From uncomfortable beginnings to business breakthroughs: the LinkedIn journey that transformed our growth

When I first started posting on LinkedIn, it felt uncomfortable.

Why? I was worried my work colleagues and especially my boss would think I was looking for a new job (this was before I started working here at EC-PR).

I decided to start posting on LinkedIn anyway because I enjoyed it.

I would share the learnings from my career so far.

The joys.

The challenges.

The unexpected outcomes.

And through that I hoped to connect with others in the PR profession.

To provide some encouragement.

And develop a sense of ‘we’re all in this together.’

I also had a love of writing, and so it was an opportunity, outside of the day job, to write about things I was interested in.

Perhaps unexpectedly, through sharing my career learnings and experiences, it reminded me of how much I had gained from over a decade of working in the communications industry.

Someone approached me asking if I would mentor them.

Another recommended my posts to a student studying PR and communications.

I started leaving recommendations for people I had worked with, which felt positive.

I began to grow in confidence as I realised, from my conversations with people in the comments, that I really did ‘know my stuff!’

My LinkedIn journey started to supercharge business growth

But it’s not just personally that I gained from posting on LinkedIn.

I witnessed how personal branding for the C-Suite has become essential to businesses looking to supercharge their growth.

I saw that this was particularly the case when LinkedIn was used to amplify the messages conveyed in thought leadership articles and interviews published in the press by those senior business leaders.

It became clear that LinkedIn was an incredible asset that could elevate the messages being conveyed by senior leaders through their communications and campaigns in trade publications or national press.

When earned media and owned media are used in tandem the gravitas and respect created for those leadership figures was huge.

As our recent Leaders on LinkedIn event showed, leaders who harness the power of LinkedIn can significantly impact key business metrics and establish meaningful connections with their customers, prospects and partners.

How EC-PR’s LinkedIn journey transformed our business outlook

EC-PR’s own journey with LinkedIn began in 2018 when the business was facing financial challenges. With a limited client list and a major client restructuring its PR in-house, the need for a new approach became evident.

Within four months of using LinkedIn, we’d attracted £100k in fee income, proving the potential of LinkedIn as a game-changer. This compelled EC-PR to take the platform seriously, not just as a business but as leaders, developing and working on each of our distinct personal brands.

And the truth is, with over 930 million members, LinkedIn has evolved into the world’s largest professional networking platform.

It can’t be ignored.

When harnessed correctly, it becomes a secret weapon for business growth, creating commercial opportunities, and elevating a company’s reputation.

How do you find the time for LinkedIn?

Now, I have to admit that if you follow me on LinkedIn, you may have noticed that my own personal journey on the platform has been a little unpredictable of late.

And the biggest reason for this is time.

Before my son started school, I could schedule half an hour every morning to posting.

But now, in between the joy of work, managing school activities, homework, and pickups, I soon discovered the half an hour I had devoted to LinkedIn was eaten up.

And for many senior business leaders, they told a similar story.

They just didn’t have time to post on LinkedIn.

They knew it would be beneficial for their business.

The gravitas and thought leadership potential huge.

But how could they prioritise such an endeavour among their already limited and stretched personal resources?

This is in part where the idea for Catalyst, our personal branding service for the C-Suite, came from.

And we have already seen huge results for our clients who have taken up this service.

For example, one of our clients received requests to meet with three business leads within just three weeks of posting on LinkedIn.

Now I’m not saying that will happen for everyone.

And personal branding shouldn’t be viewed as a lead generation activity.

But it certainly gives merit to the power of a platform that just a few years ago was viewed by many as just a digital CV.