LinkedIn is a powerful platform for building your personal brand and establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
One of the ways to achieve this is to earn a Top Voice or Community Voice badge on your LinkedIn profile, which signifies that you are a valued and quality content creator on LinkedIn.
But how do you become a Top Voice or Community Voice on LinkedIn? What are the criteria and benefits of these badges? And what are some tips and examples to help you get started?
In this article, we will answer these questions and more.
What are LinkedIn Top Voice and Community Voice badges?
LinkedIn Top Voice and Community Voice badges are two different types of recognition that LinkedIn awards to its top creators. These badges are not the same as verification, which is a simple process to confirm your identity on LinkedIn.
Rather, these badges indicate that you have demonstrated expertise, originality, and engagement through your quality content on LinkedIn.
1. LinkedIn Top Voice Badge
The blue Top Voice badge is invitation-only and features senior-level experts and leaders who cover a range of topics across the professional world. The LinkedIn Editorial team handpicks these members. The badge will simply say “Top Voice.”
Examples of Top Voice on LinkedIn
Here are some examples of Top Voice on LinkedIn to inspire you and give you some ideas. You can follow them and learn from their content and style.
Adam Grant
Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist and bestselling author who shares his insights on work, psychology, creativity, and motivation on LinkedIn.
He posts articles, podcasts, videos, and status updates on generosity, rethinking, potential, and leadership. He also engages with other users by commenting on trending news and issues related to his field.
Melinda Gates
Melinda Gates is a philanthropist, former multimedia product developer and manager at Microsoft. She shares her perspectives and initiatives on global health, education, and gender equality on LinkedIn.
She posts articles, videos, podcasts, and status updates on women’s empowerment, climate change, and social justice. She also interacts with other users by commenting on relevant LinkedIn posts and news.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and internet personality. He shares his tips and strategies on marketing, branding, social media, and entrepreneurship on LinkedIn.
He posts articles, videos, podcasts, and status updates on attention, content, storytelling, and hustle topics. He also engages with other users by commenting on their posts and offering advice and feedback.
2. Community Voice badge
The light gold Community Voice badge can be earned by noteworthy contributions to LinkedIn's collaborative articles, inviting multiple authors to share their insights on a specific topic or skill.
The Community Voice badge identifies these members with a specific skill, such as “Top Digital Marketing Voice”. You can earn badges for the skills set, and these will be combined into one badge on your profile.
Examples of Top Community Voice on LinkedIn
Here are some examples of Community Voice on LinkedIn to inspire you and give you some ideas. You can follow them and learn from their content and style.
Fraser Stewart
Fraser Stewart, is a co-founder and chief commercial officer of Lyfeguard. He is also a former managing director of ASCO, a global oil and gas logistics company.
He shares his insights and expertise on data access, fintech innovation, and legacy planning on LinkedIn. He posts topics such as data protection, digital transformation, and personal information management.
Hitashi Malik
Hitashi Malik is a director of people and culture at Joi Gifts, an online gifting platform in the MENA region. She is also a member of the Forbes HR Council, a community of senior-level HR executives.
She shares her perspectives and initiatives on HR strategy, employee engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion on LinkedIn. She posts topics such as talent management, people operations, and organizational development.
Shilpa Kulshrestha
Shilpa Kulshrestha, is a career strategist, game changer coach, speaker, and bestselling author of the book “Play it Full”. She is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, a community of leading business and career coaches.
She shares her tips and strategies on career development, leadership coaching, and personal growth on LinkedIn. She posts career transition, executive presence, and mindset mastery topics.
Why should you aim to become a Top Voice or Community Voice on LinkedIn?
Becoming a Top Voice or Community Voice on LinkedIn has many benefits for your personal and professional growth. Here are some of the reasons why you should aim to earn these badges:
How do you become a top voice on LinkedIn?
Becoming a Top Voice on LinkedIn is not easy, as it requires an invitation from the LinkedIn Editorial team. However, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of getting noticed and selected by them.
Here are some steps to become a Top Voice on LinkedIn
1. Choose the right skill set
Selecting the appropriate skill set is the first step towards becoming a top voice on LinkedIn. Ensure your skills align with your expertise and resonate with your target audience to enhance your visibility and influence.
2. Be consistent and active
Post regularly and frequently, at least once or twice a week, and engage with your audience and other creators. Show that you are committed and passionate about sharing your expertise on LinkedIn.
3. Be original and authentic
Create your content and avoid copying or plagiarizing others. Share your unique perspective and experience on topics that matter to you and your industry. Show your personality and voice in your content and comments.
4. Be valuable and relevant
Provide useful and actionable information and insights to help your audience solve their problems or achieve their goals. Explore timely, trending, or evergreen topics that resonate with your audience and industry.
5. Be diverse and creative
Experiment with different types of content and formats, such as articles, posts, videos, stories, polls, live streams, newsletters, and more. Use visuals, data, stories, examples, and humour to make your content more engaging and appealing.
6. Be collaborative and supportive
Connect and interact with other top creators, influencers, and leaders on LinkedIn. Join and contribute to relevant groups, events, and hashtags. Give and ask for feedback, advice, and recommendations. Recognize and celebrate the achievements of others.
Challenges to keep in mind to become a Top Voice on LinkedIn
You should only post relevant, useful, and informative content for your audience and the community. You should not post off-topic, promotional, repetitive, or low-quality content.
You should not insult, harass, or attack anyone based on their personal or professional attributes. Being polite and respectful can help you build trust and rapport with your audience and the community.
Maintain a regular schedule of posting quality content that engages your audience. You should also post content consistent with your personal brand, area of expertise, and audience’s interests.
Provide value and insights that benefit your readers and the community. You should not post content that is solely focused on promoting yourself, your products, or your services. You should also avoid being too salesy or pushy in your content.
How to become a Community Voice on LinkedIn?
Becoming a Community Voice on LinkedIn is more accessible and achievable, as it depends on your contributions to collaborative articles on LinkedIn.
These articles invite multiple authors to share their insights on a specific topic or skill, such as “How to Write a Great Resume” or “Best Practices for Remote Work”. You can find these articles on the LinkedIn News page or by following the hashtags #collaborativearticle and #communityvoice.
To earn a Community Top Voice badge, you must be among the most noteworthy contributors to a collaborative article for a particular skill. You can earn badges for multiple skills combined into one badge on your profile. The badge is active on the platform for 60 days after you earn it.
Still, it may be removed at any time if you violate the LinkedIn Professional Community Policies or post content that is not additive.
Here are some steps to become a Community Voice on LinkedIn
1. Be selective and strategic
Choose the collaborative articles that match your skills and interests, and that have a large and relevant audience. Avoid contributing to articles that are too broad, too niche, or too saturated with responses.
2. Be concise and clear
Write short and crisp responses that answer the question or prompt of the collaborative article. Use bullet points, numbers, or headings to organize your response and make it easy to read and scan.
3. Be specific and actionable
Provide concrete and practical tips, examples, or resources that can help the readers of the collaborative article. Avoid vague or generic statements that do not add value or insight.
4. Be respectful and professional
Follow the guidelines and etiquette of the collaborative article and the LinkedIn platform. Do not spam, promote, or plagiarize in your response. Do not bash or criticize other contributors or their responses.
5. Be engaging and social
Invite and respond to comments and questions on your response. Thank other contributors for their insights and feedback. Share the collaborative article with your network and encourage them to join the conversation.
Challenges to keep in mind to become a Community Voice on LinkedIn
Focus on the topics that you are knowledgeable and passionate about. This means that you should only write about the subjects that you have experience, number of skills, or interest in.
You should not disregard or dismiss their opinions or suggestions. Engaging with them can help you build relationships, learn from different perspectives, and improve your writing skills.
You should not write long or complicated sentences that are confusing or ambiguous. Using clear and concise language can help you communicate your ideas and insights in a direct and impactful way .
Avoid spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors that can undermine your credibility2 . This means that you should check and correct your writing for any mistakes or typos before you send it to the collaborative article.
All set to become a LinkedIn Top Voice?
LinkedIn Top Voice and Community Top Voice badges are great ways to boost your brand and thought leadership on LinkedIn. They can help you increase your visibility, credibility, network, and opportunities on the platform.
To become a Top Voice or Community Voice on LinkedIn, you must create and share valuable, original, and engaging content showcasing your expertise and insights on topics that matter to you and your industry.
Also, if you need professional help to enhance your marketing strategies to gain better results, contact webdew. Our experts will help you choose different marketing methods and bring growth.
