Following Folks You Shouldn’t
No one wants to talk about how building a following can sometimes be really hard to accomplish. That still doesn’t mean you should go around adding folks you don’t really know or even worse, don’t have any common ground with. Similar industries, yes, to an extent. Let’s say you are attending/attended the same conference–okay, now you have more ground to stand on, or say you have similar contacts which you share. If you’re adding someone you really have never met, than at least do some research first. No one will add you back anyhow if it looks like they were spammed because the connection points are so far apart. I’m just going to go ahead and sound like a cliché and say it–its about quality not just quantity.
Posts without Purpose
Busy, yes we are all busy. Regardless to the extent that your department is busy, when you are going to post to say, either Twitter or Facebook, you should at least take a moment to ask yourself if this post has a purpose. We have discussed this epidemic in past blogs, but really every post should be serving either potential leads or current clients or both. Are you offering relatable industry topics and solutions via others’ articles, answering common questions or problems, highlighting a new product feature or upcoming event? Do not post irrelevant topics of discussion which are hardly helpful for your typical readers. Why even do it? Just skip the post. Like most things in life or work, if you are going to do it, do it well.
Not Being Yourself on LinkedIn
Yes, LinkedIn is the Professional social media network as many say, and even though it is more tailored for networking and job hunting, there are still numerous ways to promote your organization on the site. Sharing content you produce, joining industry related groups and discussions and spreading the news on upcoming events your company may be hosting, such as webinars, are all great practices. What is not good practice, is to lose your branding when on LinkedIn. Make sure to carry over your organization’s culture and values in how and what you decide to post. Whether it’s an open position you are trying to fill or a discussion you wish to lead, make it a point to still be transparent as to who your organization really is. Don’t become another stiff suit so to speak and get lost in the background.