Why LinkedIn Isn’t Working For You: 4 Mistakes You Might Be Making Right Now
Congratulations, you’ve successfully survived 2020. If you are reading this, you survived. It doesn’t much matter that you never finished that pesky LinkedIn Learning course that’s been sitting in your learning queue for the past six months or you didn’t pick up one professional development book these past 365 days. The point is, you are here, you made it and sometimes surviving and maintaining is enough.
This past week I received three emails. One from a former colleague in the UK, one from a former student and one from a current neighbor. The common thread? They all told me LinkedIn wasn’t working for them. I asked them to clarify and here are some of their responses:
“No one is responding to me”
“My network is just my friends"
Sound familiar? With over 700 million users, LinkedIn is clearly working for a lot of people, so why might it not be working for you? Here are 4 common mistakes people make when using LinkedIn.
#1: Your brand is old, messy and/or out of alignment with who you really are
In the professional world, your LinkedIn page is your Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Snap Chat all rolled into one. The beauty of platforms like Instagram and Facebook is that you can use it to capture the present and to remember the past.
Revisiting old photos you posted 5 years ago when you were on study abroad or on your first Vegas trip is a fun way to remember yesteryear. Especially in 2020, all we had was our travel memories so we cherished these little gems more genuinely then we may have done in previous years.
With that, don’t treat your LinkedIn brand like you do other social media accounts. Your LinkedIn brand should align with who you are professionally and reflect the most recent and relevant information as it pertains to your professional goals right now.
Listen- LinkedIn isn’t Instagram sis. Keeping high school jobs or test scores on your profile even though you are a 27 year old, mid-level manager with an MBA is adding absolutely no value to your brand at all. Remove it, like right now, immediately!
It’s time for a LinkedIn profile audit:
Is my profile picture professional, focused on my face and recent?
Is my profile header concise and communicating how I want readers to perceive me?
Is my bio real and authentic? Does is feel like me?
Is the information I have listed in my profile sections relevant and meaningful to me?
Addressing the main areas of your LinkedIn profile with a critical brand-centric mindset will help you leverage your profile to achieve meaningful network relationships and connections.
Think about a brand that matters to you…say for example its Apple or Nike. A lot of people loyal to these brands because they like the products and they know what to expect from the brand (usually quality or an affordable price for example). Your LinkedIn brand is no different. People want to know what you stand for, what is your expertise, your unique selling points and what are they getting when they connect with you.
Ensure your brand is easy to understand, clear, concise and represents who you are now and where you want to go. People will begin to understand your authenticity of who you are as a person and what you seek and take interest in you. Make sure it is easy for them to understand your message, help them see you and what you are offering.
#2: Your profile isn’t authentic
Authenticity is key in marketing. If people don’t think you are being honest and truthful, they aren’t going to invest in you. Creating your own authentic LinkedIn brand is instrumental in getting LinkedIn to work for you. Have you ever read a profile summary section written in third person? Did it feel a little impersonal or “off” to you? Yeah, I agree, it feels weird to me too.
Whenever I read third person written LinkedIn profiles it makes me feel like I’m watching an info commercial. I don’t get the writer’s voice, I don’t see any personality and it just lacks authenticity. It feels automated and robotic.
Your profile should be professional AND authentically you. Show a little personality, communicate your passions and interests and give people a way to connect with you through common interests or shared experiences. Show people who you are, why your goals matter to you and how they can help you get there. Be open and honest with your connections and they will reward you with support and community.
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#3: You aren’t offering anything
Real talk folks: Recruiters at companies like Google and Amazon have reported receiving hundreds of connection requests per day, sometimes upwards of 1,000 in a single weekend! Unfortunately, that’s just the beast of LinkedIn networking. Anyone can request to connect with anyone, at anytime from anywhere. My key advice here is to offer a reason why people should care about you. Offer them something they need or want.
If you are a connecting with a recruiter for example, ask yourself, how are you helping them achieve their goals? We know your goal is to get hired at the company they represent, but what are you offering them?
If you are a student, perhaps you can offer an opportunity for them to speak at a student org meeting you are part of. Or be willing to promote open positions on your own LinkedIn network. Think of things you uniquely possess that the recruiter would find valuable and don’t be afraid to sell them on the idea of your value add.
This is the time to practice direct communication. Outline your skills and abilities and ask connections directly- can anything I am offering help you? If so, let’s chat and figure out how we can work together. Progressing conversations from back and forth text to live, verbal communication is so much more fulfilling then sending/receiving emails all day. The more you offer to those around you, the more they will offer to help you.
#4: You aren’t spending enough time on LinkedIn
Now, I am a full-time career coach who spends an average of 40 hours a week with LinkedIn buzzing along in the background checking in on the news, following companies and congratulating my students for landing internships. 40 hours a week might be a wee bit too much for the average person, BUT, I do urge you to invest time engaging in meaningful activity on a scale you can reasonably commit to. And do it consistently.
Spend 10 minutes a day on LinkedIn:
Posting a news article relevant to your network
Connect with a few second level contacts leveraging your first connection network- warm leads!
Utilize the alumni tool to connect with folks that went to the same school or did the same program as you- find common ground!
Congratulate your contacts on their achievements- be genuinely interested.
All these activities are quick, simple and highly effective ways to help in your pursuit to grow your network, communicate your authentic brand and show your contacts that you care about them.
Parting Words...
People don’t care what you know until they know you care. If you care for your network and are an active participant in their successes and accomplishments, it is more likely they will turn around and offer that same care and commitment back to you when you need it.
LinkedIn works, make sure you are allowing it to work for you.
Meet The Writer!
Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com
