If your LinkedIn presence has been gathering digital dust while you focused on “real work,” consider this your 2026 wake-up call.
In a world where AI-generated noise has reached a crescendo, your personal brand isn’t just a “nice-to-have”; it’s a powerful tool to signal authenticity and trust, and it can cut through the noise like nothing else!
Why Linkedin? There are so many other platforms…
If you think LinkedIn is just for job hunting, you’re missing the biggest open goal in digital marketing – yeah we just made a sports reference, we aren’t entirely one-dimensional! Ahem, anyway the perks of LinkedIn are seriously good:
- The Reach: Unlike other platforms that hide your content behind “pay-to-play” walls, LinkedIn still offers significant organic reach. One well-placed post with a good bit of engagement can open up doors all over the show.
- The Trust Economy: In the age of deepfakes and AI bots, LinkedIn is a “verified” environment. People come here to do business, which means the intent is already high. There are definitely bad players out there, but they’re not as prevalent as the rest of the internet.
- The Network Effect: You don’t just reach your followers; you reach theirs. Every meaningful comment or share acts as a major ripple effect – putting your content in front of your connection’s connections!
What’s new on LinkedIn for 2026?
LinkedIn in 2026 is no longer about just being “active.” But that is a good start.
It’s about building a digital footprint that signals you are a legitimate, credible, and, of course, a very human player in your industry. What is almost funny is that because there is so much automation, the value of a genuine human voice has never been higher. So we say use the LLMs to get started, but tweak those captions, really think about how you truly sound, and run with it.
Use AI to brainstorm, outline a complex topic, or summarise a long report or even just for structuring your stream of consciousness. Then, go back in and add your opinion, your anecdotes, and your specific regional context (like how a global trend is affecting us here in NZ).
In 2026, the “polished” corporate look is out; “real” is the new premium, but why not use AI tools to help you build the confidence.
How do I get started with posting?
Ignore the cringe. It’s not as bad as you think. Show up and put yourself out there and see what happens. A great way to ease into it? Start engaging with other people’s posts! A thoughtful comment (not just “congrats”) that sparks conversation or response makes doing your own posts less daunting.
Like the old saying, if you want a village, you have to be a villager – if you want comments, you have to be a commenter. You’re not going to become a LinkedInfluencer out of nowhere!
Content for LinkedIn
Take the screen real estate you’re allowed to. If you’ve got images to work with – don’t just put up a wall of text! Get snapping, make it habitual, you might even like recording the memories.
The biggest hurdle to post consistency is “what do I post?” (you probably have dozens of good ideas to post). It’s the accompanying content! We know this because people tell it to us.
The secret isn’t creating content; it’s documenting your day.
- Take a photo of a problem you solved this morning.
- Write down a question a client asked you.
- Record a 30-second “walk and talk” video on your phone about a trend you’re noticing.
- Grab a snap of your coffee, your Zoom call, your team at work – the content bank can grow quickly once you’re in the habit.
TLDR
- Document your day. Having a bank of images to go with your posts will always be helpful!
- Avoid AI images and videos – they’re just a bit cr*p. You can do better.
- Use LLMs to refine your good ideas – not write it all for you.
- Engage with your network with genuine comments – and lap up the reciprocity.
- Don’t overthink it – you’re an expert in your field, say it with your chest.
- LinkedIn connections know you (hopefully) in real life, speak like yourself, they’ll see right through it if you don’t.
LinkedIn is an untapped resource for so many people, and 2026 can be your year to make the change!
If you’ve got questions, or want to know more contact the Empire9 team.
