Overthinking!

"I just don't have the time to post on LinkedIn??. It's not that I undervalue the benefits, it just takes me far too long because I overthink it"

This came from a delegate on a course I delivered recently and it hit me right between the eyes...That's why so many people find it hard to find the time to post content, they overthink it!

Also in this episode;

• Feedback on pods and direct messaging.
• How demure and mindful is your profile? I found out and got roasted!
• More changes coming to video content and Livestreaming...potentially.
• A heartbreaking post of the week

Informed is a weekly podcast which you can listen to and subscribe to for free on any podcast app. These notes are merely brief overview of what I covered in the podcast so do listen to the full show on Spotify below or simply search for LinkedInformed on your podcast app of choice.

Feedback

Calle Walla got in touch regarding the recent episode on pods . Calle made the following point regarding people boosting someone elses post in a pod... "What if it's as simple as the childish belief that putting your clickable name in the comment section will give you a chance to get profile views"

That sounds like a decent theory to me. Pick a post from someone who usually attracts high engagement and rather than directly commenting on the post, do it through a pod so that the post gets an extra boost thus providing your comment with extra visibility. Again it's numbers for the sake of it, but a credible theory.

MARK LEE FCA also got in touch regarding last weeks discussion about posting with the intention of not attracting engagement. Whilst he agreed that it made little sense, he also added that the idea of sending a new connection a DM with a link to one of your recent posts could be a good idea. I agree although I'm not sure the post needs to be especially recent, just highly relevant to the recipient and in addition it doesn't need to be your content, any relevant content will help to start to build a relationship with your new connection.

How demure and mindful is your profile?

I really dislike the trend of using demure in the wrong context...but it's trendy so this site are using it!

Anyway you can now get an appraisal of how 'demure' your LinkedIn?? profile is by going to https://resumade.com/demurecheck

I did and got duly roasted!

Ouch, how rude! ??

Thanks to Matt Navarra for the information that led me to that roasting...cheers Matt!

Video content

Kevin D. Turner is reporting that he believes that we will soon see several new video based features

A native option for Live streaming has been rumoured for a long time but we've yet to see anything happen. My sense is that it is unlikely to be embraced by committed LinkedIn?? Live streamers who typically prefer to stream to multiple platforms but for those that occasionally want to consider a Live stream but don't want to pay a subscription for a 3rd party service, it seems a great option. I'm not sure why it's taking them so long to do this, let's hope it happens soon.

As for Live video events (think audio events but with video) this was announced by LinkedIn?? a long long time ago (before audio events) but still nothing concrete has happened.

Video comments would be a fantastic edition. Commenting is already a great way to educate and build a relationships with others and adding a video option would make it even better. I suspect that this, if it ever happens, would be a mobile only feature.

It's all speculation at this time but it's clear that LinkedIn?? are doubling down on video at the moment.

Overthinking

In my experience, the number one barrier for people to produce content on LinkedIn?? is a lack of time.

Of course it's not really a lack of time, it's more about priority...people have the time but decide that other tasks have a higher priority. This however is exaggerated when the time it takes to post is much longer than it should be and I think one of the key reasons this happens is overthinking.

Most of us overthink at some level, I consider myself to be quite a decisive person but I still find myself overthinking on occasions but for some it can be a crippling issue and results in significant stress and anxiety.

Here's how it normally goes;

• You think of an idea
• You research the topic
• You produce/write the post
• You review what you have done

...and then the overthinking kicks in!

"Will this resonate with others?" "Is this too obvious" "Am I complicating this" "Will people 'get' the point" "What will my boss / colleagues think when they see it" " Does this adhere to our corporate social media policy" "Will this damage my credibility" etc etc

If you overthink your content then you are definitely not alone, this is a very common problem.

Here are my tips to help with overthinking your content;

• It's usually better to make a decision and learn from the outcome, rather than over analyse and consider too many 'what if's'. This obviously depends on the importance of what you are doing, delivering a talk to 5 people vs 5000 people would obviously trigger different levels of thinking/stress and this is the first mistake people make with content. When you first start posting your audience will typically be very small and you have very little to lose but most people are influenced by impressions (which are not views) and this number makes them feel that the stakes are much higher than they really are.
• When you find yourself overthinking, stop and recognise the fact openly. It actually helps to say out loud (if possible) "I'm overthinking this"
• For every negative outcome, make a point of countering it with the exact opposite. i.e. "Will this damage my credibility?" should be followed with "This could really increase my credibility" and so on. It may seem silly but countering in this way has been proven to help people with overthinking.
• Set realistic time limits for each action listed above. Research : Production : Review. Add all 3 times together and work out the time you will post and be really disciplined to stick to that posting or scheduling time. This restricted time technique is initially stressful but you do get used to it.
• Take note of the time of day or days in the week you are most susceptible to overthinking. This will be different for everyone but if you see a pattern, avoid producing content at that time of the day/week.
• As part of the review process, ask a colleague,friend or relative to take a quick look at your post and give you an instant reaction. They are less likely to be as harsh as you are (your own worst critic) and this can help you move forward.
• Finally a slightly weird one but apparently something that can really help at the point where your overthinking has become crippling and you are paralysed in a whirlwind of thoughts. Take a cold shower! I've never done this but I have been wild water swimming in the winter and being in very cold water removes all thoughts from your head, the only thing you think about is being cold! All the noise and confusion dissipates and you find peace. This may help you reset when things are especially bad.

As someone that is married to an overthinker, I have learnt that saying "Just stop overthinking it" really doesn't help!

Hopefully some of the above tips might.

Post of the week

I had several great nominations this week but there could only going be one winner once I saw this amazing and moving video post from Mark Gaisford

Dementia has impacted many of us and will continue to impact many more of you in the future.

When I saw Mark's honest and heart wrenching story, it made me appreciate the fact that my father died before his dementia had such a crippling and horrible impact on him and all those that loved him.

This is a brave and vulnerable video from Mark, who is a brilliant video maker but also a very genuine and loving son. My heart goes out to you and your family at this challenging time.

Sorry to end on such a sad note but I do feel this is a post we should all see.

That's it for this week. I'm away next week so no episode but I will be back soon after.

Take care.