We've discussed what to do on LinkedIn, so now it's time to talk about what NOT to do.
There are, of course, countless social media strategies that don't actually work, but here are some big ones!
Messaging everyone to get a sale
People who immediately send messages promoting themselves, before either getting to know who they're messaging or doing some basic research, are among the most hated in the LinkedIn community.
It's embarrassing the number of times I've had social media managers offering me their services. It would only take a quick look at my profile to see that I already do social media professionally!
So, to stay professional and not annoy the people you want to network with, only message them if you have something beneficial to say. A message introducing yourself is fine, but never try to sell immediately. This is very rude and will get you blacklisted.
Posting quantity over quality
As I mentioned in the last blog, LinkedIn users engage most in posts that offer them some kind of benefit. For me, this is posting writing and publishing tips.
Spamming might temporarily help with engagement, but ultimately you will annoy your network and begin to see them disconnecting with you. No one wants to scroll through your ten promotional posts a day (this is why we focus more on helpful content than sales content).
Always go for quality! Establish yourself as an expert, not a desperate salesperson.
Not optimising your profile
You can have a huge network, be posting constantly, interacting regularly, and doing everything right, but if your profile isn't perfect, none of that will matter.
There are too many profile optimisation strategies to go into detail here, but these are some to look into:
SEO: use keywords in your headline and bio
Relevant experience: make sure your experience looks impressive and delete any old/irrelevant jobs
Focus on the audience: rather than list what makes you so great, list how you can help them (go for emotions and show your personality, too)
Get endorsements: prove what you say about yourself is true
Will you start using LinkedIn as an author? Make sure to send me a request and leave a comment if you do!
Don't forget about my Social Media packages, and my Writing and Publishing Worksheets, now available on Etsy.