From Sales-Driven to Purpose-Driven: Rediscovering LinkedIn’s Potential for Thought Leadership, Creativity and Real Change

In my early days on LinkedIn, I’ll admit—I was all about sales. In fact probably for most of my career. My focus was on pushing my company, their products, generating leads, and connecting with potential buyers, often at the expense of deeper connections or meaningful discussions. LinkedIn, after all, seemed to be evolving into a vast advertising and sales engine, making it feel natural to focus on promotion. But over time and certainly in the last year or so, I started to realise the true potential of this platform—to inspire change, to connect people with powerful ideas, and to help us all learn from one another.

My approach has shifted, and so has my perspective on how we should use LinkedIn. It may be a factor that now I am running my own (very small) business,? I too am bored getting sold to! Or at least sold or promoted things that are often irrelevant and from people I am not remotely 'connected' to.? I always think carefully now, if I am selling, what I am selling, to whom, and why - and it’s quite personalised. And please don't get me wrong, I do still use LinkedIn - often - to promote nay broadcast my business, so I am aware of some conflict and hypocrisy herein!

That said, I’m now striving for much more of a balance, sharing insights and sparking conversations on issues that matter—sustainability, ethical business practices, and meaningful leadership. In doing so, I hope to engage with others who are equally committed to restoring LinkedIn to a platform of value, creativity, and community. But for LinkedIn to reach its full potential, we all have a role to play. Here’s why I believe change is necessary, and how we can collectively help to bring it about.

The Rise of Sales Pitches Over Thought Leadership

When LinkedIn was newer, it was known for genuine exchanges of industry insights, professional stories, and knowledge-sharing. Yet as the platform grew, its shift towards paid ads, sponsored content, and automated sales tools started to drown out those voices. Sales-driven posts and corporate pitches took over, pushing out authentic thought leadership in favour of hard-sell tactics.

For professionals trying to learn and grow, this sales-dominated environment can be frustrating. But if we, as LinkedIn users, focus on sharing real insights rather than solely selling, we can restore LinkedIn to its original role as a space for genuine thought leadership.

A Path Forward: If you’re in sales or marketing, think of LinkedIn as more than just a lead-generation tool. When sharing content, consider balancing promotional posts with insights, advice, or thoughtful reflections that add value to your audience’s professional lives. By doing this, we can all help rebuild a culture of learning and sharing.

Algorithm-Driven Content Limits Creativity and Depth

LinkedIn’s algorithms, designed to maximise clicks and engagement, often prioritise popular, “viral” content over nuanced, creative perspectives. This means that posts that foster genuine discussions or dive deep into niche subjects often receive little exposure. And this doesn’t just affect individual users—creative, emerging voices in smaller industries may struggle to reach an audience at all.

LinkedIn could become a place where complex and diverse ideas are celebrated rather than filtered out. This can only happen, though, if we encourage content that goes beyond superficial engagement. Next time you’re scrolling, take a moment to engage with content that takes risks, explores different angles, or challenges the status quo.

A Path Forward: Engage with the kind of content you want to see more of. Like, share, and comment on thoughtful posts, even if they aren’t flashy or viral. If we start valuing creativity and depth, we can encourage LinkedIn’s algorithms to do the same.

The Erosion of Authentic Connections

Sales-focused approaches can erode the authenticity of connections on LinkedIn. Today, many professionals receive “connect” requests only to be met with an immediate sales pitch. I must get 5 a day!! This transactional approach reduces networking to a numbers game, overshadowing LinkedIn’s true potential as a place for meaningful, professional relationships.

But genuine connections aren’t just valuable—they’re necessary for real engagement, mentorship, and community-building. Instead of jumping straight to the sale, I now try to prioritise authentic conversations and connections on LinkedIn, learning from others and sharing what I’ve learned along the way.

A Path Forward: When connecting, focus on building relationships. Take the time to understand the person you’re connecting with, exchange ideas, and see how you can genuinely add value without an immediate sales agenda. By fostering these relationships, we can make LinkedIn a more welcoming and enriching environment for everyone.

LinkedIn’s Role: Prioritising User Value Over Revenue

If LinkedIn is to remain relevant and valuable to professionals, it must consider these shifts seriously. Prioritising revenue-generating ads at the expense of user-driven content will ultimately alienate users, who may look for other spaces for authentic dialogue.

A Path Forward for LinkedIn: The platform could create more spaces specifically designed for in-depth discussions and innovative ideas—whether through features that highlight thought leadership posts or better tools for connecting by expertise rather than by sales potential. By valuing user contributions over ad revenue, LinkedIn could reinforce its reputation as the go-to professional space for knowledge sharing and growth.

Final Thoughts: Let’s Reclaim LinkedIn as a Hub for Thought Leadership and Purpose

LinkedIn’s true strength lies in bringing professionals together around shared goals, values, and ideas. If we can bring back thoughtful dialogue, creativity, and a genuine focus on meaningful issues, we can ensure LinkedIn remains a valuable resource for everyone. When I look at the Linkedin activity of one of my relatively new connections Tomás O. constantly promoting sustainability and issues that will support a better planet, or David O'Brien a long standing colleague and friend, always sharing and promoting wellbeing, mentorship and generally 'looking-out-for-others', I do feel inspired.

My own journey on LinkedIn has taught me that sales and purpose can co-exist. By striving to share content that matters—whether it’s on sustainability, workplace ethics, or the future of leadership —I hope to contribute to a community that values thought leadership over profit-driven messaging.

Together, we can make LinkedIn a platform where innovation, connection, and purpose come first.