I’ve heard it said that “there is no perfect platform.” That’s wrong. Social media platforms, like LinkedIn, are intrinsically perfectly built for their purpose. What goes wrong, however, is how the platforms are used. That’s why so many people proclaim that “LinkedIn is the worst!” I’m here to tell you: It’s only the worst if you let it be. Let’s explore some common concerns and how you can overcome them to make LinkedIn work for you.
Spam and unwanted messages
LinkedIn users often complain about receiving a high volume of spam messages, particularly from people trying to sell products or services. This level of spam can clutter your inbox, and irritate you. It’s almost always an unsolicited sales pitch. Filtering out the spam from genuine conversations and connections who want to keep in touch with you, can be tedious. Here’s how you can fix it: Firstly, if you don’t want to receive spam, don’t send spam. Make sure your messages are carefully crafted, personalised for your recipient, and genuine in their approach. Secondly, to combat the deluge of spam, take control of your privacy settings. Be selective about who you connect with and don’t hesitate to report spam messages. As you carefully curate your network, you reduce the noise and can focus on those meaningful interactions.
Privacy concerns
As LinkedIn is a professional networking site, you often need to share personal information, which can raise privacy concerns. LinkedIn’s emphasis on openness can make it challenging to maintain privacy, especially when you’re encouraged to connect with a broad network. With a large user base of senior business professionals, you’d be right in thinking that it would be a goldmine for bad actors too. LinkedIn is an attractive target for hackers and phishing attempts. There’s a simple way to protect yourself: 2 Factor Authentication. LinkedIn’s 2FA protocols are robust and can help you protect your account. Then, simply don’t share what you don’t want to. Take the time to regularly review your privacy settings, and be mindful of what you receive through your messaging. Don’t click on attachments you’re not sure are safe! Keep your LinkedIn account safe and your data will be too.
Superficial interactions and content
This is where authenticity matters the most. A team member of mine recently spotted a LinkedIn post that started with “I just closed the most important deal of my life!” and it was a man announcing his engagement. Now, while the sentiment is sweet, it’s bordering on the saccharine. There was another incident like this not so long ago, where a user equated his wedding to “what it taught him about B2B sales.” It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of trying to “LinkedInify” some things. This type of content simply isn’t necessary, and it smacks of inauthenticity. People may often feel pressured to present an idealised version of themselves, which can lead to feelings of imposter syndrome. Don’t fall into that trap of toxicity. Instead, focus on your authenticity. Share genuine insights and engage in meaningful conversations. Contribute valuable content and connect with others on a deeper level. That’ll help you steer clear of superficial content, and keep you on the path towards creating and engaging with valuable, substantial content. Stay authentic, and authentic people will gravitate towards you.
LinkedIn doesn’t innovate
I’ve heard this one a few times, where people think LinkedIn hasn’t innovated enough to stay interesting. Statistically, that is simply untrue. LinkedIn has 134.5 million active users per day. That’s a fraction of its total user base, which is now well over 1 billion members worldwide. 134.5 million people can’t be bored, every day, can they? Well, they’re not. LinkedIn continues to introduce innovative tools for its platform, regularly. The key lies in learning how to use them to your advantage. Explore LinkedIn Learning for your professional development, and take the time to learn more about LinkedIn’s wide range of tools. Tap into the right resources, and you’ll extract far more value from your time spent on LinkedIn.
It’s too difficult
There’s no escaping the fact that you need to pay time and attention to your LinkedIn presence. Building and maintaining your LinkedIn network does take time, and that’s why I recommend setting aside specific time slots that work for your diary, rather than being reactive in your approach. You don’t need to respond to every notification on the fly, but you do need to respond to them. Set specific time slots into your day or week, where you’ll focus on your LinkedIn presence, engage with your network, comment on relevant posts, and publish insightful content. Use LinkedIn’s scheduling tools to plan your posts in advance. When you create a proactive schedule for handling your LinkedIn presence, you soon see results from your consistent effort, without it becoming a burden on your mind.
LinkedIn is only as effective as the effort you put into it. Get proactive, and you’ll soon find you can turn LinkedIn from a source of frustration into a valuable asset for your professional journey. Remember, it’s not the platform that’s the problem—it’s how you use it. Make LinkedIn work for you, and you’ll soon see its true potential.
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