LinkedIn is a habit, how did I not know that?

January 2021, I stand infront of 4 people and say, 'we are going to build a business which is content led, opinionated, immersed in the markets it operates across, and LinkedIn first.'

In the coming 6 months over 40 blogs, thousands of words, hundreds of graphics, and more and more videos as the weeks went on, were shared. Mainly via this platform. Digital 51 was a business built on a LinkedIn strategy. Our first client came from LinkedIn. Our biggest partnership came from a referral, from a person we engaged via LinkedIn. Our first international project came from LinkedIn. Our first hires outside the famous five who started the business, came from a LinkedIn advert.

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Not only did I lead from the front on this, I was the Usain Bolt of the LinkedIn race. I could not be caught; I was posting 3 times a day at one point. Ideas, thoughts, new roles, videos, all were shared. Some were hugely successful, generating revenue, interest, the feel-good factor, visitors to our website, and most importantly confidence. Confidence that we were doing something different, something people wanted to hear about. Some bombed, but I kept going. I was not the only one though. Go and check out the profiles of those people who worked for Digital 51 over the last 2 years, the majority still post alot, share alot, create alot. That all came from us forming the habit.

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Then, just like Usain Bolt, one day in early 2023 I just stopped. A couple of bits here and there, but on the whole, nothing, silence, it has been like a switch has been turned off.

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Looking back to 2021, and 2022 I lived on LinkedIn, I would be on it first thing, last thing, and every minute in-between. I needed it to grow my business and I believed in both the methodology and the message. If I even attempted time off, my biggest problem was could I stay off the dreaded little blue icon.

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I've now come to realise this was not the obsession I thought it was, it was a well formed, and proven to work habit.

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Then my world changed. Selling Digital 51, becoming part of the Rethink

journey meant that my identity changed, I was no longer purely D51, and D51 was no longer so heavily based on me. I threw myself into my new world and the habit was broken, but I must admit I did miss it. Then at the end of March I was asked to take on the challenge of Digital Gurus. BOOM. GAME OVER. The magic, allure, and focus that famous pink neon logo needed from everyone involved, meant LinkedIn was not only a dropped habit, but a complete afterthought.

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The habit has been broken. Most days, I barely even logon to LI right now.

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How does it feel? In some ways strange, in other ways it's like a weight has been lifted. Right now, my business has more tools in its armoury than purely living, breathing, and sharing via LinkedIn. In reality what have I missed? The rise of AI? Boy did that change quick?! Those people still hanging to the WFH v work from office debate. The answer by the way remains HYBRID people!

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Breaking the habit is one thing, but writing and sharing about my change of role, change of identity has been harder than I thought. Plus, who really wants to know about that?! When did we stop talking about what our actual businesses do? What role we play in that? How we believe this can benefit others? Surely there are some out there still doing this?

Everyone cannot be sharing how they feel, why they are the best, and how to

beat the 'algo!' I hope not anyway.

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So, what now? What's the purpose of this post? What am I going to do next?

I'm not sure if I am honest.

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I started a paragraph about how I will 'get back to it,' how I will start slowly, but the key is repetition 'blah, blah, blah.' Maybe I won't though, maybe I will float in and out a little more. I think for once in my life I will just go with the LinkedIn flow, it's not like I don't have my hands full with things to do. Writing this down has been good though, so maybe people are right, maybe I should do that a bit more?

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Maybe writing for me will become my new habit?

Now there is an idea......