5 Tips for using LinkedIn when you hate self promotion

But what does that mean for those of us who hate self-promotion? Is all hope lost because we don’t have the gift of digital gab?

As a business founder and Chief Marketing Officer with over ten years of experience in navigating modern marketing (and, yes, LinkedIn does play a not-insignificant part of that) I’ve learned how exactly one can utilise LinkedIn as part of their marketing strategy… whilst still maintaining their own level of comfort when it comes to digital exposure.

Here are the tips that I give my clients who aren’t quite ready to fully commit to the feed.

Start Small

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Nor was your favourite LinkedInfluencer’s network. Now, I’m not promising that you’ll reach the likes of a full-blown LinkedInfluencer, but there’s something that I’m getting at here: you don’t need to dive in straight off the bat.

A lot of people see LinkedIn and think that each of their posts needs to be the thought leadership take to end all other thought leadership takes… and this is where things start to get stressful and turn people off completely.

In reality, commenting, socialising and engaging with others are just as important as publishing your own content.

In fact, plenty of people run successful LinkedIn profiles without ever having posted anything.

Now, is your favourite LinkedInfluencer one of those people? Maybe not… but we have to have something to work towards!

Grow Your Network

Making the first move isn’t ever comfortable, but when you’re trying to get the ball rolling on LinkedIn, it’s often key. So sending out invites and making a conscious effort to grow your network will become a vital part of your LinkedIn strategy.

Once again, start small. Think about all the places you’ve worked, the various people you’ve met networking over the years, friends who you haven’t yet thought to add on LinkedIn…

And then go from there. Start keeping an eye out on your connections posts; who comments and engages? Whose content are they commenting on and engaging with?

Find creators and pages that you consider valuable; look to connect with those you have commonality with.

Create a lead list. Start making connections off of that list.

Remember, making a connection doesn’t mean that you immediately have to send cold outreach asking for a call… it just means that, when paired with your other LinkedIn activity, you will begin to appear on their feed and, hopefully, stay top of mind.

Now, a friendly message along with your request to connect—especially when you know the person already, or have a specific reason for connecting—is never remiss. But it doesn’t have to be (in fact, it shouldn’t be) a sales call off the bat.

Comment on Other Posts

The hint is in the name. Social media will always be, at its core, about being social and engaging with the community. If you’re not doing that, you can’t expect momentum beyond the occasional invite from an old colleague.

A blank profile won’t pay off in contacts.

So if you can’t bring yourself to post? The next best thing is to get involved in the conversation. Share your thoughts. Send good wishes to other professionals. Make your name recognisable in your niche, and become an active participant in the pertinent conversations going on in the industry.

Remember that network you’re trying to grow? Others are trying to do the same, and the best way to get in front of them is to be active in the community.

Even better? If people find your comments valuable, boom: an instant positive impression, and, at best, someone connecting to you in hopes of even more of that gold.

Repost Strong Content (with your thoughts)

Comments will help get you in front of new faces, and they will occasionally be shown to your own network via their feed, but you can’t expect it to fill up your page and serve the same purpose as original content; a happy median is reposting strong content, ideally, with a personal elaboration attached.

This helps cement you as valuable in the eyes of your network; a connection with you promises a drip of helpful or interesting content… without the time sink of creating it all from scratch.

Remember: reposted content with an elaboration, like an original post, has the chance to be shared to your connection’s network if they engage with it. As little as a like from your old colleague can lead to your name being put in front of a whole other network of people.

So even if you’re not ready for those original posts, reposting is a can be a gold mine of new connections and eyes on your name and business.

Ask for Help

As much as we all wish there was, there will never be a magic switch you can flip that will make you LinkedIn famous without any original posts. There are, however, people to help ease the process.

At Edward & James, we provide bespoke, strategic social media support that takes the stress out of posting on LinkedIn.

And as much as we’d like to think that we’re the first agency to do so, alas, we can’t claim that title. There are many of us out there providing support for just this issue. The good news for you? That means a wealth of supporting content to draw from, and plenty of people to ask for help.

Because, at the end of the day, LinkedIn is important—especially in the world of professional services. Think of it as one version of your modern business card… but even better, because now, you can constantly be reminding your connections that you exist.

So, if you don’t feel up to the task of managing it, ask for help. It’ll be worth for your business in the long run.

James Le Gallez (main picture) is the Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Edward & James, a qualified marketing consultancy helping professional service providers make confident decisions, execute effectively and grow with intent.

Working across finance, legal and beyond, Edward & James helps professional service businesses get to the strategic heart of their work, whether it be the first week of their company or the thousandth. Get in touch today: [email protected]