Creating a LinkedIn Marketing Strategy for Freelancers: 10 Expert Tips

With the right LinkedIn marketing strategy, freelancers can get noticed, attract leads and grow faster without sounding pushy or fake.

The best part? LinkedIn isn’t limited to those seeking full-time jobs anymore. For writers and creative freelancers, this is one of the best places to grow a personal brand, connect with like-minded colleagues and land new clients.

LinkedIn has over 1 billion members from all corners of the world. This means there’s huge potential to reach your target audience, share valuable insights, build real business relationships and find freelance writing jobs.

It’s not about selling hard, it’s about showcasing your skill, offering value and building trust through content and thoughtful interaction.

What is LinkedIn marketing?

Simply put, LinkedIn marketing is a strategy that helps freelancers grow by using the social platform to gain visibility. Think of it as a way to reach the right audience, share valuable content, boost your personal brand and conduct real conversations.

LinkedIn offers tools for lead generation and content sharing. With features like analytics, campaign manager, LinkedIn advertising and sponsored content, freelancers can sharpen marketing goals, test ideas and reach more prospects.

Many people bypass LinkedIn in favor of platforms like Instagram or X (Twitter), but that’s a missed opportunity. With its unique targeting and focus on business connections, this can be a gold mine for connecting with the right audience.

In fact, many marketers choose LinkedIn over other social platforms for lead generation. It works well for those who want to build real connections, join specific industry groups and create a strategy that supports long-term growth.

Whether you’re building a marketing LinkedIn profile or trying to drive website visitors, this platform gives you space to show skill, connect with professionals, and build strong relationships.

10 steps for a successful LinkedIn marketing strategy for freelancers

Having a LinkedIn profile alone won’t do much. What matters is how it’s used. With the right approach, freelancers, including writers, can use the platform to find freelance writing jobs, research clients, grow their online presence, and generate leads without spending hours each day.

Here’s a step-by-step way to do it right:

1. Optimize your profile

First things first, update your LinkedIn profile. Think of it as your digital storefront and one of the first things prospects see. A few optimizations can help you show up in search results, stand out in your niche and support your LinkedIn marketing efforts.

Start here:

• Use a clear, high-quality photo that looks professional and fits your brand. Keep visibility set to public so profile visitors don’t miss it
• Create a strong professional headline for freelancer work. Include terms clients might search, such as freelance writer, marketing freelancer or B2B content creator
• Add a short, niche-specific summary under your name. Use this space to highlight a job title that makes sense to your prospect, the problems you solve and why they should choose you
• Check your privacy and SEO settings. Make sure your profile shows up on search engines. That helps more people find you, even outside the social platform
• List all freelance projects that fit your goals. Your goal is to show your range, skills and experience. If a brand or client checks your profile, real examples help build trust

This step sets the base for the rest of your LinkedIn strategy. The stronger your profile looks, the better your chances of turning views into conversations and conversations into new work.

2. Use LinkedIn endorsements and recommendations

An easy way to increase your brand equity on LinkedIn is through endorsements and recommendations. Both help demonstrate how the work you do delivers value and deeper understanding of why you’re the right person for the job.

Endorsements

Endorsements allow others to vouch for specific skills you have, such as content strategy, marketing or lead generation. These show up on your profile and help prospects understand what you offer without needing to scroll too far. Endorsing others is also a smart move. It keeps you active on their radar and strengthens your LinkedIn relationships.

Recommendations

Recommendations go a step further. They work like quick reviews, written by people you’ve worked with, like clients, partners, or teammates. A thoughtful note from a happy client gives your profile a personal touch and supports your lead generation strategy. That kind of social proof can help you stand out from other freelancers in your niche.

Here’s how to make the most of this feature:

• Reach out to clients after a successful project and ask for a short LinkedIn recommendation. If they’ve already praised your work in messages or emails, it’s a natural next step
• Make a habit of writing recommendations for others, especially people you’ve worked closely with. This builds goodwill and makes it easier to request a recommendation later
• Endorse your contacts for skills that match what they do best. It’s easy to do and is something they’ll appreciate

Over time, these small actions strengthen your profile and show new visitors that you’re active and trusted.

3. Post various types of niche-focused content regularly

Writing LinkedIn posts can help freelancers create a professional brand and boost their online presence in the feeds of prospects. Sharing the right mix of content supports a strong LinkedIn marketing strategy, one that drives engagement and builds trust.

Try these content ideas:

• Share links to your articles, guest posts or other pieces to show your experience and expertise
• Use LinkedIn’s publishing tools to create short, valuable LinkedIn posts that speak directly to your target audience
• Repurpose blog posts or longer content into quick LinkedIn updates, like pulling a key quote or insight
• Share relevant third-party articles or videos that your LinkedIn audience will find useful
• Mix in video and image posts, such as how-to tutorials, interviews or infographics with data your audience will appreciate
• Data-backed content gets more attention. Use stats, surveys, or study results to create eye-catching visuals or carousel ads that boost engagement

Bonus tips:

• Timing matters. Posting on weekdays, especially Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4pm, Wednesdays at 2pm and Fridays at 1pm, can help reach more users when they’re active
• Vary post length. Short punchy updates grab attention, while longer posts can position you as a thought leader by sharing deeper insights
• Link to external articles. LinkedIn’s algorithm supports sharing links to external blogs and websites. Posting useful content from others (and tagging them!) can extend your reach and tap into new audiences
• Use hashtags. Maybe hashtags are over on some platforms, but on LinkedIn you can use three to five hashtags to increase your visibility. Mix popular and niche hashtags to reach your ideal industries. You can even create your own branded hashtag series to boost brand awareness if it makes sense

Creating content is just the start. Posting content that provides value will ultimately build your brand.

4. Engage with others—individuals and companies

Networking on LinkedIn means more than just adding connections. It requires interaction. Engaging with posts, articles and leaving comments helps build your online presence and helps you develop name recognition.

Check your notifications

LinkedIn sends notifications when someone in your network posts or reacts to content. These alerts are a great starting point for making connections, especially since they often include posts outside your immediate network

Engagement doesn’t have to be complicated

A simple like or share keeps your profile active and visible to others. When you want to add to the conversation, leave thoughtful comments on posts in your feed. Reposting with a few added thoughts doesn’t hurt either

Focus on the content your ideal clients share

Read their articles and announcements, then join in the discussion with meaningful comments or questions. This approach helps build mutually beneficial relationships, increases your visibility and positions you as a collaborative and creative LinkedIn freelancer.

For example, a question on a post might attract responses or connection requests, showing how genuine engagement can help you grow your business.

5. Join relevant LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups bring together like-minded professionals around a specific industry or topic. For freelancers, joining the right groups means more networking opportunities, better brand recognition and chances to share your thoughts with your target audience.

Look for active groups with discussions that match your interests or future career goals.

To make the most of LinkedIn Groups:

• Start meaningful conversations by posting questions or sharing helpful articles and resources
• Share your expertise and insights to show thought leadership and support fellow professionals
• Engage with members, connect with promising prospects and keep up with posts to build stronger relationships
• Create a group around your specialty to boost your brand and engage prospects

Joining and actively participating in LinkedIn groups is a powerful way to expand your network. It brings you closer to industry leaders and prospective clients, helping you increase your company’s reach and grow your freelance business.

6. Connect with other professionals and potential clients

Treat LinkedIn marketing like a daily appointment. Just 30 minutes of focused time can lead to strong connections and qualified leads over time. Focus on quality, not quantity, when building your network.

• Start by connecting with people you already know, like friends and former coworkers. Expand from there. LinkedIn suggests connections based on your job title, location and industry, making it easier to connect with the right people
• Always include a personalized message with your connection requests. Use those 300 characters wisely to introduce yourself and make a positive impression
• Follow company pages in your niche and engage with their posts. Also, follow industry leaders and influencers who can help you connect with the right audience
• Use LinkedIn to research leads. Companies often share news like job openings, mergers or branding updates. Look for businesses with at least 50 employees—smaller companies without a digital presence might not be ready to bring on a freelancer
• Use LinkedIn’s search filters to find connections: Search > People > All Filters > Industries > Title. Look for roles like Marketing Director or Creative Director if you write marketing content
• Check if you share mutual connections, such as alumni from your school, former colleagues or Group members. These links can open doors for introductions
• Pay attention to LinkedIn job postings for writing opportunities. Some companies might prefer hiring freelancers instead of full-time writers. Reach out to explore these opportunities when you see them
• Keep your direct messages polite and personable. Make your purpose clear, offer value and avoid generic sales pitches. Direct messages give you a personal, one-on-one way to strengthen relationships, nurture leads and grow your brand. Consistently sending well-crafted messages shows you’re a person worth staying connected with

7. Share LinkedIn updates on other social media platforms

Cross-posting your social media content helps increase your connections and engagement across the Internet. Since most people are only active on a few platforms, sharing your LinkedIn updates in other places gives your content a boost.

Another idea is to add your X (Twitter) or Instagram handle to your LinkedIn profile. This makes sharing easier and allows you to connect with your LinkedIn audience elsewhere. If a multi-platform approach supports your overall marketing strategy then it’s a worthwhile investment.

8. Consider creating a LinkedIn Page

If your goal is to scale your freelance business or brand, setting up a LinkedIn Page can help.

Personal profiles focus on building connections and private messages. LinkedIn Pages are for businesses and allow people to follow you without requesting a connection first. This helps your content reach more people and increases your company’s brand awareness.

LinkedIn Pages and profiles work together in your LinkedIn marketing strategy, but they have different purposes. Pages are public and good for sharing updates, running LinkedIn ads and reaching a wider audience. Profiles focus on personal networking, direct messages and building your professional brand as a freelancer.

By linking your personal profile to your LinkedIn Page, such as listing your business as your employer, you create a holistic marketing ecosystem.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to LinkedIn pages: Click “Work” on LinkedIn’s top menu, then scroll down to “Create a Company Page.” You’ll need a company name and business email. Once created, you become the admin and can assign others as admins later
2. Choose your business category: Options include small business (under 200 employees), medium to large business (200+ employees), educational institutions or Showcase Pages (subpages for specific campaigns)
3. Fill out page details: Provide your business name, public URL, website link, company size and legal entity type. This info helps with brand recognition and lead generation by making your Page easy to find and understand
4. Add company logo and tagline: These are key brand elements that make your Page memorable and recognizable. Think of logos like the golden arches for McDonald’s and taglines that capture your brand’s essence
5. Complete business information: Include your company description, location, branded hashtags and a cover photo. Adding call-to-action buttons like “Visit Website” or “Contact Us” encourages further engagement

Boost your reach with LinkedIn ads

LinkedIn advertising offers direct ways to target and reach your ideal audience beyond your network. Use the Campaign Manager to create ad campaigns with specific marketing goals like lead generation or brand awareness.

LinkedIn ad types include:

• Sponsored content (promoted posts)
• Message ads (direct messages to prospects)
• Text ads (small ads on the sidebar)
• Dynamic ads (personalized ads for users)

Using LinkedIn ads supports your goal of generating qualified leads and growing your business.

Amplify your LinkedIn content with boosting

Boosting helps you promote valuable posts like thought leadership content, product launches or customer spotlights to a wider audience. Boosted posts can drive website visits, increase video views or add engagement to a post, making your LinkedIn marketing efforts more effective.

Expand with Showcase Pages

Showcase Pages are subpages linked to your main business Page. Use them to highlight specific projects, products or campaigns. They help you target specific niches within your audience and can help you attract new followers outside your immediate network.

Creating and managing a LinkedIn Page alongside your personal profile provides a powerful marketing combo. It helps you build brand awareness, supports your social media marketing efforts and drives leads.

Keep track of progress

One of LinkedIn’s unique features is showing who viewed your profile. Use this information to learn more about your network and see who is interested in you or what you’re doing.

To check, click the “Me” icon on the LinkedIn homepage, then “View Profile,” and select “Who Viewed Your Profile” in your dashboard.

For LinkedIn Pages, dive into analytics to measure your marketing efforts. LinkedIn provides detailed reports showing visitors, followers and engagement metrics. If you run LinkedIn ads, you can track clicks, impressions and social actions to see what’s working and what isn’t.

Set your key performance indicators (KPIs) ahead of time, such as website visitors, lead generation or brand awareness, so you have a benchmark for success. Tracking these numbers helps you improve your LinkedIn marketing and grow your freelance business more efficiently.

9. Use a social media marketing tool

The right tools can make a big difference in your LinkedIn marketing strategy.

As a freelancer, managing your time well while still engaging with the right audience is important, which is where social media marketing tools come in.

At the very least, you’ll want a tool that helps schedule and publish your LinkedIn posts. This keeps your content plan on track without needing to live post at the right time every day. A good tool should also provide analytics to help you measure performance, track engagement and help you improve your content and posting strategy over time.

Another helpful feature of social media schedulers is centralized messaging. Some tools organize your inbox so you can respond to messages across platforms without missing leads or potential networking opportunities.

10. Use LinkedIn’s “Open to” feature

An interesting way to attract potential clients and additional freelance work is by turning on LinkedIn’s “Open to” feature. This tool makes your profile easier to discover and helps you show up in LinkedIn Search, which is a big plus for freelancers focused on prospecting.

To use this feature, navigate to your LinkedIn profile, tap the “Open to” button under your job title and choose what fits:

• Finding a new job: This adds a frame to your profile picture saying “Open to work,” which signals that you’re available for new projects
• Hiring: This lets others know you’re looking for talent, which is helpful if you manage teams or outsource work to subcontractors

This feature boosts your visibility in search engines and inside LinkedIn itself, so people looking for your services can find you faster. It’s also a quick way to open the door to new networking opportunities without having to message anyone first.

Join Freelance Writers Den

While LinkedIn is powerful for building your professional network, joining dedicated writing communities can provide the support you need to grow faster and smarter. Freelance Writers Den is a community created to support writers with ongoing training, expert advice and peer connection.

Inside Freelance Writers Den, you’ll find opportunities to sharpen your skills, stay motivated and get help with pitching or pricing, all of which translate into more confidence and clarity in your freelance journey. They also have a LinkedIn Marketing Bootcamp!

As you grow inside a writing community, you’ll have fresh content ideas and insights to bring back to LinkedIn. You can share takeaways as posts, build thought leadership content and list your membership in your professional headline. Joining a community is also a great way to meet other like-minded professionals and strengthen your niche authority.

Tapping into active writing communities like this gives your LinkedIn strategy more depth, fuels your organic content and helps you show up consistently as a trusted expert in your field, all while opening doors for additional work.

Is LinkedIn marketing worth it?

With so many platforms and strategies out there, finding clients as a freelance writer can feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to. If there’s one place that blends branding, lead generation and long-term business growth, it’s LinkedIn.

You don’t need to do everything at once. Start with a few profile improvements, share helpful content and connect with someone new. Every small action helps you build a stronger presence and attract the kind of work you actually want to do.

LinkedIn marketing FAQs

How to use LinkedIn for business marketing?

Using LinkedIn for business marketing means creating a strategic LinkedIn strategy that aligns with your business objectives. Start by optimizing your profile or company LinkedIn page with compelling descriptions and visuals. Regularly post content that provides value to your LinkedIn target audience, including people’s posts and collaborative articles.

Use a content calendar to plan consistent updates, and if your budget allows try video ads or conversation ads. Join relevant LinkedIn Groups to build relationships and increase visibility. Leveraging tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator helps identify potential clients and send targeted messages.

Running LinkedIn ad campaigns with a mix of LinkedIn ads can boost brand awareness and generate leads within your audience members. Employee advocacy also amplifies your reach by encouraging team members to share your posts. Using a premium account unlocks deeper insights into audience behavior, improving your marketing efforts.

What is the 5:3:2 rule on LinkedIn?

The 5:3:2 rule guides a balanced LinkedIn marketing approach for effective content sharing. It suggests that out of every 10 posts, five should be valuable content from other people’s posts that resonate with your audience.

Three should be your original compelling content that you create, showcasing your expertise or sharing insights related to your niche. The remaining two posts are personal or informal, helping build authentic relationships and showing your personality.

This mix keeps your feed diverse and engaging, avoiding overly promotional content. By following this rule, you maintain a good balance between educating your LinkedIn target audience, participating in conversations and creating genuine connections, which is key to a successful LinkedIn marketing strategy.

How do I use LinkedIn for B2B marketing?

LinkedIn is ideal for B2B marketing due to its professional network and targeting features. Start by defining your business objectives and identifying your target audience using tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Develop a strong profile or company page optimized for B2B, emphasizing your value proposition.

Share compelling content regularly, such as collaborative articles, case studies or video ads, to showcase your expertise. Participate in joining groups and engage with other posts to build trust and grow your network. Use LinkedIn ad campaigns strategically, employing formats like single-image ads to drive qualified leads.

Implement a content calendar to keep your posting consistent. Finally, nurture relationships by sending messages and leveraging employee advocacy to amplify your brand within the B2B community.

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published by Emily Jacobs, a freelance health care writer and medical content strategist. She lives in in Toledo, Ohio, with a bearded dragon, too many books, and a KitchenAid mixer. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.