Here’s where to start if you want to build your following, raise your status and become an influencer on the business social media platform.

Jim Keenan says he’s probably on LinkedIn more than he should be – at least a few times a day. Founder of sales consultancy A Sales Guy and author of Not Taught: What It Takes to Be Successful in the 21st Century That Nobody’s Teaching You, Keenan has amassed more than 20,000 followers on the business-focused social media platform. His articles attract anywhere from 700 to 7,000 page views on average.

While the focus of influencers on other social media platforms is often comprised of follower totals, charisma, and luck, LinkedIn and its focus on business, professional networking, and sharing expertise creates some natural checks and balances for influencers, she says. “It’s harder to fool people on LinkedIn as an influencer or to get people to believe that you’re an influencer than it is on some of the other sites,” says LinkedIn expert Viveka von Rosen, author of LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day.

Lets take a brief look at what it takes to have an impact on LinkedIn:

Build Trust

• Ensure the foundational elements of your profile are there (well-written bio, a photograph, experience, professional affiliations)
• Take a thoughtful approach to what you post

Set Yourself Apart 

• Become a reliable and steady source of good and useful information
• Establish a differentiating factor for your content
• Deliver content in a variety of formats

Connect Passion to Profit

• Don’t come into LinkedIn thinking, ‘I just want to build my business and make more money’
• Be entertaining, inspiring and educational

Engage Regularly

• Maintain regular engagement (post content at least once a week)

Have Fun

• The formula is consistency, depth, and the authentic desire to create conversations

Again, if you would like to read the details of what it takes to have an impact on LinkedIn, read the full article.