Does Your LinkedIn Presence Show a Scarcity Mentality?

When trying to build your brand online, who you are is just as important as what you’re doing. Your actions, and by extension your mindset, creates the reality around you.

The reasons I’m telling you this is that a lot of people seem to develop a scarcity mentality on LinkedIn. They develop a “not-enough” attitude and seem to believe that there’s only so much of anything. If they’re not careful or if they’re wasteful, then they might not get their fair share.

Is this fear valid? And can a scarcity mentality influence your LinkedIn strategy?

Showing a Scarcity Mentality on LinkedIn

A lot of people on LinkedIn act like there are only so many customers or potential employers and hold on to their connections for dear life. They fear that if they expand their network and bring new people in, then they will lose the higher ground. More over, some users even avoid sharing content thinking that it’s just a way to give their competitors an advantage or an insightful look into their industry. 

The problem with this mentality is that people tend to focus more on creating boundaries rather than on growth. Instead of embracing change and thinking of all the possibilities that a large and active network might bring, they quit the race and focus solely on prevention.

What’s the alternative then?

Develop an Abundance Mentality

At the opposite side of the spectrum are people with an abundance-based mentality – those that focus on the possibilities rather than the obsession of preserving an imagined wealth. They look at how they can build new connections and use them to fuel their LinkedIn presence. These people share helpful articles, tips, and knowledge with their network, aware of the importance of building meaningful relationships.

They understand that they (or their business) doesn’t exist in a vacuum and need people to fuel its growth. But, to get their audience’s interest, they must offer something in return. So, they share their knowledge, ideas, and unique points of view and stay open to new possibilities.

Plenty of Pie to Go Around

It’s easy to develop a scarcity mentality when you perceive everyone as the competitor, but that’s not what LinkedIn is all about. Just as the name of the social network suggests, you should focus on building relationships and creating a quality network. And you can only do that by sharing – your knowledge, your expertise, and your time. Sooner rather than later you will observe how others will do the same and fuel your growth.

Most importantly, understand that LinkedIn isn’t a zero-sum game where others have to lose for you to win. There’s plenty of pie to go around for everyone, so don’t frame your strategy through what you lack but through what you can accomplish.

Need help?

If you’d like to discuss how to use LinkedIn more efficiently to get clients for your established business, why not book a Courtesy Clarity Call with me.