Embrace your emotional baggage: How to connect with your LinkedIn audience

Author: Emily Fitzgerald

Have you checked out LinkedIn recently? I mean, have you really checked it out??

Because – and I don’t say this lightly – it's changed (man).?

Gone are the days of corporate posts and job listings. Gone also are the polished headshots, and tightly woven business narratives. Yes, LinkedIn, like the rest of us, has thrown off its corporate tie, rolled up its suit sleeves, and said “NO MORE BULLSHIT, PLEASE.”?

And the LinkedIn audience is loving it.

“Facebook for suits”?

Now, LinkedIn wasn’t always cool. In the late 2000s, it was a bit of a dud. A bit of a nerd. Compared to Facebook (now Meta ), and Myspace (with a combined user count of 100 million) LinkedIn just didn’t have the street credentials it has today.??

“Facebook for suits”, it was called.?

Whilst users on Facebook enjoyed cat videos, and unflattering pictures of their friends, the LinkedIn audience enjoyed – er – jobs? Job posts? Unsettling views from employers???

It couldn’t quite match the frivolity of Facebook - and the numbers reflected that (10 million users compared to a whopping 50 million). But nonetheless LinkedIn was very good at the professional stuff. Connecting job seekers with employers. Providing industry insights. Linking business-people from across the globe.??

The content on LinkedIn reflected the corporate culture of the late 2000s: staid, jargonistic, hierarchical, formal. And the way you generated LinkedIn engagement was by reflecting a corporate culture in posts. Fun LinkedIn content just wasn’t a thing.?

The LinkedIn audience: From office to armchair?

In 2020, things began to change.??

The office, with its orderly composition of straight desks and hardback chairs, was – due to the Covid-19 pandemic – suddenly out of action. White-collar workers found themselves around kitchen tables, or desks in living rooms, or laptops-propped-against-knees (ouch).??

A new level of informality crept into workspaces. We took meetings in pyjama bottoms, and sat with messy buns, and raised a family of co-dependent houseplants. In our darkest moments, we crouched amongst them, with unruly hair, and vines creeping over our shoulders.?

It only took physical work boundaries to shift (quite literally shift), for the work culture to follow. And it did eventually, and in dramatic fashion, with millions of workers across the globe quitting their jobs in the summer of 2022. During the so-called “Great Resignation”, around 4.2 million Americans resigned from their positions, prioritising greater flexibility, inclusivity, diversity, and positive mental health.??

A new work culture was born.?

LinkedIn branding: From suit to pantsuit?

On the other side of the pandemic, LinkedIn is now much less corporate. Formal, branded messaging no longer resonates with the LinkedIn audience, which has a new appetite for “human over business”. Which means that LinkedIn has become a bullshit-free zone.?

In theory, anyway.?

Of course, like any new trend, businesses have been quick to exploit it. “For-the-sake-of” emotive posts have begun to clutter the newsfeed, whilst other businesses have struggled with a new, more heartfelt B2B tone of voice.?

Common LinkedIn branding mistakes we see are:?

• Overuse of jargon?
• Lack of authenticity??
• Inconsistent messaging??
• Lack of engagement with the LinkedIn audience??
• Irrelevant content?
• Lack of storytelling and emotional connection?
• Failure to represent CSR values??

The result? LinkedIn content which falls flat on its corporate face.?

"It's the authentic, relatable stories and genuine connections that resonate with the LinkedIn audience. They want to see the faces of employees, witness top-level executives engaging in conversations, and feel a sense of accessibility.?" - Charlotte Chan, Senior Marketing Executive.

Show the LinkedIn audience your true self??

For an audience hungry for honesty, it’s important that you pivot towards greater authenticity on your LinkedIn channels.??

This means having a clear idea about your B2B value proposition (the value you bring to your marketplace), and creating truthful content based on that.??

Simple.

Of course, in practice, it's not simple at all.?

B2B businesses – businesses selling to businesses – have struggled with the transition to more emotive content because (and this is wrong) many executives don’t think emotion comes into the B2B buying experience.??

In fact, the opposite is true, where higher price, higher quality products with a longer buying cycle are more likely to sell with emotional advertising .??

Why??

Because the longer the buying cycle (and bigger the effort involved) the more emotionally invested a B2B buyer has to be.??

How to use an emotive B2B tone of voice on LinkedIn?

So – the question remains...?

How can I create an emotive B2B tone of voice, when my business just isn’t - er – emotional??

And it’s a good question. And one that comes back to a few things:?

• Your Audience: Even if your business may not inherently be emotional, your audience is comprised of individuals who have their own emotions, aspirations, and challenges. By deeply understanding your audience's pain points and desires, you can tailor your LinkedIn branding and messaging to resonate with their emotions and values.?
• Tapping into Shared Values: Identify the values and beliefs that align with both your LinkedIn audience. Find common ground and weave these shared values into your messaging to establish an emotional connection. This can include values like trust, innovation, sustainability, or customer-centricity.?
• Storytelling and Real-Life Examples: Share real-life examples, success stories, or case studies that demonstrate the positive impact your product or service has had on other businesses. By showcasing the human side of your business and highlighting the tangible benefits experienced by your customers, you can evoke emotions and establish credibility.?
• Language and Tone: Pay attention to the language and tone you use in your communication. Aim for a conversational, approachable tone that feels authentic and human. Avoid excessive jargon or overly formal language that can create distance and diminish emotional connection.?
• Visual Content and Imagery: Don't limit emotive messaging to just text. Incorporate visually engaging content, such as images, videos, or infographics, that evoke emotions and tell stories. Use imagery that resonates with your LinkedIn audience's aspirations.?

Bring your baggage to LinkedIn?

Haven’t yet packed your emotional baggage? Well, now’s the time. The work culture has shifted, and it's wheeling LinkedIn along with it.?

Your LinkedIn audience doesn’t want a corporate, leather briefcase anymore. In 2023, it wants one key thing: authenticity. And with authenticity comes emotion, even if you are a business.??

Especially if you are a business.??

Fifty Five and Five provide expert marketing services for B2B technology companies such as Microsoft and TCS. We help our clients master the perfect tone of voice for your audience, alongside exceptional content marketing services. Get in touch to start your marketing journey today.