There are certain posts you should avoid on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is described as the world’s largest professional network with over 500Million people with a ‘profile’. Influencer James Potter goes as far as to say that “LinkedIn is NOT social media! We can discuss that in another blog, for now, we are going to talk about what not to post on LinkedIn.
I see a lot of people sharing articles, sharing pictures, writing blogs and commentary which is fun and makes me laugh at times, however most LinkedIn professionals will say that this is wrong.
Remember that LinkedIn is different than Twitter and Facebook. It’s a professional network where you can get prospects. These people may not share your world view and by posting in a way that opposes their ideas and beliefs will hurt your chance to connect with them.
Here are some of the types of LinkedIn posts to avoid.
1. Controversial Posts – Avoid topics that negatively concentrate on people. These topics may be important, but this isn’t the place to have this discussion. Taking a stance on these issues can hurt your business or your personal brand.
2. Political or Religious Posts – Many people consider this is a no brainer. These are very passionate topics. Making a comment or creating a post that indicates a “side”, can only damage your brand. This post is a great example of a post that should stay off of LinkedIn
3. Sales Pitch Posts – This platform is best to be used to build relationships. Don’t broadcast your sales material here. Focus on providing value and being a resource so when someone needs a service, you come to mind. This they cover their tracks by saying it’s a pro tip, but it’s just a sales promo.
4. Personal Information Posts – LinkedIn is a professional platform. Post your personal stuff on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Quora, Reddit, Pinterest or Snapchat. You know, it is possible to be social and professional at the same time. This is a great example of a post that should be on IG or FB, not LinkedIn.
5. Stop Reposting Everything – Sharing a post from an Influencer is different than sharing everything under the sun. When you share an article is should provide some good quality information that is helpful for your connections.
In conclusion, if you avoid these posts on LinkedIn, you will keep the forum professional. You will see your posts reflect the community that LinkedIn is trying to build and it will be a win-win situation.