How to smash Linkedin

Pragya Mishra, Head of Marketing, SHIELD and Lea Turner, Linkedin Coach
How can you smash Linkedin for yourself or your business too? That’s what this session is all about!

🤔 ️One. Let’s speak mindset. It starts with a thought about community

Linkedin is about opportunity and community. If you embrace those, according to Lea, you’re on your way to succeeding.

What does that mean? It’s about realising it’s not about you – it’s about co-creating the Linkedin experience and optimising it for conversations, acknowledging those who are lifting you up, and generally being helpful. We have the opportunity to place our professional selves in context.

Already – this is stepping away from the ‘typical’ Linkedin post about a blog post you’ve written or an award win. It’s about helping others, and knowing in return it will benefit you.

‼️ ️Two. So how can you get started in building a Linkedin audience?

Lea suggested starting with commenting on other people’s content, rather than feeling like you have to post your own stuff all the time. Here, you’re exposing yourself to new audiences, without necessarily having to put yourself out there just yet.

This is particularly relevant for folks who don’t yet feel comfortable posting themselves. ‘Putting yourself out there’ is hard.

Pragya also suggested that proactively looking to combine this will conscious connection building through connection requests is also important. Personalisation is crucial here, so Lea suggested using voice notes and short videos (things that can’t be copied and pasted!) to show you genuinely wish to connect with the people you requested: not just a random automated outreach.

🥺 Three. What’s the number one mistake you see people making on Linkedin?

Lea pointed out a doozy! She pointed out many folks have their profile picture set to ‘private’ and don’t even realise it. And, if they can’t see your profile picture, they’re much, much less likely to engage with you and your content.

To change this, head to your mobile app, then your profile and click to view your profile photo. In the bottom left, there will be an option to change your profile photo visibility.

A second mistake people make too much is to ‘share’ content using the ‘share feature’, rather than creating a new post. The Linkedin algorithm renders ‘shared’ posts next to useless in terms of reach. They should therefore be avoided!

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😁 Four. A real opportunity right now. Company pages & short form video.

Much maligned for a long time, company pages have had a resurgence and Linkedin seems to be pushing them at the moment – offering you the chance to be more exposed to more 3rd degree connections.

Lea suggested that she’ll be using her company page for more tips and tricks content where her personal page will remain (surprisingly!) more personal. Pragya also shared some incredible growth on the SHIELD company page that she manages going from 5,000 to 25,000 in around four months.

Pragya stressed the important of the Linkedin page being a non-gated educational page – almost like your blog, but adapted for the Linkedin feed!

Lea also shared that the thing she wishes she’d started earlier was using video on Linkedin – specifically short form video (less than 60 seconds).

👏 Five. It’s not just about you of course. How do you get your team to post and engage, too?

Pragya had some really sensible suggestions:

  • Firstly, it starts with the voluntary stuff. Find those who want to post and support them however you can.
  • Ideally, you’ll have someone in the senior management team who leads the way. Showing by example!
  • Start a buddy programme to have people sharing the journey together to help one another when they’re feeling unsure.

🛑 Six. How about Linkedin groups?

Avoid them. They’re rubbish. (Which is a shame).