I’ve noticed that more and more people are recognizing the importance of LinkedIn. This is a very positive development, because its value goes far beyond job hunting: it’s a space for exchanging ideas, fostering networking, and driving professional growth. In addition, the platform also plays a fundamental role in closing business deals. Today, more than 70% of decision-makers across different industries consider LinkedIn their primary source of information for decision-making*. In other words, the platform is strategic for everyone, but especially for leaders.
Recognizing the importance of having a presence on the platform is an essential first step. But anyone who starts becoming more active on LinkedIn quickly realizes that growing there isn’t so simple. Simply being online and posting isn’t enough; you need to reach the right people. I see many people producing great content but achieving low engagement metrics. And when we take a closer look, this usually happens because of a mistake that, however subtle, negatively impacts performance.
To help boost your growth on LinkedIn, I’d like to share three of these mistakes:
1. Underestimating Your Headline
You know that descriptive line that appears right below your name? It’s one of our greatest allies when it comes to positioning our profiles in search results. It’s essential to fill it with keywords relevant to your industry and professional role, ensuring a match between what’s in your headline and what your audience is searching for. To decide what to include, think about how you would search for someone with your role and skills, and how you would like your profile to be found. Ideally, consider using between 3 and 7 terms.
2. Posting and Disappearing
For LinkedIn’s algorithm, one of the key factors in building relevance is interaction with the community. In other words, for a profile to reach more people, it’s necessary to go beyond posting: you need to engage with content shared by your followers or people with profiles similar to yours. If you’re only posting but not commenting on, liking, or sharing other people’s content, you could be holding back your own growth!
3. Saving the Best for Last
On LinkedIn, the first few lines of a post are the most important because they’re what appears before the “see more” button in most feeds, especially on mobile. We have, at most, three lines to capture the audience’s attention and make them want to read the rest. Don’t save the most intriguing, thought-provoking, or attention-grabbing part for the end — it could be costing you engagement.
A LinkedIn positioning strategy, as with other social media platforms, isn’t an exact science. Observing firsthand what works for your audience is essential. But, of course, there are key best practices for working with the algorithm and gaining relevance on the platform. I’ve covered a few of them above, but our Perfil LinkedIn training program covers them all — from profile optimization to content strategies, with a focus on leadership profiles. To learn more, just get in touch with us here: https://bit.ly/4e3epEN
*Source: LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report, 2024.
Pamela Carvalho
