Over the last few months, we’ve been speaking to businesses across the UK rail industry about how they grow and win new work. A theme that comes up time and again is this: it’s not just about your company brand—it’s about you. People buy people. Whether you’re an engineer, consultant, project manager or senior executive, clients want to know who they’re dealing with, what you stand for, and whether you’re someone they can trust with complex challenges.
That’s where personal profile raising comes in.
For many professionals, the idea of building a public profile—posting on LinkedIn, sharing insights, writing articles—feels uncomfortable. “Isn’t that just ego?” is a common reaction. But the reality is very different. In today’s competitive market, showcasing your expertise isn’t vanity—it’s credibility. When you make your knowledge visible, you’re helping current and future clients feel confident that they’re working with the best people in the business.
Visibility drives trust
Your company may have a strong brand, but when decisions are made about who to partner with, relationships play a huge role. Buyers don’t just look at your website—they look at you. They search your LinkedIn profile, check whether you’ve shared relevant insights, and see whether your name carries weight in your field.
If your profile is bare, silent or sporadically updated, you’re missing an opportunity. A low profile doesn’t say “modesty”—it says “unknown.” In a sector where projects hinge on trust, expertise and relationships, being unknown is a liability.
Raising your profile is about showing up consistently as a subject matter expert, someone who understands the rail industry’s challenges and can speak confidently about how to solve them.
It’s not a tap you can turn on and off
Here’s where many professionals go wrong: they treat profile raising like a campaign. A few posts when work slows down. A burst of activity when a tender is coming up. Then silence again.
But that’s not how credibility works. Visibility isn’t built overnight—it compounds over time. A sustained approach is essential. When you post regularly, share meaningful insights, and engage thoughtfully with others, you create a body of work that proves your expertise. Over months and years, you become a recognised voice in your field.
This has real business impact. When your name comes up in a bid meeting or networking conversation, decision-makers already know who you are. They’ve seen your thinking. They’ve come to associate you with competence, authority and reliability. That’s when profile raising stops being “marketing” and starts being a business development superpower.
LinkedIn: your shop window
For professionals in the rail industry, LinkedIn is the most powerful platform to raise your profile. It’s where industry leaders, clients, and partners already spend their time. But simply having a profile isn’t enough—it’s about how you use it.
- Optimise your profile – A professional headshot, a clear headline (“Rail signalling specialist | Helping operators modernise networks”), and an About section that tells your story.
- Share insights regularly – Short posts on industry developments, longer articles exploring key challenges, or even simple reflections on projects.
- Engage with others – Comment on other people’s posts, share articles with your perspective, and join industry conversations. Thought leadership is as much about dialogue as it is about broadcasting.
- Be authentic – You don’t need to sound like a press release. Speak as you would to a client over coffee: clear, confident, human.
Align your profile with your business strategy
Profile raising shouldn’t be a side project. Done well, it works hand in hand with your company’s business development strategy. If your organisation is targeting new contracts in electrification, for example, you should be talking about electrification—what you’re learning, where you see challenges, how the industry could respond.
When your personal content aligns with your company’s goals, you’re not just building your own brand—you’re helping position your business as the obvious choice for future opportunities.
How Rail Industry Connect can help
This isn’t about turning every professional into a full-time marketer. It’s about giving you the tools, confidence and channels to raise your profile in a way that feels natural—and supports your company’s growth.
Rail Industry Connect works with professionals across the sector to:
- Shape their content so it reflects real expertise.
- Find the right channels to share that content—whether that’s LinkedIn, industry publications, or speaking opportunities.
- Build a consistent approach to profile raising that fits alongside busy day jobs.
We’ve seen first-hand how individuals who take their profile seriously attract stronger networks, open up new conversations, and help their companies win work.
In the rail industry, projects are won not just on price or capability, but on trust. And trust is built by people—visible, credible, confident people.
Raising your profile isn’t about showing off. It’s about showing up. And in a sector where relationships matter as much as results, that can make all the difference.
