An evening fireside chat with LinkedIn

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure to exchange a few words with none other than LinkedIn in person, in front of a warm fire and, obviously maintaining social distancing. Here's my recount of the rendez-vous:

Adriano: Great to sit here with you, how are you?

LinkedIn: I am very well, thanks. Growing like mad, going places. I have a very successful proposition, you know.

A: I know, you are my first source of industry updates and trends nowadays! So where exactly are you going?

L: Well, my purpose is really to connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. That’s all I do, and I do it well, in all modesty.

A: That’s a very commendable vision, Sir. Sir? Or Madam? Sorry, are you…? Or is it like asking what gender is God?

L: It’s exactly like that Adriano. I am One and Everyone.

A: Thank you for spending these few minutes with me, I really enjoy your platform. If someone is looking to create good content and influence their readers, what recommendations can you give them? Where should they start?

L: I always say that the best place to start is "YOU". You have a unique story, at the end of the day it’s all about you and the unique value you can bring to your network.

A: I have heard about this! People keep saying that I need to be authentic, that I need to show my authentic self!

L: Yes, that’s exactly it. Be yourself, bring out your unique self!

A: Ok, but what if I am boring? What if I don’t have anything interesting to say?

L: Then don’t post. Don't even join me. It’s not mandatory and it’s not your doctor’s prescription. I need users to be on their A-game. If you post, try to be interesting and positive. A positive message is key to ensure your posts get traction.

A: I thought you said “Be yourself”. What if I am a negative person? Can’t I not just be me?

L: Absolutely, you can show your vulnerability, that’s the main trait of an authentic content creator. Be vulnerable. Not too much though, people don’t like moaners. Get on with it.

A: Ok, I think I get it. Be yourself, but only highlight how great and successful you are. If you had issues in the past, you can talk about it as long as you have overcome them and now you are in a totally different place. If you are still in the s**t, or just simply average, shut up. Is that correct?

L: Not really. It's ok not to be ok, sorry if I didn't make this clear. Bring your unique self. Show me your true identity. Be positive, be inspirational, be a leader.

A: Ok, I am confused. So, can I post about my favourite rock band? They are REALLY inspirational.

L: Wait, wait wait! What has that got to do with professionalism? Do you work as a musician?

A: Er, no…

L: Then, well, please stick to the rules. I am not Facebook!

A: But you said I should be myself, and I love rock!

L: I meant in a professional way. I am a professional network.

A: Can I post a video of my dog?

L: No way! Unless you are a vet.

A: Well this might disappoint you, but posts with funny animals are very successful on LinkedIn. Hundreds of thousands of views, millions of comments like “How cute!” and no professional value what-so-ever.

L: I wasn’t aware of that, I will check this out. The point is I am not Facebook, and I am not Instagram. I don’t want to be mixed with those silly ones. They are for the masses, I am for a selected elite.

A: But you said your vision was to connect everyone on the planet…

L: I didn’t mean it that way.

A: What about posts with quotes? Easy to write, you don’t need to think, you just Google “inspirational quotes”. All the main creators thrive on them. No links to any job, just a quote in inverted commas and a photo of a bloke on the top of a mountain. How do you rate them?

L: Ahh, yes, I love them! You see, those posts add immense value to your network. They are inspirational, they promote growth and positive thinking. Those are allowed. Remember: it’s all about your AUDIENCE and the value you bring to THEM!

A: I thought you said it’s all about me and my personal story.

L: I never said that.

A: I am very confused now but let’s move on. Let’s stick to professional topics then!

L: Yes, that’s the best thing. Be yourself. You can dance if you want, but professionally. Personal videos work very well with me, but remember: I am not Tik Tok.

A: I think the best thing about you is that I can promote my business and grow my revenues, that’s amazing, thanks for that.

L: Not really no, who told you that? You can’t really advertise your business, unless you pay me.

A: So I cannot promote my business? I thought you were a professional networking platform!

L: I am, but you can’t talk about your products or services. I mean, you can, you can do what you want, I am very democratic entity, but…my algo will shut you down.

A: Your algo?

L: Yes, my algorithm! The software that decides which posts should be pushed, and which should be shut down. Nobody knows how it works, here’s the fun! I can do whatever I want. If I don’t like you, your stuff will not go anywhere. If I like you, I will add a comment under your post and BOOM!!! Everybody will see it, given that millions of people follow me.

A: And….do you like me? Will you comment under this post?

L: I haven’t decided yet. So far, not that keen.

A: umpf…The algo…I have actually noticed that some of my posts with lots of added value go nowhere, some other I see around that are plainly stupid are seen by millions. Like the ones where you have to tap twice. Is that you then?

L: Of course. But my algo is designed to recognise good content, don’t worry. I am not Twitter.

A: What, like the animal videos or the double tapping? LOL.

L: I said I will check on those, leave it with me.

A: Your algo should really sort out those cut&paste feel-good posts that are multiplied by copycats. You know, the ones that start with: "I once interviewed an old man.." and end with "I hired him and he is now CEO of my company", or similar. It shouldn't be difficult to recognise an original post from thousands of blatant copies.

L: I disagree, those feel-good posts share good, positive authentic messages, I love them, bring them on! It's not the truth that's important, it's the message. Inspirational messages are my blood and my life. They have to be authentic though, like the ones you mentioned.

A: Er...that's my whole point... but if you say so!..... You know, sometimes what stops me posting is a sense of inadequacy. Everybody looks to successful, they do great thing, they grow 10k followers in one day, they are CEOs, the save the planet. How can I inspire people in my own little world? What if I say something wrong? What if nobody reads my posts?

L: I cannot agree more, and you know what? I would leave it to the professionals. You can always like and share their stuff. Or you can use Facebook, that one is for people like you.

A: Not very encouraging...What about company pages, would you recommend sharing them? There shouldn't be any risk there.

L: Oh I hate company’s pages. You can share, but I’ll slow them all down. Why would you want to share your boring company’s page? I told you already, it’s all about your own, personal content.

A: You first said “it’s all about you”, and then “it’s all about the audience”. Now it’s all about the content, is it?

L: Listen, I think you are making things too difficult for yourself. It's not rocket science. It's all about simplicity and being direct. But professionally.

A: Ok, let’s move on. What about this new “Creator Mode” everyone is so excited about?

L: Ah yes, that’s my new idea, isn't it amazing? I wanted to reward content creators, so I have decided to give them a special status. I am soooo ahead!

A: Tell me more about it. To be honest I have tried it, but I don's see the point.

L: Well, first of all, the main profile page of a creator will show a “Follow” button, rather than a “Connect” button. So, the first choice for anyone wanting to engage with them will be to follow, not to connect.

A: But I thought your vision was to connect the world’s professionals....

L: You have misunderstood, once again. Think about it, by feeding the ego of the creators, I will encourage more and more people to write. I will achieve this by making more difficult for normal people to connect with them, but they can still follow them. I will raise them to God-like status! It will be great! Leaders love to be followed, they don’t really care about connecting with other people. For this very reason, I will also make only their posts visible in their past activity, not what they liked or commented on. Isn't it a revolutionary idea?

A: Well...it may be, but I think comments are really a great way to share value, I often get more from comments than from posts. I thought I should try to promote a two-way engagement!

L: I know, but you are a tiny player. As I said the real creators, the ones with hundred of thousands of followers, want to create and be read, they don’t want to waste time appreciating other people’s - I'd dare say competitors' - stuff, it undermines their elitarian status. So get on with it.

A: But I want to connect with people, not just being "followed", which always sounds quite creepy to me in all honesty.

L: That’s your decision.

A: Any other changes to tell me about?

L: Oh yes, many more to come. I am all about innovation, you know. Challenging the status quo, breaking silos, but remaining professional. And did I mention authentic?

A: Yes, yes you did (yawning).. I am getting tired now, time to go to bed. I can post this now, or wait. I have heard that it’s important to get the time of your posting right…what’s the best time? Thursday at 5pm?

L: Absolutely, it's all about the right timing. Users tend to visit my platform as soon as they stop working, but if you do it on Friday they will be too tired. On Monday they will be still thinking about their weekend. On Wednesday there’s the Champions League. So Thursday at 5pm is the best time. I say so, but it doesn’t really matter, because in the Americas they are having lunch and in Asia they are all sleeping. And in any case, I can shut you down regardless.

Because after all, it’s all about the algo.