Are you helping LinkedIn help you? A practical guide to making the most out of the #1 professional social media.

If you are reading this article, you are one of 830 million LinkedIn users spread across 200 countries.

The platform, now owned by Microsoft, turned 19 in 2022 and in almost two decades, it positioned itself as the most trusted social media.

LinkedIn is the virtual place where companies look for candidates and professionals look for jobs, but also where people develop business relationships, win customers, start partnerships, share, and gain knowledge.

In fact, many executives consider LinkedIn the most reliable source of professionally relevant content.

I am writing this article to provide readers with:

1) Well-researched facts and figures to better understand the potential of this platform.

2) Winning strategies I have learnt, developed and used over many years of practice. Strategies that have helped me land stellar clients, build international alliances, set up multiple businesses, promote my services and my expertise, and gain trust and respect in my industry, beyond the boundaries of my physical presence.

3) The science explaining why visibility is important in business, and how it affects decision making.

CAREER

The primary function of LinkedIn, although certainly not the only one, is to help companies find the right candidates and professionals to land a new job.

At present, 49 million people use LinkedIn to search for jobs each week, 95 applications are submitted every second, and 3 people are hired every minute.

The trend is growing, and the platform recorded a 110% increase in confirmed hires year-over- year in Q2, 2002.

Recruiters use LinkedIn because, functioning as a social media rather than a simple job-post engine, it gives them the opportunity to discover and familiarise with new talents.

They spend time there since they know that 70% of the global workforce comprises passive talent who aren’t actively job searching, and that a staggering 87% of active and passive candidates are open to new job opportunities.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

There are 57M+ companies listed on LinkedIn, and almost a billion users. They are all sellers and potential buyers.

The average income of LinkedIn users is US$43.644; they are both men (57.2%) and women (42.85%).

59% of them are aged between 25 and 34, while 20.8% are between 18 and 24 years old.

Over 61 million people qualify as top decision makers and in a recent survey, it emerged that 73% of buyers are more likely to consider a brand if the salesperson reaches out via this social media.

The numbers above make this virtual platform an interesting, to say the least, marketplace, whatever your industry, and your level of expertise.

A marketplace largely underutilised by most of its participants, considering that less than 5% of them post anything, while only 18% like or comment posts. A large majority simply read and consume content, which is generally regarded as relevant and trustworthy.

ALLIANCES

LinkedIn differs from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and pretty much all other social media platforms. Most users have the discipline and the good taste to keep a professional tone, although from time to time something personal pops up. Even in those cases, I’ve noticed that most people stay within the realms of motivation, solidarity, and major social or political events.

The unaltered professional posture, and the fact the platform is populated by a global audience, facilitates a partnership between like-minded individuals located in different parts of the world.

Is it the US market you’re targeting? You’ll find in LinkedIn 185m+ potential partners. 85m are in India, 56m in China, 55m in Brazil, 32m in the UK and so on.

Speaking of alliances, over the years, I’ve built a network that has helped me open an office in Malta, Dubai, and Dublin. I’ve found lawyers, accountants, consultants, and business partners. I’ve met content creators, video-makers, designers, and all kinds of creative minds. And I’ve also met great friends, extraordinary people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.

WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T

Based on my experience and my research, the three pillars of any winning LinkedIn strategy are consistency, generosity, and focus.

The first step is to start producing content. Since most users consume content passively, this step alone will differentiate you from the competitors, and will give you an audience to talk to.

However, one post or two won’t make any difference. LinkedIn’s algorithm is not designed to reward minimal efforts. It takes consistency and hard work to post interesting and well-researched material often enough for your network to notice it, and benefit from your work.

Long-form content (1.900+ words) performs better on LinkedIn, and it’s the hardest to produce. Not everybody enjoys writing, and yet writing is one of the most sought after skills in the modern corporate world. This is because good writing reflects good thinking. And also because the action of putting thoughts and ideas into words makes the writer achieve a higher level of clarity.

And clarity, in business, is everything!

If writing long content is not your cup of tea (yet) there are other options available. They comprise:

• short posts
• reposting other people’s posts or articles
• comments to other people’s posts

All of them will help you gain trust and visibility, provided that you commit to putting on the work.

Earlier in this article I mentioned generosity, and it takes a lot to create any content that is not simply an advertisement for your company or product or service.

The Pareto Rule applies here: 20% advertisement, and 80% real insight your network would benefit from.

Let me give you a few examples.

Most HR professionals and recruiters post only job offers. Some of them take a step further and repost something related to their company, to promote the great culture they have, and attract talents. This is nice, but not enough.

Imagine how much value they would create if they shared real insight, tips and tricks candidates could use to succeed in their next interviews. Or if they showed the behind the curtains of the hiring process. The struggles they face and the reasons they reject certain individuals and hire others. If they explained why it takes time to communicate their decision, or why they don’t do it at all.

I believe their network would benefit significantly from such approach, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they also attracted top talents to their company. Who wouldn’t want to work with people like this??

I taught this strategy to many luxury professionals, and they see results both in terms of sales and career opportunity.

All of them work with prestigious brands, and it would be easy for them to only repost what their company publishes daily. But they go beyond it. Some of them are GIA graduates (diamond and precious stone experts), others are watchmaking experts. Some are designers, other style consultants and so on. And every day they share information that provides their network with tangible value. They explain the difference between a watch movement and another and share all they know about stones. They repost the most interesting news of their industry and explain it further for the non-insiders. Most of the times, they do not mention their company, and when they do, they do it elegantly.

Unsurprisingly, when a member of their LinkedIn network looks for a new watch, dress, car, jewel etc.. they are the first to come to mind. And recruiters contact them constantly.

Along with generosity and consistency, it takes focus to succeed.

Understand what your expertise is, and stick to it, at least most of the times.

Once you start posting and see a certain engagement, it is easy to get carried away and feel you’ve become a local celebrity. And feel entitled to post anything crossing your mind.

I’ve seen many people starting on the right foot only to lose focus shortly after. They went from sharing unique, specific, and practical industry knowledge to generic motivational stuff.

They lost their chance to be seen as automotive experts (which they were), to try to emerge as the next Tony Robbins, which they were not.

I reckon you may take what you already know (your expertise) for granted, and not see how other people would benefit from it.

I can assure that if you’ve spent only a few years in a certain role, within an industry or an organisation, you have knowledge and information your LinkedIn network can benefit from. All you have to do is find the courage to share it.

Commenting other people’s posts is also a good way to build new relationships, share value and gain visibility. Again, generosity, commitment and focus make a difference here. The comment should be relevant to the post, and not a simple way to promote yourself or your company. It should be polite and free of typos to show respect to the author. If you’re sharing an opinion, try to back it up with facts. Since you’re already leveraging someone else’s work, you should show a little effort.

Direct messages and InMails are also powerful tools, totally mismanaged by a majority of people who see them as shortcuts.

I cannot count the times I have accepted a connection request and five minutes later I received a direct message that started with “Dear Sir/Madam we are a manufacturer of…”, or “I have 10 years of experience ….).

The best way to reach out to someone directly is when there is a good reason to do so. For them.

I haven’t contacted my most prestigious and loyal clients directly. They have contacted me after consuming my content for months, sometimes years. And what’s also interesting, most of them never liked, let alone comment, any of my posts.

I remember I was once contacted by the Global Training Director of one of the largest luxury retail companies in the world. She had been reading my posts for years, not once interacted with them, and it took us three emails and a phone call to close a deal.

One morning, I woke up and found a message on LinkedIn. The CEO of a luxury brand I had met many years back and who had just moved to a new company started with “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to hire you, and it has now come”. Needless to say, I never saw him put a thumb up, and yet he wouldn’t miss any of my posts.

The list is long and between my personal experience and the experience of the people I’ve trained over the past 10 years, there are countless amusing stories.

While it’s better to be contacted than to contact directly, there are good reasons to send InMails and common-sense rules to follow.

You may want to reach out directly to an old or new connection because you want to gain speed, and you have something to offer you know they would benefit from.

You should:

• Wait. The only message worth sending after they accept your connection request is a thank you note. They would see anything else as a rushed, desperate move (unless you want to buy from them, or hire them)
• Interact with their posts (if any). Let them gain familiarity with you. Gain their trust with a series of relevant, polite, meaningful and well-written comments.
• Ask for an introduction. See who you know in common, and ask them to make an introduction. For the introduction to be effective, the two should have a genuine relationship.
• Send a brief message, asking for permission to share more. Be extremely professional, polite but not submissive, and go straight to the point. And phrase it in a way that shows value for them.
• Do not send a reminder. Do not insist. If they do not reply to you, you’ve yet to gain their trust with your hard work made of long and short posts, videos, comments and your network’s endorsement.

YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

Invest in a professional headshot. You are 7X more likely to be found on LinkedIn if you have a profile picture. And as the saying goes, “you don’t have a second chance to make a good first impression”.

Look professional. This is not Instagram, nor TikTok. Every industry has a non-written dress code. Stick to it and do not overdo it. If you’re particularly attractive, a sexy use of your image may get you new contacts and interactions. Remember; they are vanity metrics. Your goal is to add value, not to trigger likes and meaningless comments. And it’s being chosen for the value you bring. Serious buyers, recruiters and business partners look for skills, knowledge and attitude.

Be detailed. A complete profile will get you 21x more profile views and you are 12x more likely to be found if you include at least two past working experiences.

Ask for recommendations. Past colleagues and happy customers telling how great you are, make a great (social) proof of your skills and attitude.

WHY GAIN VISIBILITY?

Not everyone likes to be under the spotlight, I get that. However, you may have heard the adage “out of sight, out of mind”.

In science, it is called the Mere Exposure Effect discovered in the 1960’s by the psychologist Robert Zajonc. His research revealed how familiarity is a powerful motivator of human behaviour.

We tend to trust the things and the people we are more familiar with, and which gravitate the most toward us.

It’s no secret that brands use celebrities and influencers because people trust them. And people trust them because they are familiar with their public persona they see every day on TV or social media.

LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to become a face your network is familiar with, leveraging your work and your expertise. An opportunity you should grab before everyone else does.

CONCLUSIONS

Are you ready to help LinkedIn help you?

I warn you, it will not be a walk in the park, and you won’t see an immediate ROI.

Yet, becoming your own publisher and developing into a content creator will help you consolidate and expand your knowledge, while you consolidate and expand your network.

ADDITIONAL STATS

If the above fact and figures have not convinced you yet, here there are some more:

General Info:

• Total Number of Monthly Active LinkedIn Users:310 million
• Total Number of Open Jobs on LinkedIn: 15M+
• Total Number of Schools Listed on LinkedIn: 120K+
• LinkedIn’s 2021 Annual Revenue: 10B

?Demographics:

• 48.5% of US LinkedIn users are Monthly Active Users.
• 36% of US adults between 30 and 49 years old use LinkedIn.
• 59.1% of LinkedIn users are between the ages of 25 and 34.
• 20.4% of Millennials(18-24 years old) use LinkedIn.
• About 34% of young millennials (19-25) and 41% of older millennials (26-35) have decision-making responsibilities.
• There are 17 million opinion leaders and 10 million C-Level executives on LinkedIn.

Usage Stats:

• 49 million people use LinkedIn to search for jobs each week.
• 95 Job applications are submitted through LinkedIn every second, and 3 people are hired every minute.
• There was a 110% increase in confirmed hires year-over-year in Q2 FY22.
• 57% of LinkedIn’s total traffic comes from mobile devices.
• Employees are 14x more likely to share content from their employers than any other type of content on LinkedIn.

Content Stats:

• 6 out of 10 users actively look for industry insights on LinkedIn.
• 280 billion feed updates are viewed annually.
• LinkedIn makes up over 50% of all social traffic to B2B websites & blogs.
• 93% of B2B content marketers use LinkedIn for organic social marketing.
• Articles with titles between 40-49 characters perform the best on LinkedIn.
• Articles without video perform better than those with video. It is best to upload videos natively on LinkedIn.
• LinkedIn has 15x more content impressions than job postings.
• 45% of content readers on LinkedIn fall under upper management in companies.
• LinkedIn is the second-most popular social media platform among B2B marketers.
• The US offers the largest group of LinkedIn advertising audience, with a reach of 190 million users.
• 52% of buyers say LinkedIn has the most influence on their research process before purchasing a product??
• LinkedIn posts with images get 2x higher engagement.
• LinkedIn users are 20x more likely to re-share a video post.

In-site activity:

• There are 2 million active publishers on LinkedIn.
• Only 3 million LinkedIn users share content on a weekly basis.
• 97% of B2B marketers use it for their content marketing efforts.
• There are 100 million job applications on LinkedIn every month.
• 2 million posts, articles, and videos are published on LinkedIn every day.
• LinkedIn users review an average of six pages per visit, spending approximately 7 minutes on the platform.
• 40% of users access it daily, clocking up over 1 billion interactions every month.
• Hubspot found that LinkedIn is 277% more effective at generating leads than Facebook and Twitter.
• Of those LinkedIn users who are frequently engaging with the platform, 40% access it on a daily basis, clocking up over 1 billion interactions every month.

Advertising Stats:

• An ad on LinkedIn can reach 14.6% of the world’s population.
• LinkedIn’s ad reach grew by 22 million people in Q4 2022, which is 2.8% more than in Q3.
• Brands have seen a 33% increase in purchase intent resulting from ad exposure on LinkedIn.
• Brands see a 2-3x lift in brand attributes when advertising on LinkedIn.

More Facts:

• Microsoft paid $26 billion for LinkedIn.
• There are 35,000 skills listed on LinkedIn.
• LinkedIn is currently available in 25 languages.
• The top soft skill that companies need the most on LinkedIn is creativity and the top hard skill required is Blockchain followed by Cloud computing.
• There are 6 million IT decision-makers on LinkedIn.
• There have been 11 billion endorsements on LinkedIn.
• The average CEO has 930 connections.
• More than 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn regularly.

Thank you for reading.

To your success!

Carlo Pignataro

Ps: If you enjoyed this article, please like it and share it. You can also subscribe to my newsletter,?The Weekly (Luxury) Reflection.?