Be seen, be heard and be trusted.

SENIOR Digital Account Executive, Grace McAllister, shares our top tips on LinkedIn thought leadership.

In a world of endless scrolling, LinkedIn remains the best place to build professional credibility and spark meaningful conversations. The most important thing to do is to show up consistently and effectively. Unfortunately this requires more than just the occasional post.

Here are our top tips for creating powerful LinkedIn thought leadership content, with real examples from our clients that show how it’s done.

1. Lead with value, not vanity

Your audience is busy. If you’re not offering value, insight, advice, perspective or clarity you’ll quickly lose their attention.

Use your post to answer a question your network might have or to offer a helpful take on something trending in your industry.

Example: Water Direct‘s response to the AMP8 launch, a milestone in the water services industry.

2. Show your face (and your people)

Posts that include team spotlights, behind-the-scenes moments, or founder reflections tend to land better than impersonal brand updates. They humanise the business and spark engagement.

Example: Elspeth MacDonald Chief Executive at SFF forecasted trends for the 2025 Scottish fishing industry landscape.

3. Ride the newswave

Being reactive to what’s happening in your industry or the world shows you’re relevant, informed, and proactive. This doesn’t mean jumping on every headline, just the ones that matter to your audience.

Example: Scottish Fishermen’s Federation shared concerns over the UK-EU fisheries deal following the political announcement by Keir Starmer.

4. Use visual formats like carousels

LinkedIn’s carousel posts (multi-slide PDFs) are an underrated secret weapon. They give you space to explain a concept, tell a story or share a framework in a clear and engaging way and people spend longer with them.

Example: Account Manager, Cameron Ward’s social media post outlining top tips for public affairs.

5. Make it conversational, not corporate

Tone is everything. The best thought leaders on LinkedIn write like real people. That means ditching jargon, asking questions and using less AI!

Example: Associate Director, Chris Fairbairn’s LinkedIn repost following his feature on the Scottish Housing News podcast.

6. Start strong, the first line matters

Your opening line should stop the scroll. Whether it’s a stat, a bold opinion, a question, or a short story, it’s the hook that gets them to “see more”.

Example: CEO at Share, Daryl McIntosh shared their expertise on AI following national headlines.

7. Don’t post and ghost

Thought leadership is a two-way street. Stick around after posting, reply to comments, start discussions, and support others in your network. You’re building a voice and a community.

Example: Account manager, Rachael Martin engaged with the comments section following her opinion piece in Scottish Business News

Final Thoughts

Being a thought leader isn’t about being loud. It’s about being useful, visible, and consistent. If you’ve got something to say, say it where it counts.

Want to chat more with a leading social media agency on how you can position yourself as a thought leadership on LinkedIn?

Our Digital PR team are specialists in helping professionals and brands build influence through thought leadership on LinkedIn.

If you’d like to enhance your personal or company profile, grow your audience, and establish your voice in the digital space, then get in touch on 0131 561 2244 or by using the form below.