Do You Suffer From LinkedIn Inferiority Syndrome?
There’s no getting around it. If you’re in a marketing, sales or entrepreneurial role, you have to know how to use LinkedIn.
There’s no getting around it. If you’re in a marketing, sales or entrepreneurial role, you have to know how to use LinkedIn. Stop treating it as just another social network that’s only good for a quick news feed and profile views check.
Chances are that your next employer, prospect or business contact is on LinkedIn, and there’s a method and strategy to the network that could potentially help you meet your professional goals. If you only take away one thought from this post, it’s that your approach to LinkedIn as a tool will determine its function and the results you get from it. The first step is to stop being afraid of actively networking and engaging on the platform, and change your mindset.
In a recent Oktopost webinar on the psychology of LinkedIn, the host, Asher Abraham, spoke at length about the “LinkedIn Inferiority Syndrome.” As a marketing consultant, he’s encountered a number of professionals who are afraid of posting their comments or connecting with others on the platform. Why? Because they don’t feel they’re “important enough” professionally, either because they’re not a recognized thought leader in their respective industry, or don’t have a C-suite ranking. If you can relate to these thoughts, it’s time to reassess your approach, and adopt Asher’s four mantras to help overcome your LinkedIn fears.
1. Everyone is Human
This one’s obvious — but don’t forget it. Regardless of whether the person is a top executive or a lower-level manager: they’re still human! This doesn’t mean that you should go around sending invites to CEOs, but it does mean that you shouldn’t be afraid of engaging with someone who you feel might be more accomplished than you. We live in a very connected economy; even if someone has a senior position or years of experience, this doesn’t necessarily mean he or she won’t be interested in what you have to say or contribute.
2. We All Have an Expertise to Offer
Everyone has their own set of distinct skills — not to mention knowledge, information, products and services, to contribute to the marketplace at large, and LinkedIn in particular. Keep in mind that whatever you’re offering on LinkedIn, it should be clearly reflected in both your personal profile and your activities across the social network — such as Discussion Groups and status updates. You are your own personal brand, and your messaging and interactions on LinkedIn constitute a major part of your professional identity. If anyone comes across your profile or reads one of your comments, they should understand, within seconds, what it is that you do and what industry you belong to.
As far as your profile goes, don’t fall into the trap of thinking of LinkedIn as a resume. Resumes are very past-oriented, and your LinkedIn profile should be a “living, breathing” thing of the present. Make sure your LinkedIn profiles grows at the same rate that your talents, skills and other relevant expertise grow professionally. Also, don’t skimp on the details — invest some effort into detailing your exact responsibilities rather than just hiding behind the company’s general description.
3. Each One of Us Can Help Others
Ironically, the method that dominates today’s social selling space has little to do with actual selling — at least not directly. It’s all about what you can give and how you can help other people. Basically, if others recognize your “generosity,” they’ll be more willing to engage with you, and hear you out when you’re pitching yourself for a new job or trying to sell a product. Regardless of how you contribute (e.g. commenting on a post by offering recommendations or tips, offering to virtually introduce two colleagues, or volunteering to moderate a Group), you have the ability to help.
Based on Asher’s advice, if you really want to succeed on LinkedIn, you have to help other people first. LinkedIn members often receive offers and sales pitches, and can usually tell right away if you’re only trying to sell something to them or market your company. If you really want to help, be authentic — authenticity is one of the keys behind promoting yourself or your business on LinkedIn.
Professional relationships thrive on being mutually beneficial — an advantage has to exist for both parties. It’s not so much about helping others as a favor, but rather establishing a win-win situation. If your products, services or skills can help someone — a company or a person, then they’re valuable and it’s a win-win deal. As you’re exploring the world of LinkedIn, always think about what’s in it for the other person and the marketplace overall.
4. It’s Worth Getting Good At
Get the practice out of the way first. Even if you don’t know what you’re doing on LinkedIn right now, if you use the right features regularly (update your profile frequently, connect with relevant people, participate in Discussion Groups, so on), you can do a much better job at maintaining your network and presence. On way to stay on top of all the most recent features is by checking the LinkedIn Official Blog from time to time, or if you’re managing your businesses’ activities, the Company Pages Product Updates. LinkedIn is the largest professional social network in the world, and the most important part of how you use it — is you.
This article originally appeared on the Oktopost blog
