How I Became A LinkedIn “Top Voice” in Jan 2024
My Cybersecurity posts got me a Top Voice badge!
A few weeks back, I wrote an article on how to become a writer on Cybersecurity topics
I stressed the importance of consistency and just getting started
To increase your motivation, I want to share my achievements for Jan 2024 as LinkedIn awarded me the coveted “Top Voice” Badge
I got the shiny icon on my profile and everything, which you can see below
What Is LinkedIn's Top Voice
If you are thoroughly unimpressed as you have no idea what a LinkedIn Top Voice is .. then let me tell you:
“Top Voices is an invitation-only program featuring a global group of experts on LinkedIn covering a range of topics across the professional world, helping members uncover valuable knowledge relevant to them”
Simply put, If LinkedIn likes the insights you are sharing on your field (in my case, Cybersecurity) then you are vetted and awarded this badge
Some nice perks come with the badge, such as:
- Increased recognition: The Top Voice badge means LinkedIn likes what you are sharing on the platform and gives you that much-needed credibility
- Opportunities: Getting a Top Voice brand means that people will reach out as they perceive you as a thought leader on this topic. You can monetize this via 1–1 calls or consultations.
- Personal Branding: Unlike your job title that can go away anytime .. the Top Voice badge belongs to you, building your brand every time someone visits your profile
My Tips for Becoming a LinkedIn Top Voice
- Focus Down: LinkedIn likes quality content, so choose a topic you are good at and narrow down your niche. Dont fall victim to the shiny topic syndrome and talk about Bitcoin one day, big-tech the other, cybersecurity on the weekend etc.
- Be genuine: Sound like a actual person and not like a ChatGPT generated response. People are not stupid and can sense when an AI response is just being copy-pasted
- Be Consistent: I like to write all my posts on the weekend and schedule them using software like Buffer, which is 100% free. Doing this makes me consistent as I do not have to worry about a new topic every day
- Repurpose like a madman: Not all my posts are 100% original every time. As Justin Welsh says .. no one remembers your posts like you do. If your post did well .. use the same six months later as no one will remember, and you will reach more people.
- Do not chase followers: I have a very small following (around 9K), which is nothing compared to others. Do not worry about getting followers or connections. LinkedIn is not TikTok, so don't treat it as such.
That’s pretty much it!
Here is wishing you an awesome journey on LinkedIn in 2024 !!
Thanks for reading this. If you are interested in acing your next Cybersecurity Interview, then check out my Free Ebook HERE.
Taimur Ijlal is a multi-award-winning, information security leader with over two decades of international experience in cyber-security and IT risk management in the fin-tech industry. Taimur can be connected on LinkedIn or on his YouTube channel “Cloud Security Guy” on which he regularly posts about Cloud Security, Artificial Intelligence, and general cyber-security career advice.