LinkedIn Do's and Don'ts For Connections, Clients and Customers
If you’ve consumed any of my content ever, whether that be on Instagram, LinkedIn or here on the blog, you’ve undoubtedly heard me talk about the power of LinkedIn and know that you need to be on the platform.
What I find far too often is that joining the platform isn’t always the problem. People do that just fine! But the question that typically follows is, “what do I do once I’m there??”
I talk a lot about the type of content you should be creating on LinkedIn and how to create content that connects, but the truth is that there are a few more pieces to the puzzle.
Yes, content is a HUGE piece of that puzzle, but I wouldn’t be a very good LinkedIn mentor, strategist or coach if I didn’t let you in on the other pieces that are required to truly be seen as a thought leader in your industry on the platform, build your connections and ultimately gain more customers.
To help you fully understand this, I want you to think of LinkedIn like dating…
Just hear me out ⬇️
You’ve probably heard before that sales is like dating and hearing that phrase might sound weird because it’s not like you’re actually dating your potential client or customer, but the actual sales process is very similar to the process of dating.
Well, connecting with people on LinkedIn and building your audience can be the same way.
It can be thought of like this:
- Dating = connecting, following, having conversation
- Marriage = the ultimate sale aka gaining the client or customer
In both instances - dating and sales - there’s a few do’s and don'ts that people ideally follow in order for you to have a good experience.
For this blog specifically, I’m focusing on the LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts for Connections, Clients and Customers, but just know that these do’s and don’ts could also be applied to the way you show up on Instagram or your real life sales conversations.
LinkedIn Do's
- Create content
As mentioned, creating content on LinkedIn is a HUGE piece of the puzzle and there is a correct way to do it.
In fact, LinkedIn’s internal creator team recently released survey results that revealed what type of content LinkedIn users prefer to see.
The cool part is that you’re probably already creating content like this on other platforms, you may just need help translating it to LinkedIn - I show you how in this blog post so you can effectively create LinkedIn content with this in mind.
- Tell stories
This goes hand in hand with creating content, but it needs to be said again. People connect with people and the best way to create that connection is by telling stories that people can relate to.
This means sharing the good, bad and sometimes ugly. People want to know that they aren’t alone in their struggles and when you open up about your own experiences, you help people be seen and heard, thus they feel more connected to YOU!
Again, I break down how to do this well in this blog, so make sure you read that if you haven’t already.
- Be memorable
Anyone can create generic content for the sake of checking “post on LinkedIn” off their to-do list, but the people who are intentional with the content they post, THOSE are the people who are remembered and who people are more inclined to actually connect with.
When I think of this in terms of dating, I can’t help but think about The Bachelor. On night one when everyone shows up to the mansion, they all want to be remembered. I mean after all there’s like 30 girls that this one guy is meeting in a very short amount of time, so it’s inevitable that some will stand out more than others.
The girls usually get creative with the way they introduce themselves in hopes of being remembered. Does anyone remember sloth girl? 😂 I digress…
- Make a good first impression
Did you know that most people form a first impression about you within 7 seconds? This means that every single thing you do on LinkedIn is important, whether that be what you say in your profile or your posts, what you comment on someone else's post or how you start a conversation in the DM’s.
We know that first impressions are everything when it comes to real life communication and relationship building, but the intention behind first impressions can very easily be lost online if you aren’t careful.
If you truly want to connect with people and maybe eventually gain them as a client, it’s important to consider how you interact on the platform so that you can effectively build the audience you desire.
If you think of this in terms of dating, who makes the better first impression? The person who shows up to your doorstep with flowers, greets you with a hug and opens the car door OR the person who just meets you at the restaurant, doesn’t seem too excited to meet you and ends the night with a brief “see ya!”
We both know who’s getting a second date.
LinkedIn Don'ts:
- Ask for marriage on the first date (aka ask for the sale right away)
It might be surprising to you that people aren’t just on LinkedIn to be sold to.
Even though it seems like a super businessy platform, its use has changed and people are there to be motivated, inspired, to learn and to truly connect with people that they share similar interests and values with.
If you think that you can just hop on LinkedIn and easily gain your next customer by sliding into their DM’s, think again! Instead, focus on being genuinely interested in them, ask questions and simply have conversation. You never know where that will lead.
- Cold message with the wrong intent
Notice how I didn’t say “don’t cold message.” I personally think that making the first move can be a very effective way to connect with people when you do it correctly.
I think the kids call this “shooting your shot.”
You see, cold messaging has gotten a bad rap and with people receiving messages like this daily, on and off LinkedIn, you have a chance to stand out and be different!
Do this by being genuinely interested in getting to know someone and simply ask how you can support them best. This will give you great insight as to what they really need or what they struggle with so that you can effectively grow the relationship from there!
- Make it all about you
This goes for your content AND your messages. If no one has broken this to you already, I lovingly want you to know that people don’t care about you - they want to know what’s in it for them!
It’s awesome that you built a 7-figure business in 2 short years, but why does that matter to anyone else?
It’s really cool that you grew your email list to 15,000 subscribers, but why does that matter to your reader?
Many times I see people using language like this because they think it shows their credibility, which is definitely something people want to see, but the key is that you’re doing this in a way that connects with them and gives them a takeaway that they can apply to their own life or business.
If we’re thinking about this in terms of dating, there’s truly nothing worse than being on a date with someone who only talks about themself and how great they are. Don’t be that person!
- Assume that people need what you have
Is there anything more annoying in life than someone assuming they know you or what you need when in reality they know nothing about you?
I think this alone is what has caused cold messaging to be seen as such a negative thing because people are tired of others not getting to know them first.
When you just assume that you know what someone wants or needs, it will 100% rub them the wrong way and won’t make a very good first impression.
If I haven’t said this enough already, BE GENUINELY INTERESTED! Ask thoughtful questions and simply be open to real conversation without expecting anything further.
If the conversation leads to a sale down the road, great! If not, at the very least you have a real connection that could lead to you meeting someone else who is a good fit for what you offer.
Overall, LinkedIn CAN lead to more clients and customers, but it usually doesn't start that way.
Keep these do’s and don'ts in mind as you’re creating content and building your audience and I can almost bet that you’ll see a greater return!
