3 Ways to Work Better Than Before on LinkedIn
Have you ever wondered why doing all the right things on LinkedIn is STILL not getting you the results you want? 🤨
If you still have limiting beliefs around LinkedIn, you may wonder why all those LinkedIn tactics don't seem to be working!
No matter how well you know the algorithm, your social selling tactics and marketing efforts will fail to perform without the right intentions to back them up.
Yes, what's going on between your ears about LinkedIn is critical to your success.
In this next episode of Mondays with Mindi, we'll address three ways you can work better than before on LinkedIn, how to identify any limiting beliefs, and one exercise to help you get crystal clear on your next steps.
We're going DEEP into the mindset aspect of using LinkedIn to help you identify what's possible for your career and your business on LinkedIn!
Your Mindset Matters on LinkedIn
It’s all too easy to jump straight to the tactics… Mindi, what is the best headline formula to use? What do I say in a connection invitation? How do I meet new people without sounding spammy?
These are all good questions to ask. I mean, you need to get some answers.
But more importantly on LinkedIn is your mindset -- how you’re approaching LinkedIn every time you log in.
You might think that this is “fluffy” talk, but it’s not. The clients and students who have the most long-term success on LinkedIn (whether they know it consciously or not) come to LinkedIn with a different mindset.
I can almost tell straight away if a potential client or program member is going to be a good fit for using LinkedIn in the way that I teach - simply by the words they use around LinkedIn.
Words tell the story of the “feelings” and “emotions” you have around any given topic.
That applies to LinkedIn in a BIG way.
Start with certain types of feelings or limiting beliefs around LinkedIn, and you’re just not going to get the same results as someone else who does EXACTLY the same thing but with a different mindset.
A bit more “woo woo” than some people feel comfortable with, but there’s always a bit of “magic” involved when you start putting yourself out there, connecting with new people, and building your business.
So, what can happen if you’re unaware of the beliefs you have around LinkedIn? How can they affect your results?
You can start doing a comprehensive LinkedIn marketing and outreach strategy that all the experts say will generate you X number of calls or build your network -- but it falls flat
You could find yourself dreading logging into LinkedIn because in your reality, it’s a time suck
You could miss a number of business opportunities on LinkedIn because the energy you’re putting out there feels a bit desperate, unsure, or fearful
Or, you may just avoid LinkedIn altogether because it’s easier to stay away from something you’re unfamiliar with than to commit to the platform
And maybe you do end up having a TON of success in building a large following, but it feels hollow and like something is missing
...but not to worry, we’re going to discuss a few important ways you can use positive mindset and a bit of visualization to set the stage for how you approach using LinkedIn.
Having the right mindset ensures you show up to LinkedIn ready to do good business with good people - that’s really what it’s all about here.
Best part is… once you understand how to show up on LinkedIn, it’s just plug-and-play!
Identifying Limiting Beliefs About LinkedIn
A common mistake I see quite often with many business owners and leader is not even realizing that they have limiting beliefs around using LinkedIn.
Social media in general is highly charged - and it really shouldn’t be - but there’s this belief that it’s addicting, that it’s pointless, that it’s a waste of time, that we simply get sucked in and cannot extract ourselves from it.
There’s all this talk about going on a 30-day social media detox - as if we’re intoxicating ourselves in a very harmful way.
Even that 2020 Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma” about how diabolical the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world are in trying to take over our brains. Remember that one?
In my personal experience along with many of my coaching clients, this “getting mindlessly sucked in” syndrome does not apply for most professionals on LinkedIn.
There’s something unique about LinkedIn as opposed to Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.
LinkedIn is different. The problem is that so many people lump LinkedIn into the intoxicating social media bucket.
That label in itself is the problem.
LinkedIn is THE place where professionals, like you and me, come to network with each other, explore doing good business with other good people, and focus on creating a better workplace and environment for ourselves and others.
That is my belief. That is how I approach LinkedIn - and how I teach and coach my clients and students to see the channel.
It’s not mindless Instagram where we get stuck reeling for 10 minutes.
It’s not Facebook where we’re keeping up with the Jones’s from high school.
It’s not TikTok where we’re assaulted with disturbing TikToks from Gen Z influencers.
This is LinkedIn. It’s special.
What is LinkedIn?
Think about LinkedIn as the combination of the most spectacular industry event with loads of opportunities to learn, to connect, to network, to build relationships, to share ideas -- all in whatever cadence or timeframe works for you.
You can invest hours a day (which I don’t recommend) or minutes per day.
And still experience the benefits that can turn into lucrative business opportunities or established professional relationships that will accelerate your career and your business.
It’s up to you.
Pause for a moment. Ask yourself the question, “How do I see LinkedIn working for me right now?”
Really think about the answer.
Do you feel a sense of negativity around the answer? Frustration? Excitement? Wanting to learn more?
We’re going for the emotion that you feel around LinkedIn. When you can identify that emotion, you can start to identify any of your limiting beliefs.
You don’t have to do it all now, but just ponder it and come back to it after this.
3 Ways You Can Work Better than Before
Now, let’s talk about three ways we can start working better than before by identifying some common myths. Use these as examples and then come up with your own if you want to take this exercise deeper. I’ll share a tool at the end to help!
Limiting Belief #1: I need to grow my network BIGGER to grow my business or get opportunities.
Let me tell you the story of two Steves, as nothing says it better than a real-life story.
Steve #1 has less than 2,000 connections and books 10-12 calls per month with his ideal clients, and he has been doing so for more than 18 months in a very small niche.
Steve #2 is approaching 350K followers on LinkedIn, but he is struggling to engage his network usually getting a half dozen engagements on each post.
A bigger LinkedIn network is not better, unless it’s filled with all of the right people.
In most cases, I recommend a smaller network that is strategic and aligned, as this is what the majority of us need to progress in our careers and have enough new opportunities to build relationships with the right people.
Limiting Belief #2: I need to spend more time on LinkedIn.
Nobody should try to win the award for the most logins to LinkedIn throughout your workday, but it’s about doing the right things when you intentionally log onto LinkedIn.
It’s not about being there ALL the time, but about showing up consistently over time.
And you get to dictate what consistency is. Consistency for some of the coaching clients I work with is logging onto LinkedIn 3 days a week to check for connection invitations, browse through their LinkedIn messages, quickly glance at notifications and maybe comment on a post shared by their company page.
For other clients I work with who are using LinkedIn for business development purposes, their approach is a bit more extensive and proactive because they’re identifying decision makers, looking closely at their profiles, reaching out with a thoughtful InMail or connection invitation, and also paying attention to their prospects’ LinkedIn activity.
Checklists are key to making LinkedIn work better than before. When you have a checklist of what you do on LinkedIn every time you log in, it’s simple. Check. Check. Check. Done!
For those who want to spend a lot of time on LinkedIn, you can enlist the help of your team or a trusted virtual assistant to surface notifications, messages, and opportunities for you.
It’s more about WHAT your objectives are for LinkedIn. I recommend choosing one main objective per quarter, and match your activities to that one objective.
Limiting Belief #3: LinkedIn is just another social media platform.
It’s not. It doesn’t work like Instagram or TikTok or Twitter or Facebook.
I almost don’t view LinkedIn as a social media platform at all, though it does have much of the same functionality as the other platforms.
LinkedIn is the place to do good business with other good people.
LinkedIn is like your personal website - especially if you’re a career professional and don’t need to have your name as a dot com.
Remember: If you’re new to using LinkedIn or trying to rethink your approach, it all starts with your mindset. Once you identify the limiting beliefs holding you back right now, you can start working better than before on LinkedIn without trying to haphazardly put together a list of tactics.
Focus on your mindset first. Show up to LinkedIn consistently, starting with 3 days per week or every weekday if you can. Pay attention to your news feed. Watch how other people use LinkedIn. Observe what you like and don’t like. You’ll know when you’re ready to take that next step.
To build on what we discussed today, I have an extra special bonus from one of my online business mentors, Amy Porterfield, as she just released a 15-minute audio guide TODAY that will help you:
⇒ Take a baseline snapshot of your “before” – what you have, where you are, and all that you experience today
⇒ Get crystal clear on your most true-to-you vision of success so you can confidently work towards what you *really* want out of work and life (and LinkedIn!)
⇒ Create a plan to make your vision a reality, down to scheduling action items into your calendar
Grab Amy’s guide, pop in your headphones, and enjoy 15 peaceful minutes of looking within (so you can move forward with confidence.)
I’ll see you next week on Mondays with Mindi - where we will have a really exciting discussion around finding your niche and identifying your audience on LinkedIn! In the meantime, feel free to add your questions or comments below.
