Playing it safe on LinkedIn keeps you invisible and it needs to stop. Too many founders try to appear perfect, sharing corporate updates nobody reads and generic advice everyone ignores. Meanwhile, their weird, imperfect, genuine selves remain hidden. Your quirks make you memorable in ways your credentials never will. The key to standing out comes from revealing the parts that make you human.
Your LinkedIn profile could be bringing in clients on repeat. By testing what works and doubling down hard, I quadrupled my LinkedIn following in 2024. From studying patterns and showing up consistently with authenticity, I learned that personality beats polish every time.
The people generating serious leads on LinkedIn in 2025 are those letting their weird shine through. Here’s how to join them.
Win at LinkedIn by embracing your uniqueness
Own what makes you different
Make your unique perspective your greatest LinkedIn asset. Jillian Richardson, a ghostwriter for founders and executives, shared important insights about this approach. When she returned to LinkedIn encouraging people to be weirder in their content, her post went viral with over 3,600 likes and 1,000 comments. She recently hit 10,000 followers by continuing with this approach.
Skip hiding the edges that make you unique. Love powerlifting? Talk about what training teaches you about business persistence. Obsessed with an unusual hobby? Draw parallels to your professional work. The weird parts of yourself provide exactly what your dream clients seek. They want someone who brings fresh perspectives and genuine personality to their feed.
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Take public stands on industry issues
Playing safe never helped anyone stand out. Richardson notes thought leadership performs well when founders "experiment with their opinions in public." Develop strong views on industry matters and share them boldly. This approach attracts aligned clients and naturally filters out poor fits. The accounts building massive followings never try pleasing everyone. They claim their territory and own their perspective completely.
Say something that resonates deeply with your ideal clients even if others disagree. When everyone sounds identical, the person speaking their truth becomes impossible to forget.
Try unexpected content formats
Break away from standard formats with your communication. Your updates need not follow the standard paragraph structure everyone uses. Dr Jodi Tabor-Nelson asked the AI version of her to write a poem, and shared it in an update. She’s on her way to 10,000 followers right now. Weird? Absolutely. Memorable? That too.
Experiment with stories, dialogues, or visual formats that showcase your thinking differently. A quirky approach or unconventional poll published on LinkedIn often generates more engagement than standard advice. Try creating carousels. People message you saying they love your content when you present ideas differently.
Show your real self
Successful LinkedIn creators never hide their humanity. Richardson highlights this benefit: "The more unhinged you become, the clearer it is that AI was not involved. All that insanity came directly from your brain." Real people experience messy days, tell jokes, and share embarrassing stories. Show these aspects of yourself.
LinkedIn is “now used as a full social network, and is changing how we think about our identities and accomplishments,” explained Guardian writer Coco Khan. Maybe that’s what people want. People build relationships with humans, not brands. Your audience actively searches for someone authentic who understands their challenges.
My posts about mistakes and uncertainties consistently connect more deeply than heavily edited success stories. Yours likely will too.
Release self-judgment
“LinkedIn is a unique space where professional and personal lines can blur, which sometimes leads to posts that miss the mark,” said Esteban Puttner, ghostwriter and founder of MagicPost. You will probably miss the mark, but that’s okay.
Fear of judgment stops people sharing their best work. Let go of worrying about what people think and show up as yourself. Your former colleagues probably skip your LinkedIn posts anyway. Your competitors focus on their own content, not critiquing yours. Success requires courage, not perfection.
Level up your LinkedIn presence by embracing what makes you unique
The aspects of yourself you currently hide might become your breakthrough elements on LinkedIn. Have fun with your content. People can tell when you’re having fun compared to taking yourself too seriously. Your uniqueness provides your competitive advantage, and your ideal clients actively seek someone real.
Everyone grows tired of cookie-cutter LinkedIn accounts sounding identical. They want authenticity and relatability. Someone who gets them. Holding back your personality for professional appearances leaves money on the table. Release your weird and watch your business grow beyond what you thought possible.
