After optimizing your LinkedIn profile, your next step is to set clear goals to guide you toward becoming recognized for LinkedIn thought leadership. Without clear goals, getting lost in the sea of LinkedIn content is easy, and your efforts may lack focus.

Define Your Purpose and Audience

Before you begin to set goals, ask yourself:

  • Why do I want to become a thought leader on LinkedIn?
  • Who am I trying to reach?

Your goals should align with your purpose and the needs of your target audience. For example, if your purpose is to attract clients for your consulting business, your goals might focus on increasing your visibility and engagement among potential clients in your niche.

Conversely, if your goal is to establish yourself as an expert in a specific industry, your focus might be on creating high-value content that resonates with professionals in that field.

Set SMART Goals

SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. They are an effective framework for ensuring that goals are realistic and actionable.

Here is how to apply SMART goals to your LinkedIn thought leadership strategy:

Specific – Be clear about what you want to achieve. Instead of saying, “I want to grow my LinkedIn following,” say, “I want to increase my LinkedIn connections by 20% in the next three months.

Measurable – Ensure your goals are measurable so you can track your progress. For example, “I want to publish four LinkedIn articles and generate at least 200 views and 50 comments on each.”

Achievable – Set realistic goals that you can achieve, given your current resources. If you’re new to LinkedIn, don’t aim for 10,000 followers in your first month. Start small and build.

Relevant – Ensure your goals align with your overall purpose and business objectives. If your business is focused on leadership development, your goal should revolve around building authority in that area, not just increasing followers.

Time-bound – Set a deadline for your goals. For example: “I want to reach 500 connections by December 31, 2024.”

Focus on Engagement

While growing your following is essential, numbers alone don’t equate to trust or LinkedIn thought leadership. Engagement is where the real magic happens. Your goals should focus on building meaningful relationships and sparking conversations with your audience.

Set goals like:

  • Increasing the number of comments on my posts by 50% over the next three months.
  • Engaging with five new thought leaders in my industry by commenting on and sharing their content each week.

Focusing on engagement helps you build a community of people who see you as a trusted voice in your niche.

Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress is essential to accomplishing your goals. LinkedIn’s analytics tools measure key metrics such as profile views, post engagement, and follower growth. Regularly reviewing your progress allows you to adjust your strategy and refine your approach to meet your goals better.

If your goal was to increase the engagement on your posts but you don’t see the results you hoped for, tweak your content style, try different posting times, or experiment with new formats like video or polls.

Review and Adjust

LinkedIn thought leadership is a journey; your goals may evolve as you grow. Regularly review and adjust your goals based on what’s working and what’s not. Be flexible and open to shifting your strategy as you gain more insights about your audience and what resonates with them.

A compelling profile and defined goals will help you begin your journey to becoming a thought leader.

If you are ready to start your LinkedIn thought leadership journey but uncertain where to start, let’s schedule a coffee chat to explore the possibilities.