Going viral on LinkedIn

We've all seen them - those LinkedIn posts that inexplicably blow up and rack up hundreds of thousands of views, likes and shares.?

I’ve had a couple of viral posts myself, and a viral poll about what milk alternative I should put in my cuppa ??

But rather than becoming a millionaire overnight, and getting booked out by clients, it left me feeling rather overwhelmed and attacked ??

I didn’t feel comfortable with my new found internet fame as my posts racked up 100,000s of views.

?? I had to grow a thick skin from some rather nasty and unwelcome comments from randoms on the internet.

And I ended up even more confused about what milk alternative to put in my cup of tea (a close call between oat and soya milk!) ??

Here's the reality: going viral on LinkedIn does not automatically translate into dollars in the bank.?

Vanity metrics, like views, likes and shares may give you an ego boost, but they don't pay the bills.

I see it so often - people get caught up in chasing these vanity metrics, obsessing over cracking LinkedIn's algorithm such as:

?? The best time to post?

?? Do I include a link?

?? Which and how many hashtags?

?? How many words - should it be long or short?

?? How many posts a week?

You will drive yourself crazy with all this obsessing.?

I’ll be honest - two of my three viral posts were never my intention.?

They were random thoughts that I shared that day on LinkedIn. The comments went berserk and I was left wondering what to do with all the attention.?

I was publicly called a retard by a total random person.. The trolling was bad and unpleasant.?

?? The third post was deliberate and I knew it would go viral as it was about a very poor recruitment process and it got everybody seething.?

I strategically crafted that one to be provocative and get views.?

?? The result - yes it did give me more views on my profile, which is never a bad thing - but in all honesty it had no tangible business value.

High impressions and viral posts don’t move the needle on the metrics that truly matter - leads, sales, client acquisitions and pounds in the bank..?

A wildly popular LinkedIn post that generates half a million views is meaningless if it doesn't actually drive revenue for your business. I speak from experience.?

So today’s advice is do these things rather than chasing the vanity metrics game:?

? focus on creating content that spotlights your value and expertise

? share practical insights from your industry?

? write case studies to demonstrate client outcomes not pain points

? cover newsworthy topics associated with your industry and share your opinion

This builds your trust, credibility and authority as you become an expert in your area.

And it does wonders for your personal brand.

?? My best advice is to invest your time in activities proven to generate tangible business results - networking, lead generation, business development.?

How do you do that?

?? Engage and join in conversations on LinkedIn instead.?

The truth is, you can't fully control what goes viral and what doesn't on LinkedIn.?

Their algorithm is a total unknown. It is constantly tweaked in ways that increase user engagement..?

Instead, take a more strategic approach that builds relationships, highlights your skills and delivers real value.?

That's the path to converting your connections into paying customers.

If you are interested in finding more about how I can help you with your LinkedIn strategy then get in touch - send me a DM or book in for a call?

https://tidycal.com/laurasocialflow/disco-call

#LinkedIn #SocialSelling #LinkedInStrategy #Viral