Mastering Your Mindset: How to Take Back Your LinkedIn Power – Part 2

Last time, we looked at some FACs - Frequently Articulated Complaints - about LinkedIn.

And you know what?

Those FACs are the gift that keeps on giving! Here are a few more of my favourites, each of them slippery slopes to LinkedIn disempowerment.?

“It's not relevant!”

I understand this take. I really do. And, as with everything, it’s your choice.

However, most people expect most people to be on it.

Without making it sound like a Liam Nesson line ... they will go looking for you, and they will find you. It’s your choice to participate or not in making that search worth their time - so be aware of the consequences and how they will affect you.

Lack of participation or having a poor personal profile on the platform will have an impact on your overall perception - again, whether you like it or not.

“I don’t need LinkedIn. I get referrals.”

Ah, I love this one. And if this is your excuse, you clearly love playing with fire!

Look, it’s great that you get referrals – but what if they dry up? In an increasingly crowded market, people can (and will!) forget about you, or simply move on.

If you enjoy referrals, why don’t you proactively build more referrals with an impeccable LinkedIn presence?

It’s a gamble not to invest in your network, and the stakes are high.

“I don’t like it. It’s just full of salespeople.”

If this is you, then you need to put your bomb-proof pants on.

A little thing like this should never get in your way – so why are you letting it?

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of product pushers out there.

Think of LinkedIn as a bit like driving in rush hour traffic. Everyone is trying to get somewhere. Yes, there are some idiots on the road, but you don’t have to mimic their behaviour!

We are all using the road, but entirely differently. You will find madness everywhere if you look for it (politicians are a good start).

But if you look for genuine individuals, they are everywhere too. Just refocus and pick your direction of travel – you’re in the driver’s seat, after all.

“I have zero digital skills!”

You need absolutely no digital skills. The one skill you actually need is a relationship-building mindset.

Be nice, kind,?authentic, considerate and professional. Get that right and you’ll be away ahead of most people!

Learning the functions on LinkedIn and then selecting the ones that suit you and your objectives is straightforward.

Your instinctive nurturing mindset is the secret key to being a winner, or getting left behind.

“But I’m not a writer”

Nor am I, but that shouldn’t stop you from using the platform! Choose a format that suits you. Short bursts of a few lines, image shares, leverage other people’s content (see below), make simple carousels.

When I talk about visibility and what to share, there are some super options, you just need to pick the format that suits you. ?

“I don’t have time to generate content!”

You don’t have to. Find a good source of content that is varied, interesting and share that content. You'll achieve a good level of visibility.

Curated content is a great way to share the expertise of colleagues in your field - and sharing this is also a very good way to be associated with their expertise!

Pick three to five topics that you’re passionate about and your audience is interested in and then follow specific hashtags about them. It could be storytelling, executive coaching, or SaaS developments - it’s entirely up to you.

You’ll soon have a feed full of insights.

And, if you’re worried about having opinions, reframe it. Make them observations instead. What have you noticed about your industry lately? What problems do your clients commonly bring you to help them solve?

In a larger business? Get in touch with the marketing team about upcoming events, campaigns, or posts, and throw your weight behind their activity.

You’re probably sitting on a goldmine of content, and you don’t even realise it!

“Well, I have plenty of contacts, but no one responds to me! LinkedIn is rubbish!”

Ah. Well… this is nothing to do with LinkedIn. This is everything to do with your nurturing strategy. The ‘surprise’ observation I get pretty 100% of the time ‘is now we are connected what next, what do I say’?

This is the golden key. LinkedIn it has opened up a channel of communication. Its work is done. It is now down to your skill to communicate appropriately and build a nurturing, valuable relationship.

And breathe….

I could go on … but I think you get it now.?The takeaways? Trust your instinct, it’s usually right. Don’t follow followers of followers. Have a sense of awareness and values. Predict your future by creating it. And try to have some fun along the way!

Need an extra hand? I have two. Get in touch at any time, and let’s explore how we can make LinkedIn a new powerful resource for you.

Miles Duncan?- founder b2b success systems. Transformative LinkedIn and CRM training for Professional Services

I set up my profile on LinkedIn in 2004 and fell in love with the platform. Since 2008 I have been helping organisations implement the rich resources of LinkedIn.

Team Training

For your team take a look at my website?b2bsuccesssystems.co.uk

You will also find I offer a complimentary no obligation, LinkedIn team orientation session that many companies have opted for, check it out here?b2bsuccesssystems.co.uk/teams

Group Training

I run an 8-week LinkedIn high performance training program, its one hour per week live with me, very small group so it feels like 121.

You learn in small chunks...

Even if you can’t make one of the sessions, everything is recorded and emailed on to you that day. Plus on the 'Run' program open access to my eLearning platform.

Take a peek?https://startrunfly.co.uk/

Miles Duncan?https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/milesduncan/

?