Communicate with, don't talk at people when you are participating on LinkedIn

Yes it is easy to automate your blog posts so they automatically post to the groups you belong to. The challenge with that is it screams "Sales Pitch! Do not click!" It is also against the rules in some groups which could result in you getting banned from the group, or worse, being put in LinkedIn jail! I know this may surprise you but all of those little photos of people that you see on LinkedIn, they are real people just like you! They don’t like to be talked at, told what to do, or to be treated like a child. They value and appreciate when people talk with them or ask for their opinions…when they can be left feeling like they have made a difference or that they matter. The goal of all of your interactions on social media are to either start a conversation with someone or to continue a conversation with someone. When you are sharing an article in a group make sure you explain "why" you are sharing it. It is the why that makes it personal. It's the why that invites a viewer to click through and read your post. It's the why that tells the person that you actually want to engage with them. This "why" is not a sales pitch though when done correctly it ends up positioning you as the expert. It is a conversational reason as to why you are sharing this article in this group and what conversation you would like to have about it. Remember you want to communicate with people so you can start to get to know them, start to like them, and then even trust them. The same concepts apply when you are leaving a comment on an article, status update or a group discussion. Clicking ‘Like’ doesn’t start or continue a conversation. Saying “Great job” or “I agree” or “Great article” also doesn’t start or continue a conversation. Those actions can actually make you look lazy or that you don’t have an opinion of your own. And this is where your activity on LinkedIn is connected to your brand. If you don’t have an opinion of your own, or you can’t clearly communicate it, why should I hire you over your competition? If you would like to learn more about how to leverage LinkedIn, please visit the Omicle Learning Lab and sign up today!