly discusses market changes can strengthen the company's brand. A founder who shares insights into product decisions fosters a sense of closeness and transparency. This is precisely where LinkedIn's strength in branding becomes apparent.
Styles and Success Factors in Personal Branding
Successful personal branding on LinkedIn can be achieved in various ways, depending on personality, target group, and strategic goal. Different styles have emerged, each of which has its own effect.
A more analytical style, for example, focuses on data, industry analyses and structured specialist content. The aim is to demonstrate expertise and thought leadership, which is often found in sectors such as consulting, tech and finance. Another approach is the personal style, where the focus is on experiences, retrospectives, personal learning or insights into everyday life. Such posts tend to be approachable and emotional, and generate high engagement rates.
There is also a network-oriented style that focuses on people, for example by sharing events, encounters or partnerships. This style signals industry proximity, openness and accessibility. The activist style also has its place on LinkedIn: individuals who take clear social or political positions and demonstrate conviction can establish themselves as courageous and thoughtful voices.
Studies show that posts with a strong personal connection and a clear opinion receive up to 2.3 times more comments than purely technical content. Consistency is also important: those who post regularly receive an average of five times more visibility in the feed.
The success factors for personal branding on LinkedIn are therefore:
Clearly defined topics
Authentic language and attitude
Recognisable visual design (colours, icons, formats)
Interaction with the community (comments, direct messages, mentions)
A regular, but not excessive, presence
Those who dare to be not only professionally competent but also human and approachable build a brand that creates long-term trust and reach — one that clearly stands out from purely promotional content.
Personal Branding Has a Global Impact
LinkedIn knows no national borders — communication and branding on the platform can be scaled globally. Founder personalities demonstrate how to build international visibility through consistent, topic-focused content. They always write their posts in English, giving all their followers and connections the opportunity to understand the content. This leads not only to greater reach, but also to more in-depth international dialogue. Today, personal branding on LinkedIn means creating a digital showcase of technology, vision and attitude to the world. It's precisely this combination that makes companies suitable for global partnerships and positioning.
What Constitutes a Personal Brand?
A strong personal brand on LinkedIn is based on the following:
Clear values and themes: What does the person stand for? What messages are repeatedly emphasised?
Regular, authentic communication: No PR texts, but personal insights, lessons learned and questions for the community.
Recognisable style: Language, imagery and formats – consistency creates recognition.
Active interaction: Comments, discussions, and involving other users create a real sense of closeness
Tips for building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn:
Focus on two to three recurring topics that you want to be associated with, such as innovation, sustainability or leadership.
Post regularly, but not randomly – quality comes before quantity (e.g. once or twice a week, providing added value). Post 1–2 times a week with added value.
Use authentic, personal language – avoid press releases and PR platitudes.
Show your imperfections – sharing learnings or mistakes creates closeness and trust.
Respond to comments and DMs – personal branding thrives on dialogue, not monologue.
Use a consistent visual identity (profile picture, banner, post designs, etc.) and branding strategy to create recognition.
Mention and link to other people to activate your network and increase your reach organically.
Use meaningful hook sentences at the beginning of posts to attract attention in the feed.
Experiment with different formats (text, images, slides and videos) to find your own style.
Consistency: Remember that LinkedIn is a long-term game and trust is built over time.
What Kind of Content Works Well on LinkedIn?
Although successful LinkedIn content does not follow a formula, certain formats work particularly well:
LinkedIn Trends for 2025
Video content and live streams: Short videos with a clear message and personality are becoming more visible.
Carousel posts with facts: Visually appealing content offering concrete added value.
Thought leadership from employees: Thought leadership from employees: It's not just CEOs who speak; product leads, developers and salespeople do too.
AI-generated content with a personal touch: Support through tools such as ChatGPT, combined with a human perspective (e.g. an AI-generated Barbie doll of a person with their most important products and tools).
LinkedIn as a Sales Tool
LinkedIn has long been more than just a networking platform – it has become one of the most effective B2B sales tools. This is especially true in complex sales processes where trust, relevance and relationship management are crucial. Being visible, sharing relevant content and building a strong personal brand lowers the barrier to entry for potential customers and creates opportunities for dialogue – even before a pitch takes place.
The data clearly shows how effective LinkedIn can be in a sales context. According to a Forrester study, companies using LinkedIn Sales Navigator achieve an average ROI of 312% over three years, with a payback period of less than six months.
These companies also report an average annual sales growth of 8%. Sales research efficiency increases by around 15%, as relevant contacts can be identified and approached more quickly.
Another advantage is that closing rates increase measurably. Organisations that actively use LinkedIn achieve a 17% higher success rate in closing deals and record response rates to InMails that are up to 30% higher than those achieved using conventional methods of contact. On average, 20–30% of time is saved in lead generation – a considerable advantage, especially in fast-moving markets.
However, even without Sales Navigator, those who regularly share high-quality, authentic content build reputation and trust – both of which are basic prerequisites for sustainable sales. Visibility on LinkedIn does not replace personal relationships, but it can prepare the ground for them.
Nowadays, the sales process often begins with a LinkedIn post rather than a phone call or an email. Thought leaders who share relevant industry topics and sales managers who attend events create a professional and competent impression. LinkedIn is therefore not a tool for quickly closing deals, but rather a channel for building long-term trust, maintaining networks and targeted brand building in a sales context. This can make all the difference, especially in an international B2B environment.
Conclusion
LinkedIn is much more than a social network; it is also a strategic platform for branding, thought leadership, and trust-based sales. Companies that utilize personal branding effectively can build visibility, gain trust, and establish themselves as thought leaders – not just in the local market, but worldwide. Storytelling, videos, carousel posts and personal insights create a vibrant digital brand image that engages customers, partners and talent.
Companies that see LinkedIn as an integral part of their communication and sales strategy are laying the foundation for long-term sustainable growth, differentiation and equal relationships.