LinkedIn for Web Agencies and Personal Branding

Emma:
Hello, hello, Woo builders, and welcome back to another episode of Do the Woo, the podcast where we dive into all things WooCommerce, community, and the future of work. I’m Emma, and joining me today, as per usual, is my co-host, Adam. How are you doing today?

Adam:
Per usual, Emma? You’ve been gone! You left me with Bob, but it was a wonderful last episode.

Emma:
This is true, but I’m back.

Adam:
Emma, it’s good to have you here. I’m excited about this episode of Woo BizChat. So everybody, you need to grab your cup of cocoa, maybe some tea, or if you’re hungry, a nice steaming mug of butternut squash soup—whatever helps you sit down and focus—because there is going to be an incredible amount of joy, fun, and really some value in how we use LinkedIn. I’ve got some stuff to learn here. Joining us to talk about this incredible tool and how it can help you, your agency, and what you do in the world of Woo is Nicole. Nicole, would you mind introducing yourself a little bit for us? And thank you so much for being here!

Nicole:
Oh, Emma and Adam, thank you so much for welcoming me. I am so excited to finally be able to do the Wooing on Woo BizChat. I’m dialing in from London today, where I’m based. I’m a LinkedIn trainer and marketing coach, particularly for digital agency owners who want to raise their visibility on LinkedIn but might be a little hesitant about the platform. I know we’re going to talk about some of the “LinkedIn burning walls of fear.” I help with coaching, creating a strategy, and really just helping people see the fun in the platform. Hopefully, this episode will reflect all that good learning. Yes, LinkedIn can be serious, but we can also have fun on it. So thank you so much for having me.

Emma:
Yes, this is going to be a lot of fun because I hope I can take a lot of what you say—even if it’s for agencies—and use it in my own personal branding, especially on LinkedIn. My first question would be: what is the first step if you’re a complete newbie into ideation or building your strategy for LinkedIn?

Nicole:
Yeah, great question, Emma. I always think when you’re starting off on any new social media platform—or any kind of digital marketing channel—it’s really good to hang out on the platform and familiarize yourself. Spend time on LinkedIn. The good thing is, there’s actually a lot of interesting content on there. People are there for networking, learning, and engaging. You’re bound to find something interesting, whether you run an architectural business, a design company, or are part of a larger company as a content manager. Just spend some time on LinkedIn and see what you enjoy as a user. That makes it less scary, right? You’ll see that it’s not as formal anymore, right, Adam?

Adam:
That’s one of the questions I’ve been thinking about. We talk about personal brand versus business—how do you think about the dual hats we wear? For example, I’m Adam Weeks; I also own or run an agency. How do you use LinkedIn to balance the individual versus the business?

Nicole:
Great question, and it’s something I get asked a lot. Particularly if you’re an agency founder or business development manager, there’s you as a personal brand and then your company. Often, you wouldn’t work at a company unless you aligned with its mission, values, and culture. Hopefully, you can make some links between who you are as a person and why you run your business or work for that company. There’s also a growing trend of companies encouraging employees—whether senior team members, middle managers, or those in customer-facing roles—to become more visible on LinkedIn. This is called “employee advocacy.” It’s about sharing company updates, new projects, or job openings.

If you’re out of sync with your company’s values and culture, maybe it’s not the right fit, but when you believe in your company’s purpose, it can shine through both your personal and professional LinkedIn activity.

Adam:
Nicole, would you mind introducing yourself a little bit for us? And thank you so much for being here. Tell us a little about you and what you’re doing here.

Nicole:
Oh, Emma and Adam, thank you so much for welcoming me. I am so excited to finally be able to do the Woo-ing on Woo BizChat. I’m dialing in from London today, where I’m based. I am a LinkedIn trainer and marketing coach, particularly for digital agency owners who want to raise their visibility with LinkedIn but might feel a little hesitant about the platform. I know we’re going to talk about some of the LinkedIn “burning walls of fear.” I help people through coaching by creating a strategy with them and really just helping them see the fun side of the social media platform. So hopefully, this episode will reflect all that good learning. Yes, LinkedIn can be serious, but we can also have fun on it. So thank you so much for having me.

Emma:
Yes, this is going to be a lot of fun because I hope that I can take a lot of what you say—even if it’s for an agency—and use it for my own personal branding, especially on LinkedIn. So I guess my first question would be: what is the first step if you’re a complete newbie, diving into building your strategy for this?

Nicole:
Great question, Emma. I always think when you’re starting off on any new social media platform—or really any kind of digital marketing channel—it’s good to just hang out on the platform and familiarize yourself a bit. Go on LinkedIn. The good thing is there’s actually lots of interesting content on there. People go there for networking and learning. So you’re bound to find something that’s interesting to you, whether you’re in an architectural business, run a design company, or are part of a bigger company as a content manager.

Spend some time on LinkedIn and see what you enjoy as a LinkedIn user yourself. That makes it a little less scary, right? Because you’ll see, right, Adam, that it’s not as formal anymore.

Adam:
So that’s one of the questions I’ve been thinking about. We talk about personal brand versus business. How do you think about wearing these dual hats? For example, I’m Adam Weeks, and I also own or run an agency. These are two different things. How do you think about using LinkedIn when it comes to the individual versus the business you’re running?

Nicole:
Great question. That’s something I get asked a lot. Particularly if you’re an agency founder or a business development manager in a larger company, there’s you as a personal brand, and then there’s your company. Often, you wouldn’t be working at a company if you didn’t really buy into its mission, values, and culture—why they do what they do. I can see Emma nodding here, so hopefully, our listeners can relate, too.

Hopefully, you can make links between what you’re about as a person and why you either run your own business or work for a company you really believe in. There’s also this trend—one I’m so pleased to see—of companies encouraging their employees, senior teams, and middle managers to step out on LinkedIn and become more visible.

The technical term for this is employee advocacy. It’s people saying, “Hey, we have this new project we’re excited about,” or, “We have a new position—do you know anyone in your network?” All that good stuff we want companies to include.

So yes, it is separate, but there are lots of links. I always say if you are so out of sync with who you are and what your company is about, then perhaps it isn’t the perfect fit. Eventually, I know we don’t always have that choice, but hopefully, we can embrace opportunities to work for companies where we really believe in their purpose, values, and culture.

Emma:
Nice. Are there any tips or tricks that you would recommend for somebody making their first post, whether it’s for themselves or for their company?

Nicole:
Yeah, I remember that feeling. I used to be a marketing director, and we had the fanciest agencies writing our LinkedIn posts for us. I was in charge of corporate strategy and all that nice stuff. Then, the minute I had to write something for myself, I’d have rather gone to the dentist—and frankly, I don’t like going to the dentist.

We had bad dentist experiences in Eastern Germany, where I grew up. So I think the best realization is: “Oh my god, what will people think of me? How will I be perceived? I have nothing interesting to say. I’m really nervous.” That’s a very human quality. A lot of us feel that way—even really established content creators still get nervous about posting on the platform.

So, the first thing I want to say to you and our listeners is: it’s a really human feeling. Don’t ignore it. I would say you should embrace that fear. Once you have that fear, okay—how do you post the first time?

For me personally, what worked at the time was accountability. I got a personal trainer—it sounds very posh, but it wasn’t very posh. I said to her, “Look, I’m going to post this, and if I don’t post it by the end of the day, you can kick me in the… well, you know.”

So having that accountability helps. If there’s someone on your team or a business buddy you trust, you can say, “Hey, I’m about to post on LinkedIn. I’m really scared. If I don’t do this, please either bring me a cup of coffee and let me have a cry or, you know, kick me in the butt.”

Now, if you’re not ready to post, another good way to start is just to spend time on the platform and begin commenting. It’s a sociable platform. So, if you find a post you like, say something—but try to say more than just, “That’s great!” or, “Thanks for sharing.” Reflect on what you see in the post and try to move the dialogue forward. It’s about building a conversation.

If you’re not ready to post yet, that’s fine. Start commenting. That’s a really good superpower to develop. I hope that’s helpful.

Emma:
Yeah, definitely.

Adam:
Absolutely.

Emma:
I’m sorry to cut you off, Adam, but I’m back and I have so many questions! You’ve told us all the nice things to do, but are there some common mistakes that agencies or personal brands are making that we should stay away from?

Nicole:
Very thoughtful question. I believe if you step out on LinkedIn and your intention is to sound like everyone else—or if you use AI copy without editing it to sound like you—you’re wasting your time.

You’re wasting your time because you’re going to sound like everyone else, and there’s nothing to differentiate you or your company from the competition. The first mistake I see is people saying, “Well, we’re going to go on LinkedIn, copy this template, and use it because it worked for someone else.” Or, people are way too formal.

It’s like those reports we used to write for senior management or board meetings—no one reads them because they’re boring. If you use that kind of overly formal style of writing on LinkedIn, it’s not going to work. The platform has a social and conversational nature.

So, decide to be different and have a strategy behind it. Don’t be too formal. Think about the people reading your posts. They’re probably on their mobile, maybe in between meetings. What can you do to stop them in their scroll?

What can you offer to your audience that’s helpful, entertaining, and sounds like you?

Nicole:
So, those are two mistakes. Now, the third one—and I’ll just mention three—is posting and then running away. It’s called “post and ghost.” By the time you post, you’ve done a good job. You’ve invited dialogue, but then you’re not around to acknowledge comments.

If I comment on Adam’s post, hopefully, Adam will appreciate that Nicole has taken some time out of her busy day to say something and reply with, “Hey, Nicole, thanks so much! Tell me a little more.”

It’s really important that on the days you’re posting, you’re around to engage with your community. When you do this, LinkedIn’s algorithm notices. It sees that you’re opening relevant conversations, which means it will promote your future posts more because that’s what LinkedIn is about—keeping us on the platform.

So, keep that in mind. Don’t post and ghost. Of course, we all have a life. It’s important—Emma and I were just chatting about Christmas markets and how much we like going to them. So yes, go to the Christmas market, live your life, but maybe the next day, check in to see if anyone has commented. Can you acknowledge that? Can you be kind?

Emma:
Guilty of this. Posting and ghosting.

Adam:
Ghosting? Not Emma Young!

Emma:
I am.

Adam:
Those are really good points. What I’m hearing is: be a person. Let your unique self show in your LinkedIn posting. I think that’s really good.

One thing I do want to ask is—since we’re getting into the reasons LinkedIn is valuable—why LinkedIn? I already have Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, BlueSky, Mastodon, and Slack. Why is LinkedIn the platform you’re so excited about?

Nicole:
You know, personally, I think digital health is really important. When you bring up all those other platforms, I immediately feel overwhelmed. I always say: pick one channel that works for your audience. Hopefully, it’s also a channel you can learn to enjoy, because yes, we use social media for our business, but don’t let it interrupt your day-to-day life.

First, look out for your digital health. Take breaks.

Now, you’re asking the wrong person “Why LinkedIn?” because it’s my area of expertise. But the reason I chose it is that out of all the platforms, it felt the most practical for me. As a woman, I’d go on Instagram or Twitter and get these creepy DMs—“Do you want to do this ad? Tell me more about that”—and I got really fed up.

LinkedIn is different. Statistically speaking, it has about 9 billion users worldwide, but only a small percentage—3 million people—post weekly. That’s less than 1%. This creates a huge opportunity.

You don’t have to do all that much to get noticed by your ideal audience. Particularly if you’re in professional services, tech, or design, LinkedIn is a big part of your digital footprint. Google someone, and LinkedIn is often one of the top search results.

So, for me, it’s practical. People are in a business mindset when they’re on LinkedIn. I don’t have to do dancing videos, unless it’s Tuesday, of course.

Emma:
Only on Tuesdays!

Nicole:
Only on Tuesdays! But yes, LinkedIn started as a platform where we uploaded our CVs to find jobs. Now, it has emojis, reactions, live video, audio events, and more. It’s continuously evolving to keep us engaged.

As a marketing agency owner, I don’t think you have a choice. This is where your potential clients and suppliers will check you out.

Adam:
I think that bias comes from a good place—because you really like the platform and have found value in it. Just this morning, I was introducing someone on Slack, and I grabbed their LinkedIn profile to give context to the other person. It’s such a useful tool for introductions.

Nicole:
Exactly! If I had to choose between updating my website—which, let’s face it, is a huge team effort—or updating my LinkedIn profile, I’d choose LinkedIn every time. Both have the power to be our best sales tools 24/7, but it’s much easier to update your personal profile or company page on LinkedIn than to overhaul an entire website.

Emma:
I should update mine. Mine just says something about “organized chaos.” That’s a pretty good example of me, though. It’s a good talking point.

Nicole:
It’s a great talking point! Your profile is where you build your authority and trust with readers. It’s where you make yourself relatable. But how do you position yourself as an expert in your niche?

Emma:
Exactly! I see a lot of people on LinkedIn sharing posts like, “I’m one of the few experts on this.” Are those helpful? Should I be doing that? Do people actually look at them?

Nicole:
Great question, Emma. When someone says “build your authority,” I immediately want to yawn. Sorry—but it’s usually framed so boringly. For me, it’s about becoming a relatable expert.

The fact that your LinkedIn bio says “organized chaos” is already relatable—it’s a conversation starter.

Now, regarding LinkedIn’s collaborative articles—which are written by AI—these were relatively easy to contribute to. You could give a human-friendly perspective and earn a golden “influencer” badge for doing so regularly. However, LinkedIn might discontinue this feature.

To position yourself as an expert, the first thing is to ask: Who are you an expert for? Who is your audience? What keeps them up at night?

For example, I recently talked to a community leader at a large digital agency in the US. He had a unique perspective on agency leadership. Instead of the typical “scale, scale, scale” mindset, his focus was on the human element of leadership. By sharing personal stories and insights, he built trust and relatability with his audience.

So, share your personal expertise in a way that resonates with your audience. Show them that you understand their challenges. That’s how you build trust and authority—not by bragging, but by being genuinely helpful and relatable.

Adam:
That’s fantastic.

Nicole:
Oh, thank you.

Adam:
No, it’s good stuff. I’m just like, “Yeah, taking notes!” I really appreciate how all of these social media networks are tools, and what you get out of them depends on what you put into them. One thing I’ve been really impressed with while looking at your LinkedIn feed is how you’re truly doing the things you preach. Honestly, I’ve been a little distracted—like, “Oh wow, look at what she has here. This is amazing.”

If you were to distill all the energy you put into LinkedIn, where do you feel you’re getting the most out of it? There are so many things you can do—surveys, posts, polls—where do you feel your energy is best spent?

Nicole:
I’ve been fortunate enough to get my biggest leads through LinkedIn over the years, and I position myself as someone who helps agency leaders land their best clients. That’s where the magic happens—when you can show who you are, what your business culture is like, and attract people who really get that.

You don’t have to be stuffy or overly formal. In fact, LinkedIn encourages you to share your story.

You mentioned my profile—thank you for that, Adam! I also looked at yours and Emma’s profiles.

Adam:
Oh no, I have work to do.

Nicole:
I’m just saying, you can reflect on what you do and why. What motivates you? For our listeners, think about why you’re in your current job. Why did you change directions? Why did you start your own business? It’s not an easy thing to do.

Sharing these human-first stories helps you connect with your audience. As you get more skilled, you can package your expertise into those stories.

For example, we all know that at events, someone might throw out a ton of stats and logical facts—but what sticks with you? It’s usually the person who made you laugh, cry, or feel something. Tapping into those emotional responses works on LinkedIn, too.

The platform offers so many formats: vertical videos, polls, and posts that encourage discussions. One tool I really like is events.

For example, Adam, if you want to reach marketing directors in non-profits, you can search for events on LinkedIn. Once you register, you can connect with people attending the event. You already have something in common, so it’s not a cold reach-out.

The networking aspect of LinkedIn is what I value most. You all know that Bob invited me here, and we met at a virtual event. We kept in touch through LinkedIn.

As it happens, 90% of my clients are based outside the UK, mostly in the US and Canada. LinkedIn allows me to keep in touch with the kind of people I want to work with. That’s why I love it.

Emma:
I should update mine. Mine just says something about “organized chaos.”

Adam:
That’s a good starting point.

Nicole:
Exactly. Think about what makes you relatable but professional. Pretzels are on my profile because I’m from Germany, and it’s a fun conversation starter.

Emma:
You even have a pretzel emoji, don’t you?

Nicole:
Yes, I do. Pretzels are a personality trait now!

Adam:
I went to CloudFest in Germany last year, and my son and I loved the pretzels there. They were incredible.

Nicole:
Amazing! And if you’re in the UK, Lidl has great pretzels. No, this isn’t a paid sponsorship.

The key takeaway is to spend an hour updating your profile. Don’t overthink it. Use tools like Canva to update your banner. Check if your contact details are current. Does your profile picture look like you? Are you smiling into the camera?

Your tagline is also crucial. It’s the first thing people see when they look you up on mobile or desktop. If it’s just your job title, it’s time to change it. Use those 220 characters to explain who you are, who you help, and what makes you unique.

Nicole:
For example, in my tagline, I mention pretzels, and it ties into my German heritage. It’s fun and memorable. Think about what makes you unique and add a little personal flair.

Emma:
I just learned from your profile, Adam, that you like flying drones.

Adam:
I do.

Emma:
That’s interesting—I didn’t know that. A great talking point! But you still have numbers in your LinkedIn URL.

Adam:
I do have numbers in my URL.

Emma:
Time to update that!

Adam:
I’ll get to it. The numbers actually represent a date, though—it’s my anniversary.

Emma:
So you wouldn’t forget?

Adam:
Exactly.

Nicole:
But see? It’s already a talking point. Think about things in your personal life that you’re happy to talk about—whether it’s pretzels, flying drones, or something else. Of course, keep it professional. My rule of thumb is: if my mom were on LinkedIn, would she approve of what I’m sharing?

Emma:
That’s a good rule!

Nicole:
Especially now, with so many redundancies happening, it’s important to use your LinkedIn profile to its full potential. Showcase your skills, interests, and contributions to your team. Update your profile to present yourself in the best light.

Emma:
This is also a great exercise for reflecting on your accomplishments. It’s okay to set aside humility for a moment and say, “I did that!”

Nicole:
Exactly. And keep it relevant to your audience. Think about what makes you unique and how you serve your audience. For example, my clients often struggle with procrastination on LinkedIn, or they rely too heavily on referrals. Those challenges guide how I position myself.

Emma:
I liked how you phrased that—“Do you suffer from LinkedIn procrastination?” It’s catchy and relatable.

Adam:
It is, but it’s also funny! It reminds me of those over-the-top ads: “Do you suffer from… something?”

Nicole:
Exactly! It’s relatable but also a little playful.

Adam:
That’s a great point. One question I have is about consistency. Should I focus on staying “on brand” and only talk about my agency, or is it okay to share other interests—like flying drones? How do I navigate this balance?

Nicole:
Great question. First, let’s debunk the “consistency” myth. A lot of LinkedIn advice out there says you must post daily, send 50 connection requests a day, or spend hours in DMs. The truth is, we’re human. Some weeks you’ll have more to say, and others you won’t.

The key is quality over quantity. Post when you have something worth sharing.

Now, about balancing interests: I recommend using a framework like my WDA content approach. It has four tracks:

1. You (the founder): Share why you do what you do, your values, and a little about your personal life—like flying drones or enjoying pretzels. This helps people connect with you on a human level.
2. The business (agency track): Highlight client success stories, your team, and your processes. Show your audience why working with your company is a good decision.
3. Relatable expertise: Share insights and expertise that your audience will find valuable. For example, you might focus on influence-building or entrepreneurship, depending on your niche.
4. Lead generation: Create posts designed to engage your audience and prompt them to step out of invisibility. Polls, client success stories, or learning points work well here.

The balance between these tracks makes your content dynamic and engaging.

Nicole:
Now, if you have a larger team or company, it’s helpful to have a content strategy and style guide. Define what’s on-brand and what’s not. What’s your tone? What would you never say? What are you proud to share?

Meet regularly as a team to brainstorm content ideas, assign them, and review the outcomes. When everyone is aligned, it becomes easier to balance personal and professional content.

Adam:
That makes sense. I also wonder about deciding where to post something—on my personal page or the company’s page. When do you decide if it’s a company post versus a personal one?

Nicole:
Great question. Having a company page is a good idea if you have the resources to maintain it. But remember, people are more likely to engage with posts from a personal profile because LinkedIn is about personal connections.

That said, LinkedIn is working hard to make company pages more engaging. For example, you can post about team achievements, culture, or client wins on the company page and repurpose that content for your personal profile.

I recommend this strategy:

• For personal profiles, aim for about three posts per week.
• For company pages, one post per week is a good starting point. Sometimes, that post can simply be a repost of something shared by the founder or a team member.

Frequency should be achievable, and repurposing content across both personal and company pages is a smart way to stay consistent.

The one thing I’d caution against is sharing political views on LinkedIn. It’s fine to have opinions, but LinkedIn is a business environment. Keep your content professional and focused on your audience.

Emma:
That’s really helpful! Do you feel like there’s a question or topic we didn’t ask about that would be valuable for our listeners?

Nicole:
Great question, Emma. I’d circle back to the first step of getting started on LinkedIn. Something I didn’t mention earlier is the importance of reconnecting with your network.

Look up your past clients, current clients, colleagues, and even old colleagues. Send them connection requests—they’ll likely be your most supportive crowd when you start posting.

When you post, don’t picture the scariest scenario. Instead, think about one person you’re writing for. For example, you could write a post about a project you worked on with Adam. Talk about the challenge, the solution, and why it was meaningful. Make it personal and relevant.

Adam:
That’s such a great perspective. The time has really flown by, and I keep thinking of more questions I want to ask. But we’re nearing the end of our time today. This has been so inspirational, encouraging, and humbling. I know I have work to do, but I’m excited to get started.

Emma:
Same here! I actually have my LinkedIn profile open now, ready to dive in.

Nicole:
That’s wonderful to hear! It’s all about taking small steps. You’ve got this!

Emma:
We’ve covered so much today—from just playing around on LinkedIn to tips and tricks for getting started, as well as longer-term strategies. I’ve taken so many notes during this podcast. If you want my list, I can share it with you!

Adam:
We’ll all need Emma’s notes.

Emma:
Before we wrap up, Nicole, for listeners who want to learn more, get in touch with you, or work on their brand and authority, where can they find you?

Nicole:
Thank you so much, Emma and Adam. This was such a fun conversation! Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn at Nicole Osborne, or visit my company page at wondersa.com. You’ll find lots of free resources there, including content ideas for agency owners. Say hello on LinkedIn, and I’ll do my best to connect and respond. Let’s be sociable!

Emma:
It would’ve been hilarious if you said, “Find me on Facebook.”

Adam:
Or, “Our TikTok is blowing up right now!”

Nicole:
Ha! Definitely not.

Adam:
Thank you so much, Nicole. And thanks to all of you for joining us for this episode of Woo BizChat. We hope you found inspiration, insights, and tools to help you grow your agency or product company in the world of WordPress and WooCommerce.

Until next time, keep building, and we’ll see you soon.

Nicole:
Thanks, everyone! Bye!

Emma and Adam:
Bye!