LinkedIn Lessons for Everyone

People debate whether or not social media actually improves our lives. While I'm still on the fence about most social media, I’m in the YES! Camp after Wednesday’s LinkedIn Algorithm webinar with Liam Darmody.

Here are seven takeaways from the webinar that you can also use to improve your week.

1. There’s no shame in asking for help.

At this moment, I’m on the opposite side of the country preparing for a great week at the PARWCC THRIVE! Conference. So last week was a busy week finalizing presentation slide decks, packing, and continuing my regular workload. Oh, and then I planned a webinar in the middle of the week. ????♀?

I realized I needed help to pull everything off, so I asked for some backup. My Virtual Assistant was able to step in and do some tasks to lighten my load.

She may or may not have also stepped up to help with this week’s Sunday Scaries. ??

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it! Ideally, it won’t be last minute but even if it is, just ask and trust the other person to be honest about the time they have- or don’t have- to give.

2.? Done is better than perfect.

I’m pretty sure we’ve discussed this before, but getting something finished, even imperfectly, is better than not finishing because you’re trying to make it perfect. We needed a slide deck for the webinar, and having something for cues and questions was better than having some highly detailed graphic explosion (which, as you might guess, we did NOT have…)

So I’d like to remind you that there is a difference between striving for personal excellence and letting perfection get in the way of progress. You don’t need a Lambo to get to the grocery store when a good, old Honda Accord (or Subaru with a cracked windshield) will do.

3. LinkedIn is the “who” behind the “what”.

This applies to job seekers, solopreneurswill, businesses- everyone. LinkedIn is an important opportunity to provide context about who you are as a person and professional. Liam pointed out that a resume is very static and quantitative but with LinkedIn, “your authenticity can come across in your profile.”?

What does your LinkedIn profile communicate about you? Is it a place where other people can easily see who you are and what you are passionate about? (More about this in tip #4.)

Or, are you a passive profile with a gray picture and no About section? ??

Extend this idea out a little more and think about how effectively you are communicating your core values through your daily, weekly, and monthly routines, interactions, and choices.

4. Focus on the value you are providing.

It’s a common human desire to want to contribute to the world instead of feeling like we are bothering other people. In the webinar, Liam encouraged us to shift our mindset from “I’m annoying people with this content.” to “I’m providing value with this content.”?

And then Liam gave us three main “buckets” or “pillars” to include in the content we provide on LinkedIn: your skills, your fascination, and a window into your world.

? Write or speak about your skills to market yourself to customers, clients, or employers.

? Tell people about your fascination or your passion because seeing you fired up will excite them too.

? Provide content that gives a glimpse into your real world. This content is more vulnerable and can be harder to share, but it’s very effective because it shows others your true self and gives them a real, human being to connect with.

5. Being a noob isn’t always a bad thing.

It can be intimidating to think about providing content online because there are a lot of steps involved. And it seems like there are plenty of people who already have a head start on you. So why bother trying to break into the content creation world??

Liam has a theory that the LinkedIn algorithm might promote newer, inconsistent content creators more so than established content creators. He thinks LinkedIn is encouraging more people to create valuable content by supporting the newbies.

Don’t let fear of failure stop you from jumping in! There is likely more support for your new endeavors than you initially realize, and your voice is ready to be heard!

6. Find the right balance that works for you.

I’ll admit that “balance” is an overused buzzword, but that’s probably for a reason. Finding the middle ground where you have enough of something to be useful, but not too much of something to be detrimental, can be challenging.

There are two areas related to LinkedIn where Liam encouraged balance.?

The first area is your amount of time spent using LinkedIn and Liam says to view this time as an investment in your business and personal brand. You need to utilize LinkedIn enough to accomplish your goals but not so much that it takes away from other priorities.

The second area is finding balance in the types of activities you are doing on LinkedIn. Liam suggests three “buckets” or “pillars” to spend your time on: creating, commenting, and connecting. Share your content, interact with people who comment on your content and other people’s content in meaningful ways, and maximize your connections in thoughtful and intentional ways.

If you are a job seeker, your focus may be more on the commenting and connecting instead of creating. But remember #3 above and ensure that your profile has enough of the right content to communicate effectively about you.

7. Consistency matters more than frequency.?

I talk about values, priorities, goals, and consistency a lot, so I just love this advice from Liam:?

Pick a goal you can maintain consistently for 6 months. Once you achieve that level of consistency, you can increase the frequency of your actions.

Obviously, this one applies to waaaay more situations than your social media content creation!

What other areas in your personal or professional life could benefit from focusing on consistency?

Your Friend and Coach,

Angie