The Power of LinkedIn: Building Your CPG Personal Brand
Stop Treating LinkedIn Like a Resume Graveyard
"I have 500+ connections and nothing's happening."
She'd been on LinkedIn for 10 years. Perfect profile. Zero opportunities.
"When's the last time you actually used it?" I asked.
"I update my experience when I change jobs."
There's your problem.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝟵𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗣𝗚𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲
You treat LinkedIn like a digital filing cabinet. Update your resume. Wait for recruiters. Wonder why nothing happens.
Meanwhile, that Director role you wanted? Went to someone who's been solving problems in public for six months.
LinkedIn isn't where you store your career. It's where you build it.
𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 (𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿)
"I don't have anything to share," she said.
"You just told me how you saved Walmart from delisting your brand. That's not nothing."
Here's what changed her LinkedIn game:
Instead of posting "Thrilled to announce..." updates, she started sharing real CPG insights:
• How she handled a category reset crisis
• Why her pricing strategy beat private label
• The Excel hack that saved her team 10 hours a week
Six weeks later, a VP at her dream company DM'd her: "Your post about managing broker relationships is exactly what we need. Coffee?"
The posts that get CPGers noticed:
• War stories from the trenches (with lessons)
• Solutions to common industry problems
• Behind-the-scenes insights competitors won't share
Not thought leadership. Problem solving.
𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 (𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺𝘀)
Your LinkedIn profile isn't a resume. It's a landing page.
Stop this: "Experienced CPG professional with 15+ years..."
Start this: "I help emerging brands crack Whole Foods without going broke"
The Profile Formula That Works:
• Headline: Problem you solve, not title you hold
• About: Tell them what's in it for them, not your life story
• Experience: Results and impact, not job descriptions
One client changed her headline from "Senior Brand Manager" to "Building $100M+ snack brands that steal share from Big Food."
Inbound messages increased 400%.
𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆)
Stop collecting connections like baseball cards.
The CPG LinkedIn Strategy:
• Follow 10 leaders at target companies
• Ring their bells (yes, that bell icon matters)
• Comment with value, not applause
• Build relationships before you need them
Remember my client from the bell strategy post? She never sent a single "I'm looking for opportunities" message. She solved problems in comments. Opportunities found her.
𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 (𝟭𝟱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘆)
LinkedIn rewards consistency, not perfection.
Your Daily 15:
• 5 minutes: Comment thoughtfully on 2-3 posts
• 5 minutes: Share an industry article with your take
• 5 minutes: Send one reconnection message
That's it. 15 minutes. Every day.
𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 (𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿)
Skip the bells and whistles. Focus on what works:
LinkedIn Articles: Share that category management framework you built. CPG leaders eat this up.
Featured Section: Showcase your wins. That retailer presentation that expanded distribution? Feature it.
Skills & Endorsements: Get endorsed for specific CPG skills. "Brand Management" means nothing. "Walmart Category Management" means everything.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲
That client with 500+ dormant connections? She's now known as the "private label defense expert" in CPG LinkedIn circles.
Three job offers in six months. All from LinkedIn activity. Zero applications.
Because she stopped treating LinkedIn like a storage unit and started treating it like what it is—the single most powerful career tool in CPG.
Your move: Pick one thing from this post. Just one. Do it today. Then do it again tomorrow.
Stop waiting for LinkedIn to work for you. Start working it.
What's the one LinkedIn habit that's changed your career?
Polly Rowland | Advancing your CPG Career through Job Searc | [email protected]
