2. Hyper-Relevant Expertise

Thought leaders who build communities post almost zero lifestyle content and selfies. Instead, they share their expertise, discuss trends they are seeing, offer practical strategies and tactics—real thought leadership.

3. Consistent, High-Quality Content

Posts are educational, opinionated, and valuable, offering deep insights rather than surface-level takes. Content includes a mix of formats: text posts, LinkedIn articles, video snippets, carousel posts, and even polls to encourage engagement. Topics focus on industry pain points, emerging trends, expert analysis, and case studies.

4. Active, Engaged Community Members

Followers don’t just “like” content. They comment, challenge, discuss, and share their own experiences. Community members start engaging with one another, forming a peer-to-peer dialogue instead of just reacting to the thought leader. The conversation goes beyond LinkedIn posts, sometimes spilling into direct messages, Zoom calls, or even in-person events.

5. Authenticity and Trust

The thought leader does not post overly polished corporate content; instead, they share personal insights, honest opinions, and even behind-the-scenes challenges. Posts are unfiltered and human, sometimes featuring industry “hot takes” that encourage debate. Transparency builds credibility, whether sharing personal experiences, customer stories, or even failures.

6. Community-Centered, Not Self-Promotional

The thought leader does not constantly sell their product or service. Instead of self-promotion, they promote discussions by asking thought-provoking questions, running surveys, or sharing unique industry data. When they do mention their company, it’s contextualized within valuable insights rather than as a sales pitch.

7. Network Effects and Virality

Posts often spark discussions that spread organically because people tag their colleagues or share insights in their own networks. Community members begin referencing the thought leader’s ideas in their own posts, expanding the reach. Over time, the community develops its own jargon, themes, or inside references, creating a sense of belonging.

8. Collaborations and Cross-Pollination

The thought leader collaborates with other experts in the industry, co-authoring posts, hosting live discussions, or featuring guest insights. This creates a richer, more dynamic community where different perspectives are shared.

9. Momentum Outside of LinkedIn

The best B2B communities don’t just live in LinkedIn comments. They extend into webinars, podcasts, newsletters, and industry events. Members recognize each other beyond LinkedIn and begin networking in real life, reinforcing the community.

10. Quality Over Quantity

Thought leaders with followings don’t post daily just for the sake of it. They invest time researching, drafting and polishing longer-form content, and focus on sharing a unique point of view. This usually means they post less often than once a day, but their content generates more engagement. According to our research, nearly 40% of B2B decision-makers in the B2B manufacturing ecosystem dedicate over six hours per week to engaging with thought leadership content. Among C-level executives, this commitment is even greater, with more than 66% spending over six hours weekly consuming such material.

How to Build a Community on LinkedIn

There are many ways that manufacturing marketers can build a community on LinkedIn. Here’s one approach that leverages thought leadership.

Start with LinkedIn Navigator. Use this tool to identify LinkedIn users who not only work at your target accounts but are also active on the platform. These are the people most likely to engage with your content and become part of your growing community.

Connect with them. Identify potential connections and then reach out and invite them into your network. A personal, relevant connection request opens the door to future interaction and establishes a professional relationship from the start.

Conduct proprietary research. Dive into a pain point, trend, or challenge your audience cares about. Original research not only positions your company as a thought leader but also gives you valuable insights you can share back with the community you’re building.

Interview key people at target accounts. As part of your research, engage directly with the decision-makers and influencers you want to reach. Get their feedback, experiences and perspectives. Then, with their permission, feature their insights in your research. This helps build authentic relationships while making your research richer and more credible.

Publish a report. Turn your findings into a professional report or insights paper. Publishing a resource like this gives your community something of real value and a reason to engage with your brand and with each other.

Post frequently about the report. Share insights, stats, and recommendations from the report in a steady stream of LinkedIn posts several times a week. This keeps the conversation alive and your community engaged over time.

Quote and tag your contributors. Give credit where it’s due. Every time you share a post based on your research, mention the people you interviewed or who contributed insights. Tagging them shows appreciation and also invites them and their networks into the conversation.

Encourage engagement. Prompt your audience to comment, ask questions, and share their own perspectives. The more dialogue you foster, the stronger and more vibrant your LinkedIn community will become, creating a feedback loop of value, trust, and connection.