LinkedIn as a Brand Extension: Get Your Team in the Game
In today’s relationship-driven industries—like energy and ag business—LinkedIn is no longer just a job-hunting tool. It’s where your customers, prospects, and industry partners are already connecting, learning, and making decisions. That makes it one of the most powerful tools your sales and customer-facing teams can use to build trust, grow relationships, and support your organization's mission—one post, profile, and connection at a time.
At Paulsen, we work with leaders across the LinkedIn spectrum—some who’ve never posted and others who are power users. Regardless of where you are, there's an opportunity to amplify your impact and build trust in your brand and your company’s brand. And it doesn’t require hours a day or a social media degree. Just a plan—and a little confidence.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for turning your teams’ LinkedIn presence into a real story-telling asset for both you and your company.
1. Start with the Basics: Clean Up
Before posting anything, make sure your profile reflects who you are now—professionally and personally.
Update your headline and summary. Think of your headline as more than a job title. Use it to share what you do and why it matters. Example: “Supporting rural America through energy finance.”
Upload a current photo. Choose something that feels approachable and professional. Avoid photos that include other people (like family photos).
Check your “About” section. Keep it focused but human. If you’re passionate about supporting rural communities or connecting with farmers, say that.
Make connections. Add people you meet at conferences, vendors, clients, partners, or even neighbors if they’re in the industry. The wider your network, the more effective your posts will be.
2. Make Smart, Intentional Connections
Before you start posting, take a moment to grow and clean up your network. The broader and more relevant your LinkedIn network is, the farther your content can travel—and the more likely it is to spark the right conversations.
Here are a few ways to connect with purpose:
Add people while they’re still fresh in your mind. Just finished a conference? Had a great vendor meeting or a solid sales call? Follow up with a quick connection request within 24 hours.
Personalize the message. Skip the default invite. A short note like “Great talking with you at the Energy Ag Finance Summit—would love to stay in touch here too” goes a long way.
Look for mutual connections. If a customer follows your company’s page or is connected with a colleague, that’s a perfect signal to introduce yourself.
Don’t be afraid to reach out cold—if it’s relevant. See someone comment on a post you found valuable? Engaging meaningfully with their content first can make a connection request feel natural.
The goal isn’t to collect followers—it’s to build a community of people who care about the same industries, ideas, and challenges you do.
3. Get Comfortable. Share First.
We get it—writing your own posts can feel intimidating. The easiest way to build confidence is to start small. Here’s a simple path to building your voice:
Share your company’s post.
Did your company publish something worth sharing? Maybe your CEO shared a good industry stat? Hit “Share” and add a short sentence or two:
“Proud of our team’s latest work in ag finance—this campaign is a great example of our values in action.”
“This post addresses a big issue facing rural energy leaders—worth the read.”
4. Share Stories That Solve, Not Sell
When you’re ready to post your own content, shift your mindset from “What do I want to say?” to “What would be helpful or meaningful to the people I serve?”
Your goal isn’t to pitch. It’s to share your perspective, highlight real-world problems, and show how your organization is making a difference. That’s what builds trust and credibility—especially in relationship-driven industries like ag and energy.
Think of your posts as short stories, not sales messages. You’re not writing an ad—you’re offering insight.
Here are a few post prompts to get you started:
A challenge a customer is facing (and how your team helped solve it)
A reflection from an event or industry trend that got you thinking
A stat or article you recently read that highlights a larger issue
A behind-the-scenes look at community work your company is involved in
Focus on value-driven language. For example:
Instead of:
“XYZ Corp offers flexible, low-interest financing.”
Try:
“One of the biggest challenges facing electric co-ops today is finding financing that helps them upgrade power infrastructure and keeps energy affordable. That’s why I’m proud to work with a team that gets it.”
This kind of post doesn’t just showcase what you do—it shows that you understand the real issues your customers are facing. That’s how content earns attention, engagement, and respect.
5. Be Consistent, Not Constant
You don’t need to post every day. In fact, once a week is a great place to start. LinkedIn rewards authenticity over frequency.
Use a rhythm that works for you:
One post a month about a customer story
One share a month from your corporate page or a peer
Occasional comments on posts from others in your industry
Creating an editorial calendar for your customer-facing team to follow alleviates anxiety among new posters and ensures your team is sharing the right kind of stories to engage customers and prospects.
LinkedIn Isn’t the Goal. Connection Is.
This isn’t about going viral. It’s about helping people understand what you do, why it matters, and how you can help solve real challenges. Whether you're advising the CEO, leading a business development team, or encouraging a group of loan officers to start posting, your team can use LinkedIn to grow relationships and move your mission forward.
At Paulsen, we believe in the power of rural stories—and the people who tell them.
So start where you are. Be helpful. Be human. And let your voice support the brand you believe in.
Need help getting your team started? We’ve trained brand ambassadors, built LinkedIn playbooks, and developed content strategies that connect.
If you’re ready to turn personal profiles into business tools, let’s talk.