Personal Branding, Persuasion, & LinkedIn Application

Concepts such as likeability, credibility, and authority can be used to create a personal brand and increase influence.

Personal branding is a powerful tool for the current employee or entrepreneur. By harnessing the capabilities of social media combined with persuasion concepts, one could optimize a LinkedIn profile enough to land a desired role or form targeted relationships. Concepts such as likeability, credibility, and authority can be used to create an image and increase the influence of a message or request. By linking background similarities to future goals, the persuader could land an interview with their target leader or entrepreneur. Additionally, by building up their skills and establishing credibility, a job seeker could post an interesting tidbit of learning that attracts their target audience through the algorithm. Lastly, commanding attention through title, clothing, and profile completion would cause the receiver/target audience to place the profile/person in a position of authority. Overall, by combining the range of LinkedIn, it’s algorithmic features, and a few simple persuasion tactics a source could build a reputable personal brand.

Throughout this article we will review likeability, credibility, and authority as persuasion concepts and how they can be applied to optimize a LinkedIn profile. For this article the LinkedIn profile is referred to as a place to store and promote a personal brand. Lastly, for increased understanding a summary chart is provided and can be easily reviewed by anyone looking to optimize their LinkedIn profile or begin to develop their personal brand through social media.

Background

Likeability

Likeability should be considered when looking to create a personal brand however, what does it mean to have the audience like you? According to Cialdini’s (2007) work, likeability is the amount your target audience favors you. There are many ways to positively influence your audience’s perception and increase likeability. A few are being physically attractive, having similarity or similar interests, and complimenting your audience (Cialdini, 2007).

While it’s well known that physical attractiveness plays a part in likeability, recent research has discovered it plays an even bigger role after all (Cialdini, 2007). It turns out, those who are physically attractive have an ‘auto-assigned’ likeability. In that, if you’ve never met the person before and you find them attractive you’re automatically going to favor them over another less-attractive stranger (Cialdini, 2007). To go a step further, if this attractive person compliments you or shows similarity, your opinion of them will positively increase (Cialdini, 2007). Adding on, when a compliment is received people default to believing in praise and thus establishing trust in the compliment giver (Cialdini, 2007; Gass & Seiter 2011). Likewise, similarity in any arena will increase likeability as it breeds familiarity and potentially mutual goals (Cialdini, 2007).

Authority

Authority can be seen as a social construct. Americans have been bred to respect and obey authoritative figures (Cialdini, 2007). At an early age, Americans are taught that by following orders one will be rewarded, like standing in line patiently for an ice cream cone (Cialdini, 2007). This understanding compounds throughout life, from standing in line patiently as a kindergartner to following orders from your boss at work (Cialdini, 2007).

One concept that can be used to influence an audience aligned to authority is through title or dress (Cialdini, 2007). As RuPaul says, “you’re born naked and the rest is drag,” combined with what Cialdini (2007) implies what you wear generates amenability in your audience (Henn et al., p. 217, 2019). Cialdini (2007) goes further to explain how people can find it difficult to challenge someone in authoritative garb. Likewise, title can also set you up for perceived success by symbolizing authority (Cialdini, 2007). In another vein, titles can also make you seem more attractive to the receiver (Cialdini, 2007).

Credibility

Expanding from title we have credibility, which is the appearance that the persuader is an expert in the topic or task at hand (Gass & Seiter, 2011). Expertise can be established through a myriad of circumstances, founded on experience and education (Gass & Seiter, 2011). Once you’re considered an expert and well regarded as such, you have potential to take advantage of the halo effect (Gass & Seiter, 2011).

The halo effect can be used to the persuaders advantage as, for example, once deemed credible in one area it is likely the audience will associate the same level of credibility to another-completely separate arena (Gass & Seiter, 2011). That said, what if you’re no expert at all? Gass & Seiter (2011) suggest that you can ‘fake it until you make it’ if you can convince your audience you know enough to be considered credible. In sum, a quick google search and an hour of studying may increase your credibility just enough to persuade your audience (Gass & Seiter, 2011). Furthermore, when you accept your mistakes or admit that you aren’t all-knowing on a subject, the target audience is likely to find the expert more credible (Tormala, 2011).

LinkedIn Application

Likeability

The likeability concept suggests the persuader make their LinkedIn Profile Photo visible to all and choose their most attractive (professional) photo. The LinkedIn banner photo should be a visual that brings out your potential similarities to the target audience. Additionally, your “about me” section should be in first person as to provide the illusion of friendship/familiarity. When looking to engage with your audience, whether it be through a general post or message, utilize the compliment concept. In that, when reaching out to others compliment them or give them thanks and praise. To do this, review their profile and compliment them on a recent achievement in your initial message. In addition to a compliment, suggest a similarity to increase chance of receiver engagement. For example:

Hi Target Relationship Personnel,

Congratulations on your recent certification, your career journey is an inspiration. As a current participant in (same) certification program, I’d love 30 minutes to learn more about how you’re applying the certification program components to your current role…

Authority

The LinkedIn profile photo, or any platform posts that contain your image, should show the source ‘dressed to impress’ professionally to command authority. The headline should have your title and if you don’t currently have a job, put the title you want or had in the past. As stated, the title can symbolize authority, make you more attractive to your audience and increase compliance.

Credibility

Establishing credibility without experience is tricky but, as an expert in interpersonal influence the persuader has the capacity to create an illusion of credibility without lying. For example, more often than not high schools require volunteer hours, volunteer work is work. Redefine the volunteer work as something that closely fits the audience you are looking to influence. In addition to this, do research on the topic and create posts about what you find interesting, the more content you create the higher the likelihood the algorithm will push the post to the top of the feed thus increasing audience engagement. As a last resort, simply posting articles on the industry you’re looking to break into will help solidify your credibility as, by proxy of the content creator, the halo effect will take place.

Additionally, the halo effect can be helpful if you’re experienced in one industry and are looking to branch out into something new. For example, say you have a PhD in Paleontology and are a current Professor but are looking to get into the technology sector. Aligning your success as a Professor with your impending industry change will influence your audience to allude your expertise in both sectors. This illusion will increase your connections in the chosen field and therefore increase your likelihood of engaging with the audience in technology becoming a virtuous circle by returning to likeability potential.

Conclusion

There are many opportunities to apply persuasion tactics and theory to create or communicate a personal brand. LinkedIn is a well-structured medium to host your professional brand, write about your workplace experiences, and share your career journey. In sum, by optimizing your LinkedIn profile, a persuader can establish credibility, likeability, and authority to positively increase audience engagement and perception.

Of note, this article was originally written and submitted to Johns Hopkins in pursuit of a degree on March 9, 2021.