How to Use LinkedIn Effectively

Let’s talk basics. We say it time and time again, business profiles are sh*t. You’ll notice we have one for co&co but we only really ever use it to show a bit of banter every now and then on our individual posts. Other than that, it might as well go in the bin. So, if business profiles aren’t doing the job, does that mean LinkedIn is simply useless for businesses? Absolutely not.

If you scroll down your LinkedIn feed, you’ll notice there’s more and more employee generated content filtering through every day. It’s completely changing the way businesses connect and communicate on LinkedIn. Finally people can see the value of authentic and honest content. How times have changed ey? We’ve moved from a time where employees were barely allowed to BREATHE, never mind voice an opinion. The reins of control are firmly in the grasp of the employees whereby they have the freedom to start conversations, share insights, experiences, and can you believe? A bit of personality. Yes you can use LinkedIn to get a job, but that's not all. There's so much more. 

Gone are the days of boring corporate messaging because who can be ar*ed with that. Now – it’s about real people, telling real stories.

Business Profiles vs Individual Profiles

Let’s face it, businesses are perceived as entities trying to sell – clearly biased and fu*king good at hard-sell marketing. This doesn't mean you can't use LinkedIn for business marketing. On the flip side, individual employees, when presenting themselves as real and authentic online, become trusted brand advocates. How good they are at this all boils down to their individuality. People buy from people. Using LinkedIn, you can build a reputation that extends way beyond the confines of a business profile.

It's worth investing in LinkedIn training for business. Business profiles lack a personal touch. They are faceless entities, digital ghosts if you like, that don’t offer a glimpse into the human behind the screen clicking ‘post’. Now, let’s say a Sales Director, Zara, takes to LinkedIn on behalf of her company and talks about work-life balance, job perks and the unique company culture.

The impact? Subconsciously, you're likely to think, "Well, that company is mega”. Why? Because now you know they prioritise their staff, care about work-life balance, and flaunt a unique company culture. When it comes to brand values, employees wield the power. They have the power to showcase whether the brand walks the talk or is all talk, no action. Unlocking the power of LinkedIn for business development is worth the investment. It's not just about broadcasting your successes; it's about letting your employees become the living, breathing ambassadors of your brand values.

Individual profiles humanise a brand. By putting a face, a personality, and a genuine voice to a company's values, individual profiles go far beyond the corporate facade. They create a connection that resonates on a personal level, far more effectively than the impersonal nature of a business profile ever could.

So, the next time you're debating between business profiles vs individual profiles on LinkedIn, remember this: it’s not even up for debate. Authenticity and humanity wins every single time. Employee-generated content is 24% more likely to be shared than brand-related content. Why? Because it speaks a truth. You know businesses are trying to sell to you but if you get an employee advocating for your brand … you’ll find consumer trust is much higher. So when it comes to raising a profile on LinkedIn, what should you be keeping in mind?

Showcasing What Matters Beyond Work

We say it all the time … who are you outside of work? You’re all real people behind the screens right … So what does that look like when you log off on a Friday? You hear so many stories about work Christmas parties going so wrong, people getting fired and you can understand why. It’s because we have two separate personas: a work persona and our real, authentic persona. Despite what people might tell you, we want to see the second persona on LinkedIn. Obviously, we’re not saying it’s okay to be inappropriate … but just don’t fabricate who you are. By sharing your personal experiences and interests, you’ll be able to connect with like-minded individuals.

How You Need to Look on LinkedIn

New to LinkedIn? Here's how you can raise your LinkedIn profile. Sadly, like all dating profiles, it’s all about your looks at the start. You might have a mega personality but that’s not going to show until you get your profile looking sh*thot. Check out this profile 👇🏻 What are your thoughts?

If I saw this profile trying to connect with me, it would be a swift no 👋. 

There's no profile picture, no header, no bio and no about section. 'Buddy' is literally a ghost. It's a no from me. So that's a great example of what NOT to do. 

Okay, so now you know what not to do, let's talk you through what you should do:

📸Profile Picture:

Get that profile picture looking bang on. We don’t want to be seeing unclear images with busy backgrounds. The focus needs to be on you. Make sure it’s up-to-date, in high resolution, close-up and candid (even if it’s really not, fake it) ✌️


📸Upgrade Your Banner: 

Think of your banner as a free billboard. Make it stand out. But also keep it simple. Less is more lads. Stay on-brand by adding your logo or slogan. Add in a CTA

📸Optimise Your Headline: 

Don’t just put: ‘Socials Manager’. That’s boring, there’s loads of social managers out there - what makes you different? Make it clear: Who do you help? ➔ How do you help them ➔ Unique Selling Point

Need some inspiration? Take co&co as an example. They say “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” but don’t do it. The whole point is to add personality to your profiles and to be unique. Copying someone else will NOT get you there. Instead, use it as inspiration to come up with something better. Okay, well not better because ours are mega, but close enough 😉

• Jordan Stachini – 💥I create ROI driven marketing strategies without the fluff | Founder:co&co💥
• Sophie Kimmance – 💥I create engagement strategies for customer centric brands | Director:co&co💥
• Megan Farrow –💥No fluff. No bull. Just Mega Marketing | Head of Making Sh*t Happen💥
  
  

📸About Section: It’s not a CV ➔ Tell your story ➔ Don't over think it ➔ Add your personality ➔ Add CTA

You’ve got this. Be sure to regularly update your profile to make sure it’s always a clear reflection of you.

Brand Continuity 

A question we get asked a hell of a lot is: how do you strike a balance between individuality and brand continuity?

It’s a good question and it’s mega important. You need to get this right. Maintaining this balance can be done in so many different ways. Think about how you can visually showcase you are an entity of that brand. You still want to showcase your unique personalities whilst maintaining branding elements. So how do you do this?

Here are a few tips 👇:

Headers: Maintain a consistent colour scheme across all employee banners. All typography should be the same. Keep branding elements like the logo, and CTA the same. The only personal elements you want on there are their contact details, their photo and maybe a little fact.

Bio line: Make it clear where you work straight away.

Job Title: Make sure it states your job role within whichever workplace.

About Section: Blend your personality seamlessly with the brand narrative. Talk about your journey in a way that reflects the company's ethos. You're not just an employee; you're a storyteller too.

See how 'Terrible at Dancing' adds a unique touch, without overshadowing brand elements. 👇🏻

Shaking Off Imposter Syndrome

So you’ve finally optimised your profile, and you’re ready to go … but what the fu*k do you say? The anxiety creeping in before hitting that 'post' button is a classic case of Imposter Syndrome (If you ask Jordan, Imposter Syndrome isn’t real, but let’s play devil's advocate and pretend it is for a second). It's that nagging sensation that convinces you that what you have to say isn't valuable or might come across as cringe. We get it, been there, done that.

That fear of sounding too cheesy or appearing like you're trying too hard is still a struggle for those who’ve been in the LinkedIn game longer than you but let's debunk that myth together. Change your mindset: it's not that deep. Remember, the online world is huge, and people have diverse interests and perspectives. What might seem embarrassing or daunting to you might actually resonate positively with someone else.

Don’t focus on perfection, concentrate on being your authentic self. Share your thoughts, experiences, and insights genuinely. Understand that not every post needs to be a profound revelation; sometimes, a touch of humour can be just as impactful.

Remember, you have just as much reason to be there as everyone else. Plus you’ll find everyone else is far too busy with their own posts and engagements to even dwell on yours. If a post flops, no one cares. Shake off that Imposter Syndrome and don’t let those fears get the better of you.

How to Talk the Talk

Let’s look at what type of content you should be posting. Originality is key when it comes to crafting your own content. You can use other people’s posts for inspiration but don’t directly copy other people’s work. When it comes to drafting posts, you want to be thinking about what matters to you. Separate your posts into content pillars – so these might be personal, business, and industry content. You want to mix it up all the time, keep alternating between the pillars to help in building trust and authority, whilst also maintaining your personality.

Start with the personal pillar:

People need to know who you actually are. It's your chance to show off the real you. And we’re not talking about you when you’re at work because that is the LEAST interesting thing about you. Introduce yourself, open a window into your life, your wins, your struggles – whatever fu*king matters to you. People love a good peek behind the curtain. Not only will people find you relatable, they will start to find trust in you.

Move onto the business pillar:

Share your professional experiences, lessons learned, and insights. Whilst this might be a bit more boring than your personal pillar, you can spice it up with visuals like images or videos to enhance this content. Got any success stories? Share it … people love a good story. One thing to keep in mind though, there are a lot of di*kheads on LinkedIn – don’t be one of them. Yes, you can brag a little (just a little), but do it in a way that’s likeable. There’s nothing worse than seeing content where people are just obsessed with themselves. Rein it in mate.

When it comes to the business pillar, it’s a good opportunity for you to showcase your company culture. Highlight any positive experiences within your workplace, any company perks, any achievements or milestones. Shine a bit of light on the company you work for … you never know, you might just generate some leads.

Finally, the industry pillar: 

This is where you flex your knowledge. Talk about trends, discuss challenges, and throw in some thoughts. It's your chance to position yourself as the go-to guru in your field.

Consistency is key here. Regularly post and engage with content to stay visible in your network. Get organised and decide what your posting schedule will be. This means establishing what days you will be posting and at what time. Keep in mind that the LinkedIn algorithm wants you to be engaging at least 30 minutes before and after your scheduled post. With that in mind, make sure you can fit this into your schedule. We’d recommend a minimum of 3x posts a week but don’t just post for the sake of posting. If you have nothing to say, leave it alone.

Monitor and track your posts, if you notice any doing particularly well, with time you can repurpose them. This basically means re-writing the same content from a different angle. This way, you’re exposing the same content to a potentially different audience, leading to more engagement.

Mastering Your Tone of Voice

Don’t be putting on a fake online persona that is in no way reflective of who you are. We’ve all seen it before. There’s nothing funnier than hearing your mate putting on that cringe, professional phone voice whenever they’re taking an important call. Leave it out, it doesn’t belong on LinkedIn and it won’t do you any favours on this platform. We want to see the real you. Let us know your truths, and be honest about it. You can spot those who are faking it a mile off. Think about it this way, LinkedIn is saturated with brand-related content. So what’s realistically going to make you stand out? It’s not going to be someone that hides who they are. The essence of your brand is reflected in your tone of voice, and authenticity is the key. Get this right and you’ll see mega engagement on your end.

Active Engagement for Community Building

Let’s talk about engagement. Yes it might seem tedious but it’s got to be done. This means commenting on other people’s posts, DMing others and networking with them, and replying fast as fu*k to any comments on your posts. If you don’t engage, you won’t receive. It's as simple as that. Trust us, when you do the job you’ll notice you’ll be getting more exposure, leads, reach and authority – all the good stuff. So here’s how we think you should approach it:

🕜 Time Investment

Set aside at least 15/30 minutes before and after your scheduled post to engage with your main feed, any new connections, or people who’ve liked or commented on your posts.

✨Add Value to the Conversation

Don’t be lazy when it comes to commenting. It’s boring seeing the same ‘your inspirational’, ‘great post’ and ‘100% agree’ comments under a post you think is sh*thot. These types of comments won’t make you memorable. So, what will? Add value to the conversation, ask questions, if you don’t agree with a post, challenge it. Try this instead:

“I would also add [personal experience] and this is why your post is [insert positive remark]”. The LinkedIn algorithm will pick up if you’re just commenting for the sake of it. You could even tag relevant people to start more conversations.

🤝Strategic Connections

Think about your colleagues, industry professionals, and people you genuinely know. You’ll find these types of people will be more likely to engage with your content. Personalise your connection requests with a brief message on why you want to connect with them. It’s all about contributing to discussions, asking questions, and sharing your expertise. Don’t bother too much over the amount of connections or followers you have. It’s quality over quantity. Repeat that again. Don’t focus on the stats and the number of followers you’re getting overnight. It’s not about that. Building a loyal community is the goal, rather than chasing high follower numbers. You’ll see those post hooks saying ‘How I got 10k followers overnight’ … don’t be fooled and also don’t compare. It’s not always as it seems.

co&co's unique approach to LinkedIn revolves around authenticity, individuality, and building real connections. We’ve helped businesses like Fieldfisher, change the way they use LinkedIn with our B2B LinkedIn masterclass. We’ve seen this strategy work time and time again. We know it’s the way forward for businesses.

This blog provides insights and strategies on to navigate the LinkedIn landscape effectively. LinkedIn training can help you to effectively action all of the above. If you understand the importance of LinkedIn for business development but don’t have the time to create content and manage profiles, then you might need to invest in LinkedIn management. This way you can still be confident that you still have an effective online presence, leave the stress to us.

Whether you're an individual or a company, co&co advocates for being genuine, relatable, and letting your LinkedIn presence reflect the authenticity of your brand. For those seeking more assistance, get in touch with us and we’ll help you to unlock the full potential of the platform. It's time to get ahead of the game before it’s too late. Ready to make sh*t happen?