What do library professionals, Dermatology Practice Managers, Lawyers and former members of the Australian Special Operations Command have in common?
They can all use LinkedIn to build their professional brand.
I’ve spent the last 2 weeks delivering to conferences and events. Different industries, different environments, different communication styles, different lived experiences.
Yet sitting in all these rooms, listening to the conversations, the same themes kept surfacing. The hesitation around LinkedIn sounded almost identical.
What’s new on LinkedIn?
I was invited to join a small-group, exclusive conversation with leaders across LinkedIn’s global product, engineering and news teams to run through the latest updates and tools shaping the feed.
LinkedIn’s feed is powered by ranking systems that use AI and LLMs to surface content that’s most relevant to your professional life. These systems look at the context of a post and combine that with signals from your profile, network and activity to personalise what you see.
Why this matters:
- Your post is getting matched with more of the right audience, including people beyond your immediate network.
- Stronger matching between topics and interested audiences.
- Higher likelihood of reaching members who are genuinely interested in the topic.
You can read more about that here.
Queensland Small Business Week
I headed into the 4BC Brisbane radio studios this week for a double celebration: LinkedIn’s 23rd anniversary and Queensland Small Business Month.
We discussed why LinkedIn is no longer just a recruitment tool. In 2026, this platform is your digital first impression. It is where your credibility is verified before a meeting even starts. Key takeaways from our chat:
- Beyond the Resume: LinkedIn is now a central hub for commercial growth and building industry authority.
- The Trust Factor: How you show up online determines how quickly people trust your work.
- The Power of Community: We also discussed the vital role of local support. Small businesses are the backbone of the Queensland economy, and it thrives when we move beyond digital profiles to ensure we build real human connections.
You can read more about that here.
LinkedIn turned 23.
Thank you to the team at Inside Small Business and Octomedia for featuring my latest article: LinkedIn turns 23… is your small business still acting like a teenager?
The article explores something I hear regularly when speaking with small business owners: “We don’t really get work from LinkedIn.
Usually, it’s followed by a shrug and a comment like, “Most of our work comes through referrals anyway.” For years, that was enough. You built trust in boardrooms and grew through reputation. LinkedIn was something you set up once, added a job title to, and left alone. But this week, LinkedIn turns 23, things have changed, and you can read more here.
Local Link Events
Local Link was created to bring together professionals, business owners, and community-minded people through real conversations and valuable experiences that continue well beyond a single event.
Here’s what’s coming up across our Local Link community:
Local Link Connect | Professional Development, Community and Networking | Anytime | Online – Click here to learn more and get started.
Local Link Brisbane | Fireside Chat with Sally Prosser | Wednesday 27 May | Hotel X, Fortitude Valley – Limited tickets available.
Local Link Melbourne | Fireside Chat with Susan Canny from LinkedIn | Tuesday 9 June | Pan Pacific Hotel – Tickets available here.
Local Link Sydney ** Details Coming Soon ** Tuesday 18 August – Register your interest here.