5 Types of LinkedIn Posts That Actually Build Authority
By Ciara O’Neil
Being active on LinkedIn isn’t the same as building real authority. You can post every day, share trends, and engage with others, but if your content isn’t strategic, it won’t position you as a leader in your field.
Authority-building on LinkedIn comes from using the right types of content → posts that show credibility, communicate expertise, and help your audience see you as a trusted voice in your space. Whether you’re a founder, freelancer, or professional growing your career, these five types of posts will help you do exactly that.
SOCIAL PROOF POSTS - THE POWER OF CREDIBILITY
Social proof is psychological shortcut for trust. When people see results, testimonials, or external validation, their brains register you as credible.
These posts can include:
Client results and case studies
Screenshots of testimonials or thank-you messages
Milestones (promotions, awards, collaborations, media features)
The key is not to brag (the days of the humble brag on LinkedIn are thankfully over), but to demonstrate credibility. Frame your social proof as a story about what you learned, the problem you solved, or the impact you made.
Why it matters: Social proof reinforces that your expertise delivers real results. It shows, rather than tells, that you’re the person people can trust.
2. BEHIND THE SCENES (BTS)
Authority doesn’t mean being distant or unapproachable. BTS content builds connection and relatability, both crucial elements of modern thought leadership.
Examples include:
Sharing how you approach your work or projects
Showing the process behind an achievement or campaign
Discussing challenges, pivots, or lessons in progress
These posts remind your audience that your expertise is earned through real experience, and it also makes you relatable and real to your audience.
Why it matters: People follow people. When they understand your journey, they buy into your ideas more deeply.
3. LESSONS LEARNED POSTS
Authority grows when you consistently share what you’ve learned, not just what you’ve done. And I know the common thought when someone mentions this type of content is the classic “what my wedding taught me me about B2B sales”. This is not what we’re going for, instead we’re going to use storytelling to show our audience how we have solved common pain points that they struggle with for ourself. This positions us an authority, as it shows we have come out of the otherside.
For example:
“3 lessons I learned from I learned from working with a million pound brand”
“What losing my first retainer client taught me about resilience”
“What I wish I’d known before I switched careers”
These help your audience see your thinking. Instead of listing results, you’re translating experience into value they can apply for themselves.
Why it matters: This is how you become known for ideas, not just activity.
4. FRAMEWORKS
These are your authority anchors, the posts that make people remember your name.
Framework posts show your original thinking. They turn complex ideas into digestible, repeatable concepts that stick in people’s minds. As experts we often forget how advanced our knowledge is compared to others who aren’t working in our industry day to day. Framework posts are great at distilling complex topics and helping non-industry experts why our work matters to them.
Examples include:
A 3-step method you use with clients
A new perspective on a common industry problem
A framework for how you make decisions or achieve results
Why it matters: People don’t follow the loudest voices, they follow the clearest thinkers. Sharing frameworks and original insights differentiates you from everyone else in your industry posting generic advice.
5. SOLUTION AWARENESS
Solution awareness content helps your audience understand why your work matters. It bridges the gap between their current problem and your expertise, without being overly promotional.
Try content like:
“If you’re struggling with [problem], here’s why…”
“Most [industry professionals] overlook this one step when trying to…”
“Why your [process/system] isn’t working - and what to do instead”
Why it matters: These posts gently educate your audience while positioning you as the expert who gets it.
HOW THESE POSTS WORK TOGETHER
Each of these post types plays a different role in your authority-building system:
Social Proof → builds trust
Behind the Scenes → builds connection
Lessons Learned → builds depth
Framework Posts → build recognition
Solution Awareness → builds demand
When you use them together strategically, rotating between them depending on your goals, you create a consistent, credible, and memorable personal brand presence.
This is the foundation of my LinkedIn Authority Playbook, which I’ve designed to help you move from visibility to true influence on LinkedIn.
HOW BRANDFULNESS CAN HELP YOU
At BRANDFULNESS, we help founders, professionals, and teams build authority systems that actually work. From mapping your content pillars to designing your full personal brand strategy, we create the ecosystem that builds credibility, recognition, and opportunity.
If you want access to the exact content system I used to grow my own account from 0-16K followers, you can get it inside my LinkedIn Authority Playbook, it includes my full posting formula, post templates, and rotation system so you always know what to post and why.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Authority isn’t built by posting more, it’s built by posting intentionally. Each piece of content should play a role in shaping how your audience perceives you, reinforcing your expertise, and building trust over time.
Start small. Pick one of the post types above, create your own version this week, and commit to consistency. Because authority isn’t built through posting and hoping for the best, it’s built through strategy.
