8 Mistakes You Might Be Making on LinkedIn

If there’s a lounge area for businesses on the internet, it’s LinkedIn.

The air of professionalism that LinkedIn anchors on has made it the go-to for anything business-to-business (B2B), such as lead generation and marketing ads. An article on Buffer specifies this further by explaining that LinkedIn sends four times more people to your website page versus Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

As the world’s largest corporate network, you can be sure that it’s worth investing your marketing effort and time. The powerful tool can do wonders for your business – if done correctly.

Because LinkedIn is anything but straightforward, here’s a list of 8 LinkedIn mistakes you might be making and why you should avoid them.

1 – Unfinished LinkedIn company page

LinkedIn has come a long way from being a social-based platform. Now, it offers opportunities to display content, post status updates, accolades, and even endorsements. However, it’s common to skip out on curating your profile when you’re too focused on what you post.

A half-finished profile, like a missing LinkedIn photo, sends a message about your credibility and how you do business. Even a simple but complete LinkedIn company page is better than one that was started with great effort but was left off somewhere.

Your page might not be a priority. Still, it’s helpful to finish the main sections so you can give potential business partners a bird’s eye view of your brand, activities, and other crucial info that may help them decide to do business with you.

2 – Immediately selling to people after connecting

Some users are hesitant to accept connections from people they don’t know personally, and there’s a good reason for it. One of the many LinkedIn mistakes marketers do is look through LinkedIn recommendations and immediately send a self-serving pitch after connecting. Most of the time, users won’t even give your message a second look.

Before you go ahead and send out that pitch, be patient and try to build a relationship with the user. Ask them about what they do, their expertise, or encourage them to tell you something about themselves. Get involved in their content by actively sharing insights on what they post. This is an excellent way to show your eagerness not to make a sale but to earn trust and make friends.

Doing business online is much like doing business offline. You have to go through the countless meetings, dinners, and golf sessions before you can get that signed contract.

3- Being inconsistent with your Status Update schedule 

After you successfully connect with others, it’s up to you to keep your Brandname front of mind. Consistently putting out content is how you can show your peers that you are still in the business and doing well at it. Even a quick check-in on your activity is enough to remind them of your brand.

Regularly posting a status update is likewise a great way to build relationships, as you’re allowing others to chime in and spark conversation. When you let too big of a time gap between your posts, it implies a disinterest and complacency in business.

4 – Flooding content

While it’s important to regularly put out content, overdoing it is just as harmful. When your connections scroll through their timeline and only see your content, soon enough they will get too used to it that they would likely only scroll past.

Ideally, the most you can do is publish twice a day. And that should be reserved for when you’re running promos or special offers. Remember, there is a fine line between regularly updating your users and bombarding them with content that they have nothing to do with.

5 – Not personalizing your LinkedIn profile URL

When you first create your LinkedIn company page, the platform automatically assigns you a link which is usually a string of random letters and numbers. Luckily, much like Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn has the option to personalize your URL.

Putting your business name (or anything related to it) as your permalink will help you spread your profile with ease. Not only will your potential leads have an easier time looking you up, but it will also look better on your business card or any other marketing paraphernalia.

Additionally, it will give off the implication of a well-maintained, curated profile, alongside a LinkedIn photo and a well-thought-of LinkedIn headline.

6 – Using LinkedIn like Facebook

What separates LinkedIn from Facebook is that it is centered on professional business content, whereas Facebook is an excellent platform to connect with family and friends. Another common one from the roster of LinkedIn mistakes is blurring the line and sharing content that’s meant for the other platform. When using LinkedIn, it’s appropriate to post background information about the business to help you network better.

While it’s tempting to share dog videos and memes, best leave it to Facebook or Twitter. Reserve your LinkedIn company page for professional content and status updates that reflect your venture. It’s okay to have fun with your content, just be careful not to overdo it so as not to throw your connections off.

7 – Copy-pasting your connection request messages

One excellent feature of LinkedIn is its LinkedIn recommendations, where marketers can easily connect with potential leads. Copy-pasting is the easiest way to send one request after another, but users know when you’re being genuine or simply reusing your spiels. Like mentioned earlier, doing business is more about making connections and showing your potential clients that you want to build relationships.

Before hitting the invite button, take the time to learn more about your LinkedIn recommendations. Do they have a blog you can bring up? Any new projects that they spearheaded recently? It can even be as simple as asking them about their current career venture.

8 – Skipping out on your contact info section

Some focus on their company information; some focus on their LinkedIn photo and LinkedIn headline. Most of the time, people treat is as something mutually exclusive when it shouldn’t be.

Ultimately, you’re pushing your LinkedIn marketing to get leads and eventually convert it to sales. However, if your connections can’t find any way to get in touch (at least not conveniently), you’re wasting your time and effort.

Even if you have a website with all your contact information readily available, some users wouldn’t want to make that extra click. Take advantage of the contact information section of your LinkedIn company page. It’s also a great way to show potential partners that you’re an active organization who’s down to do business anytime.

Now that we’ve laid down the most common LinkedIn mistakes, you’re all ready to use LinkedIn to get those leads and sales. Remember our tips so you can maximize the platform and make the most out of the LinkedIn professional party.