Frame your online conduct as if you were at an in-person industry event. You wouldn't make divisive political statements that could alienate half the room. Focus on helping people and building connections, not on expressing polarizing views that damage potential business relationships.
The primary reason professionals fail to leverage social media is not a lack of resources or knowledge, but the emotional inability to handle negative feedback and public judgment. This fear paralyzes action and stifles opportunity, making it the single biggest inhibitor to growth.
Unless actively job hunting, your 'About' section should not be a resume. Instead, write it from your ideal client's perspective, focusing on the problems you solve and the services you offer. This transforms your profile from a CV into a powerful sales tool.
Opting out of social media is not a neutral stance in business. To potential buyers, it signals that you are not current, not relevant, and unwilling to engage on the platforms where they operate. Your absence communicates negative volumes about your adaptability.
Simply posting content and leaving—or 'posting and ghosting'—is ineffective. LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes posts that generate conversation. Engaging with comments, especially within the first couple of hours, is critical for signaling value and maximizing your content's reach.
Demystify LinkedIn by treating it as a physical conference. Your profile is your professional attire, your content is your keynote speech, and commenting on others' posts is networking during the coffee break. This makes platform functions intuitive and purpose-driven.
Before engaging with any salesperson, customers will inevitably turn to the internet to research them. Your LinkedIn profile often serves as the first and most critical touchpoint, acting as a modern 'Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval' that validates your professional credibility.
Instead of treating social media as a long-term home, use it as a strategic tool to get your audience onto platforms you own, like an email list. The primary goal is to capture attention and immediately guide followers into your ecosystem, building a more resilient business off-platform.
When meeting an influential person with opposing views, effectiveness trumps the need to be 'right.' The best strategy is to suppress personal indignation and identify a shared interest. Propose a policy or idea within that common ground that they might be receptive to and champion as their own.
Simply having a presence on social media is insufficient. Without a clear strategy outlining goals, target audience, and content, your efforts will lack direction and fail to produce meaningful sales results. Don't start posting until you have a plan.
The context in which content is consumed matters. Users browse LinkedIn with a professional and business-oriented mindset, making them far more receptive to listings, deals, and industry insights than when they are on entertainment- or family-focused platforms.