Darren Jamieson: Welcome to this week’s episode of The Engaging Marketeer. Today, I want to talk about LinkedIn and a simple trick that will help you get more profile views and exposure—for free.
It’s not complicated, it won’t cost you a penny, and all it takes is a bit of consistent effort over a few days or weeks to start seeing results. This trick revolves around earning a LinkedIn Top Voice badge.
If you’ve never heard of a Top Voice badge, pay attention—you’re going to love this. If you’ve seen them and wondered how people get them, stay tuned. And if you already have one… well, this might not be for you!
A LinkedIn Top Voice badge is a special designation that appears on some LinkedIn profiles. It highlights users who are recognized as experts in a particular subject. For example, you might see someone listed as a Top Voice in Web Design, Top Voice in HR, or Top Voice in IT.
This badge isn’t something you pay for—no premium accounts, no LinkedIn Sales Navigator subscription required. Instead, you earn it organically by consistently posting valuable content related to a specific skill.
To become a Top Voice, the first thing you need to do is add your relevant skills to your LinkedIn profile.
For example, on my profile, I have:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Public Speaking
- Podcasting
- Mentoring
- Training
- Web Design
These skills are simply listed in the Skills section of your profile.
Once you have added your skills, you’re ready to start leveraging LinkedIn articles.
- Scroll down to the Skills section on your LinkedIn profile.
- Click on one of your skills—this will take you to a dedicated feed for that skill.
- On this page, you’ll see:
- People who have the same skill.
- Posts discussing the skill.
- LinkedIn Articles related to that skill.
It’s these LinkedIn Articles that you’ll be focusing on.
Each LinkedIn article covers a topic related to your skill. For example, if you have Networking as a skill, you might find an article titled How to Network as an Introvert.
Each article is divided into sections, often numbered (e.g., Tip #1, Tip #2, Tip #3). Each section asks for user contributions, where people can leave comments limited to 750 characters (roughly 100-150 words).
To boost your ranking:
- Comment on these articles regularly.
- Engage with other people’s comments by liking and responding.
- Provide valuable insights in your responses.
After posting a comment, LinkedIn will track your engagement, and within a day or so, you’ll start to see your ranking change.
When you click on your skill section, LinkedIn will show you where you rank among contributors:
- Top 90%
- Top 20%
- Top 10%
- Top 5%
To qualify for a Top Voice badge, you need to be in the Top 5% of contributors for that skill.
The trick is to post three to four comments per day on different LinkedIn articles related to your skill. Do this for one to two weeks, and you’ll gradually move up the rankings. The more value you provide, the quicker you’ll get into the Top 5%.
Once you’re there, LinkedIn will recognize you as an expert and grant you the Top Voice badge in that category. This will:
- Boost your credibility on LinkedIn.
- Increase profile views.
- Attract more engagement and potential leads.
Once you’ve earned a Top Voice badge in one skill, you can do the same for other skills. Just repeat the process for another relevant skill from your list.
Eventually, if you gain enough badges, LinkedIn may even give you a general Top Voice designation, solidifying you as an authority across multiple topics.
If you don’t have time to do this yourself, you could:
- Hire a Virtual Assistant (VA) to do it on your behalf.
- Ask an employee to manage it for you.
- Work with a freelancer who understands your industry.
However, they must:
- Have excellent English skills.
- Match your tone of voice.
- Understand your industry and expertise.
I personally think it’s best if you do it yourself, but the option is there.
So, there you have it—a completely free way to increase your LinkedIn exposure, get more profile views, and potentially generate more business.
If you found this useful, please like and subscribe to this podcast. Give me a five-star rating if you’re listening on Spotify, iTunes, or Audible. And drop a comment on the YouTube channel to let me know how this works for you!
I’ve been Darren Jamieson on The Engaging Marketeer. I’ll catch you on the next podcast!
