If you've been on LinkedIn for any length of time, you've no doubt observed questionable actions by others: political rants, critical comments, and maybe even trolling. The truth is, any LinkedIn member has the freedom to do whatever he or she wants to do (legally, of course). As in all things, however, certain actions will generally lead to success, and others to failure.
While there is no hard and fast rule for what definitely works on LinkedIn and what definitely doesn't, there are some guidelines to follow that will help you showcase your expertise and how you do good in the world.
Post promotional items only 20% of the time.
People care way more about who you are as a professional and who your business is than what you are trying to sell. Post about these things 80% of the time, and save the selling for the other 20%. This will cause people to actually read your promotional posts instead of just scrolling past them.
Connect with at least 500 people.
Once you hit 500, your profile shows your connections as 500+ instead of the exact number. Connecting with this many people takes time. By doing so, you communicate to the LinkedIn community that you understand the benefit of using the platform and are willing to spend the time to use it effectively.
Do one action on LinkedIn every weekday.
LinkedIn success is closely tied to consistency. Like a post, make a comment, or check your newsfeed every weekday. Activity on the weekends is unnecessary.
Tip: Set a timer for ten minutes every weekday morning to scroll through your newsfeed.
Post no more than once per weekday.
Because of the nature of the platform and its members, LinkedIn is very different from other social media platforms. Posting more than once per weekday can cause busy professionals to scroll past your posts instead of stopping to read and interact with them.
Include an image with your post.
Posts with images garner more interaction overall than posts without them.
Keep it professional.
LinkedIn is generally not the place to share your political views and pictures of your kids, UNLESS you relate it back to your profession in a classy way.
Link to your company page.
Your LinkedIn profile will look much more professional if you make your current employer your most current company. Their logo will show up on your profile page, along with a link to their company page. This is important regardless of whether you work for a large corporation or are a solopreneur.
Remember that GROWTH TAKES TIME.
Don't be discouraged by what you might consider slow growth. Adding followers to your company page and writing posts that people engage with take time and effort. LinkedIn is always changing, and what works for one target market may not work for another. Try something, see if it works, and tweak accordingly.
ABOUT upLinked
UpLinked, LLC simplifies LinkedIn for companies and individuals through education, coaching, and management services. To learn more, contact our owner, head writer and content creator, Michelle White.