LinkedIn is one of the most powerful platforms for business, but not many people understand how to use it to its full potential. Thousands of people are desperate to get more views and recognition from their posts on LinkedIn. They have no idea that they're making crucial social media mistakes that are killing their efforts quicker than a wound from an assassin's knife.
Have you ever heard the saying "There is no such thing as bad publicity?" Unfortunately, that couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to LinkedIn. As a small business owner who needs to promote yourself and your business, becoming a thought leader and an industry expert, thinking of a new post every day to share your epic thoughts onto the network can seem like too much work on top of everything else you need to do.
LinkedIn is the number one social media site for professionals. It's where you can find a job, connect with clients, and build professional relationships. It's where you put your best foot forward, so it's important to craft content that encourages engagement with potential clients and employers. But how do you do this?
There are several things LinkedIn users need to avoid when using the platform. We've all been there; we set up our profile, add a few connections, and then we start posting things just for the sake of posting. It's a very natural thing to want to fill up our profiles with as much information as possible. After all, it's your resume, right? Well, not necessarily. It's much more than that, so let's take a look at some common mistakes LinkedIn users make while trying to be productive on the platform.
Knowing what to post on LinkedIn is essential, but you need to learn how to post this content in the right way. It's only natural to tag business connections and friends because when they get notice of the post, it's the equivalent of free marketing for you. But before you press send and upload your next LinkedIn post, there are a few things about proper tagging etiquette that you should know. Here's a quick gist:
Posting Too Often
We've all been there. You publish a post to LinkedIn, and it gets at most three comments. You explain this on Twitter or Facebook, saying, "I know that hardly anyone reads LinkedIn so I only post once every two months." This is how you come off to the world: desperate for attention. When someone runs into an issue, they're going to look for answers online. If you're the only one giving them answers, you're building up your credibility with each question answered.
Never post more than once a day. I can't stress this enough. To understand why, you need to understand the nature of being a professional on LinkedIn. When you want to be taken seriously and seen as professional, you put your best foot forward. Therefore, you do your best to say something of value and contribute to the conversation (by leaving insightful comments on people's posts) without turning LinkedIn into your blog where you just copy and paste the same two or three ramblings every day.
LinkedIn is a social platform for professionals. It aims to build and maintain relationships between people and their networks. However, with most new users of any social platform, there is an element of 'push' as many are eager to share their thoughts on the latest news, be it concerning them or not. This can often be seen by other users as 'spamming,' which in turn leaves a more negative impression than there should have been. These users then tend to develop a persona that is both annoying and negative.
Posting the Wrong Type of Content for LinkedIn
Photos of holidays, cocktails on the beach, your dog chasing its tail, and any other post deemed too personal are not appropriate for LinkedIn. If you want to be seen as a professional and positively promote your business, then remember that LinkedIn is a business platform.
If you want to stay in touch with friends and family, then use Facebook or WhatsApp. LinkedIn is not Facebook or Instagram where such images are the norm. Photos should be kept strictly professional unless they relate directly to business matters.
People don't use social media for work to see what employees did over the weekend or even what they did last night. If people want to see this type of content, then they should friend them on Facebook or follow them on Instagram.
Also, avoid posting anything that could be considered offensive such as photos of alcohol, drugs, or violence. It's just not acceptable!
Seeking Engagement
Inappropriate posts are a killer for your brand since posting irrelevant content is obvious. The poster is fishing for likes and comments. They'll get a few bites, but from who? Chances are those responding to these posts aren't ideal clients. The best way to attract the right people and build trust with them is to post quality content that supports your brand and speaks directly to your target audience's needs, challenges, and aspirations.
Seeking engagement by posting irrelevant content is obvious because no matter how well you spin the words, nobody cares about what you had for breakfast unless you're a chef. You'll get some likes and comments, but from who? Chances are those responding aren't ideal clients or customers. You'll be getting comments from other social media marketers looking to boost their engagement numbers or just being nice.
You'll see this type of post when someone starts with "Happy Monday!" or "It's Friday!" followed by a picture or quote that has nothing to do with their business, expertise, or brand. Or worse, it's an image without any explanation whatsoever.
Don't be that person. Instead, focus on sharing content that will help your audience achieve their goals and solve problems.
All Numbers, No Substance
Having many comments, likes, and shares suggests that someone is doing something right, right? Vanity metrics are not necessarily the best indicators of a successful business. Sure, you can boost your numbers with a clickbait headline or a photo of an adorable puppy, but what does that say about your content? If you want to be seen as an expert in your field, take some time to create quality content that will generate engagement.
For instance, if your post gets a ton of likes but no one takes action (e.g., clicks on a link or watches a video), then those vanity metrics are useless and only make it seem like your company is getting by on hype alone.
Instead, aim for quality over quantity. If your post only has a few likes but gets dozens of people to click through and watch a video, you can rest assured that it was at least somewhat effective in communicating your message and driving action from your target audience.
Attention Seeking and Over the Top Videos
"There is a difference between engaging energetically and looking like you're trying too hard."
The attention-seeking, over-the-top LinkedIn posts reflect the very worst of social media. They are borderline desperate—a kind of wild flailing to gain the approval of others.
Of course, attention-seeking is nothing new to social media. But when you're trying to build a professional brand and network on LinkedIn, it's important to be aware of how your behaviour may be perceived by others.
LinkedIn isn't just about attention-seeking; there's also a lot of selling that happens on the platform. Some posts are so blatantly self-promotional that they make me roll my eyes and hit the "unfollow" button before I've even finished reading them.
The video feature on LinkedIn is a powerful tool to make an impression on people who are not in your network and display your personality, but you have to use it right. There is a difference between engaging energetically and looking like you're trying too hard.
If you're trying too hard to get people's attention, it can come off as fake or disingenuous.
Tagging People Excessively
Tagging a group of people who have nothing to do with the post signals desperation and screams "Look at me." This strategy is now backfiring due to LinkedIn's recent changes to its algorithm.
It's fine to tag someone whose article or post inspired your own, but tagging people you don't really know personally will only make them feel uncomfortable and annoyed.
From my experience, tagging people who are not connected or relevant to the topic sends the message that this post is all about you - you trying to increase your views, you trying to get more followers, etc. It also tells the person being tagged that this post isn't worth their time.
Is there any further explanation needed? When hashtags dominate a post, it appears desperate, cheapens the message, and distracts from the post.
You'll put off a lot of people if you try to tag every possible keyword to be found in a range of searches. Hashtags look very spammy. Is there any further explanation needed? When hashtags dominate a post, it appears desperate, cheapens the message, and distracts from the post.
You'll put off a lot of people if you try to tag every possible keyword to be found in a range of searches. It's hard enough to maintain your branding on LinkedIn without looking like an overzealous salesperson. You don't want to turn off potential connections with your posts.
Hashtags can be effective when used strategically, but overloading your posts with them looks like you're trying too hard. When hashtags dominate a post, it appears desperate, cheapens the message, and distracts from the post.
You'll put off a lot of people if you try to tag every possible keyword to be found in a range of searches. No one cares that you're at the airport, but they care more about why you're there. So instead of just posting an image and writing "I'm at the airport" along with a bunch of hashtags, add context. Why are you there? What's your destination? What are you looking forward to? That kind of content is valuable because it provides context and tells a story.
Not Customising Your Invitation Requests
You are reaching out to someone simply because they hold a position you want rather than because you have something in common with them. The problem with this type of networking is that they will know you simply want something from them rather than genuinely wishing to connect. This can be off-putting, and they may decline your request or worse still, report you as spam.
If they do accept your connection request and then receive too many messages from you asking for favours or opportunities, they may choose to cut their losses and disconnect from you.
You are reaching out to someone simply because they hold a position you want rather than because you have something in common with them. The problem with this type of networking is that they will know you simply want something from them rather than genuinely wishing to connect. This can be off-putting, and they may decline your request or worse still, report you as spam.
There is a way around this issue, and that's by customising every request sent on LinkedIn. In the message box, explain how you know each other or why you want to connect with them. This helps build rapport with someone and also encourages them to accept your invitation as they know exactly who you are.
Requesting a Connection Before Engaging with the Person
LinkedIn is not an end in itself but rather a means to meet people who can benefit your career or business. Therefore, it’s essential to engage with them first before requesting a connection. Try commenting on their posts or liking some of their content to show that you are interested in what they have to say and are genuinely engaging with them, rather than using LinkedIn solely for personal gain.
Self-Centerdness
Share other people's content 80% of the time and your own 20% of the time. Your connections don't want to hear all about you all the time. There are enough narcissists on social media without having another one in their newsfeeds. And if you're trying to attract new connections, they won't be impressed if all they see is a list of self-promotional posts.
The way you post on LinkedIn can have a massive impact on how people view you both personally and professionally. Don’t get ahead of yourself, but don’t be afraid to put your best foot forward either. Post well, but also be cautious. The key is to make sure your posts are clear, concise, and well laid out in both form and content.
Let your posts speak for themselves rather than over-explaining the content by making it overly choppy or wordy. Length can be a real killer here because it can damage the overall quality of your messages. Think twice before posting long excerpts from articles on LinkedIn Pulse or lengthy speeches on SlideShare. These types of posts could get boring and repetitive, especially if you're just copying and pasting from other sources.
Hopefully, this post has given you some insight into how not to come off as desperate on LinkedIn. I’m afraid there isn’t any one simple solution. Many of the problems have their roots in contradicting social norms specific to LinkedIn. However, the most important thing you can do is be aware of the different norms and be mindful when crafting your posts.
Your LinkedIn profile, like your resume and cover letter, is an opportunity to sell your worth as a professional. You need to show future employers that you are the right fit for their needs. You cannot prove this by bragging about yourself. These LinkedIn posts make you look desperate for connections, self-serving in your motivations, and oblivious to how your actions come across online. Please take my advice and stop doing these things on LinkedIn.
Most of us probably already put as much thought into our LinkedIn posts as we do with the rest of social media, so hopefully, this won’t be a revelation to anyone. Still, it’s easy to forget when you’re reaching out to peers in your industry. As the old saying goes, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
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