🔥 Stop trying to please everyone

5 Steps to Reach Your Personal Branding Potential on LinkedIn with Amelia Sordell

Have you ever thought, “I think I can post content on LinkedIn. I have some things to say about X topic, but I’m not sure if I should hit the post button.”

You’re not alone. You just need a few steps, some confidence, and a plan. 

Last year at Marketingland, entrepreneur and personal branding expert Amelia Sordell gave a talk about how you can find your personal brand and turn it into LinkedIn success. 

Amelia taught us that building a personal brand is all about YOU and your dreams, not anyone else’s. 
Here are her 5 steps to not only identifying your goals, but turning those goals into a plan on LinkedIn, in her own lightly-edited words. ⤵️

1️⃣. Know Your “Why TF Am I Doing This?”

Amelia’s Take: “What is your goal? Your goal could be, I want a new job. I want to get promoted…I want to build a community of people around my personal brand who want to build their personal brand.”

Amelia shared her journey: she didn’t start building a personal brand for attention or accolades. She did it because she was underpaid, undervalued, and struggling to get her voice heard at work. 

She wanted more confidence, better opportunities, and financial independence. 

Before you even begin crafting your personal brand, you need to ask yourself a brutally honest question:

What do I actually want to achieve with this?

This is not about what others are doing, what’s trending on LinkedIn, or what you think you “should” want. It’s about what will move the needle in your own life or career.

Takeaway:  Before you post a single word, write down this sentence:

“My personal brand will help me [insert goal], because [insert reason that actually matters to you].”

That’s your north star.

Check it before you hit publish. Every time.

If it’s not moving you closer to THAT goal. Why are you even posting?

2️⃣. If You’re Talking to Everyone, You’re Talking to No One.

Amelia’s Take: “So who are your audience profiles? What do they give a shit about? Right?  What do those people care about?”

Real talk.

If you don’t know who needs to hear your message, your content isn’t going to hit.

– If your goal is a new job, speak to hiring managers and recruiters.
– If your goal is new clients, speak to decision-makers with budgets.
– If you want community, speak to people who actually vibe with your story and values.

Takeaway:  Get painfully specific about your audience. Who are they? What do they care about? What would make them stop scrolling?

Now create content that talks directly to THEM.

Every word should answer 1 question. Why should they care?

Speak their language. Solve their problems. Make it feel like you’re already in the room with them.

That’s how you go from invisible to undeniable.

3️⃣. Give It All Away to Get It All Back.

Amelia’s Take: “Give 100% of your knowledge away for free…when you give 100% of your knowledge away, people will happily pay you for it because they trust you.”

Here’s the secret most people miss.

You don’t need a PhD in thought leadership to be valuable.

You just need to share what you actually know.

If you’ve solved a problem, hit a milestone, or learned something the hard way, you’ve got knowledge people want.

And when you share it freely, consistently, and with honesty, people start seeing you as a trusted go-to.

That trust? That’s what drives opportunity.

Takeaway: Use these prompts for your content:

I know how to…
Share the things you’ve done that others are still figuring out.

People often ask me about…
That’s your reputation talking. Lean into it.

If I had to teach someone just starting out, I’d say…
Make it simple. Make it helpful.

I’ve messed this up before and here’s what I learned…
Mistakes are magnetic. They make you real.

Don’t gate your experience.

Share the playbook, not just the highlight reel.

That’s how you build a brand people want to learn from, hire, or buy from.

4️⃣. Repetition Builds Reputation.

Amelia’s Take: “Don’t be afraid of repeating yourself. I’m standing on this stage right now because I’ve been talking about the same shit for four years.”

Here’s the truth: Your 15th post may perform exactly the same as your first. And your 40th might tank. But your 67th could be the one that unlocks real momentum.

It’s not about hitting a “perfect” post, it’s about building a recognizable, memorable presence over time. 

People trust what they see repeatedly, not what they see once.

Takeaway:  Pick your message. Own it. Repeat it until people can say it FOR you.

And don’t overthink the posting schedule.

Every day? Cool.
Three times a week? Great.
Once a week? That works too.

Just stay consistent.

Your brand is what happens when you show up saying the same thing long enough for people to finally listen.

5️⃣. HOLD STRONG OPINIONS (RESPECTFULLY).

Amelia’s Take: “I’m not telling you to be controversial, but do be polarizing. If you believe in something, say it.”

Here’s the deal.

If you’re trying to be liked by everyone, you’ll be remembered by no one.

You don’t need to scream into LinkedIn about every hot topic.

But you DO need to stand for something.

Clarity over cleverness. Conviction over consensus.

Having a point of view makes your brand stick.

It attracts the right people and repels the ones who were never your audience anyway.

Takeaway:  Ask yourself:

– What do I wish more people in my industry would say out loud?
– Where do I see the world differently than most?
– What’s one belief I have that challenges the norm?

Now say it clearly. Confidently. Without softening the edges.

Because vanilla content doesn’t get remembered.

But brave ideas? Those get bookmarked.

And that’s how you build a personal brand with a pulse.

IN A MEME