Why do we hate LinkedIn so much?

"LinkedIn is a big f***ing theater."?

This is what my friend said when I told him that I will try to post on LinkedIn. I have to admit, he has a point.??

As someone who has been working in employer branding for the last 5 years, creating content for companies and encouraging people to share, I cannot write my own posts on LinkedIn. Why is that??

LinkedIn is still an emerging "social" media platform. Our expectations for LinkedIn also have evolved over the past few years. While we used to use it mainly for job applications or showcasing company culture, we now might find ourselves scrolling down when we take a break from work and send some work-related funny memes to our friends.?

Our feed is less personalized compared to other platforms?

Despite LinkedIn's algorithm being improved, it's still far behind Instagram or TikTok. LinkedIn's monthly active user number is only 310 million, compared to over 2.35 billion for Instagram and 1.05 billion for TikTok. Of course, these numbers might be a factor, but there are other issues to consider.?

I believe it all started with the fact that we've made connections with everyone. I mean EVERYONE! We accepted every connection request?because we wanted to stay up-to-date or showcase the number of connections we had. But now, with so many connections, even LinkedIn's algorithm can't help us see the most relevant posts. Instead, we end up seeing all the "cringy" posts, making LinkedIn a platform to avoid posting on.?

I'm going to be unprofessional and quote a Reddit user:?

"My absolute biggest hate with LinkedIn is that it’s turned every little thing into a huge announcement. It makes someone starting a new job at a new company like a football recruit announcing they’re going to Alabama next year to play ball.?No one cares."??

I do not see this much of a specific and strong argument about the way people use other social media platforms. Usually, people and companies share whatever they want. If you don't like it or don't care, you just don't follow. But on LinkedIn, even though you try to keep your LinkedIn, let's say, to get informed about the latest Product Design trends, and meetups and communities around this, you still end up seeing the photo of a CEO crying or posts that have nothing to do with your interests.?

Plus, most people tend to like or reshare rather than creating their own content. That means new posts are limited, and there isn't much quality content being created. When there's not much content, your chances of coming across relevant content decrease.?

One of the primary reasons why individuals may be hesitant to share their professional identity is due to a possible sense of inferiority. Many people feel that they are inadequate to discuss their areas of expertise, even if they are knowledgeable in that field.

So, what's the solution?

I'm not suggesting that everyone should post on LinkedIn. If you don't have anything valuable to add to the conversation, please stay away. But take a moment to think about your business experience, know-how about a certain field or career story. You might find a topic that your network would be interested in. By providing quality content to LinkedIn, we can make LinkedIn great again!?

I might also share some tips on how to start writing on LinkedIn. If I keep sharing stuff here... :) We'll see about that. And who knows, maybe I'll find a way to make it less of a big theater.?