10 of my personal LinkedIn philosophies/principles/rules (and how they have helped develop my career)

Showing up on and using LinkedIn is not as straightforward as it seems. People posting there may seem like they're confidently working and and that all is going well, but there is usually a whole host of things going on behind the scenes of things they've had to do or work through before getting to that point where they can post something valuable confidently.

I am now much better at using LinkedIn but I had a lot holding me back before I began to use it in a way that I felt comfortable with and that has helped me navigate career.

While I am not a fan of social media in general, there is no doubt that it can be a tool for good. I share these ideas about LinkedIn because it took me a long time to form them, and most all of them have helped me build a solid and reliable voice on the platform that has led to receiving freelance contracts, job offers, invitations to do workshops, attracting new members to our private membership group The Well, and even just forming lifelong professional friendships.

These benefits are considerable. In this post, I share the details of how I considered my use of LinkedIn long before I started posting - and I used to be too terrified to even hit 'like' on a post a few years ago!

1: I don't like the term Social Media "User".

User has a connatation of addicts and exploitation. I consider myself a contributor instead. I am conscious that social media is addictive, and depends on people giving it their precious time, energy and attention.

2: As a principle, I consider that my social media accounts are not about me, and not 'mine'.

This may seem counterintuitive because my posts contain a lot about me, but if that is so, it is because I feel there is something that may be useful for someone else to understand or know about in light of what I am trying to teach or share. This idea helps make sure what I do and how I show up there has a bigger purpose and is going to be helpful for others.

3: I don't talk about or announce follower count milestones or draw attention to it.

I wish there was a way to turn that stuff off in general.

4: I rarely post to share that I've attended an event or done something without any other message or key idea inside the post.

If I am spotlighting a recent achievement or experience, the main body of the post is filled with something educational, entertaining or inspirational. It could be a story, a tip, a hack, something I learned or noticed, even if it's small. I find myself privileged to have the experiences I'm having, and having worked for and with organisations that many would love to get into. So when I post, I'm conscious that others may not just want to be kept up to date with my shenanigans and maybe even to enjoy and celebrate with me, but also, they are wanting to learn how something has happened so that they may also try and apply it in their own lives, careers, or teaching practice.

5: I won’t usually apologise if I have been absent from posting.

Sometimes I explain long absences or prepare a post in advance about it. Over the time I've actively used LinkedIn, I've found that there will only be a few people who closely monitor my activity enough to follow up on me posting - and those that are will reach out to ask if all is well. (Those people are quite special and many of them, over time, became my friends off LinkedIn).

6: I don't and won't add the Open to Work banner even if I'm job hunting.

I find this banner can be counterintuitive to the job search. For example, sometimes the banner can make other people on LinkedIn feel that they are only being approached because this person wants a new job. Instead, if I'm hiring, I look for people who are actively contributing ideas and posts about their work and look for them. And if I'm job searching, I'll likely focus on doing a few other things before using LinkedIn to announce that I'm looking.

7: I don't delete a post if there's no engagement or comments.

I get over the unsettling way a 'poorly performing' post can make one feel by making sure the post contains a message that I am happy to have associated with me on my profile. Because ultimately, everything on your profile says something about you, and while that is scary, it is also really nice about LinkedIn: that you can, over time, build a portfolio of things that show who you are and what matters to you.

8: I have never followed a posting schedule.

Sometimes I do schedule daily quotes. But I post when there is quality and content or relevant updates to share that are helpful for others. One principle I have is that whatever I post must never waste someone's time - it has to be useful, helpful, practical, uplifting or even just entertaining.

9: I think a lot about how I want people to feel when they read my posts.

I want people to feel good - even if I have to talk about something heavy, I want the feeling they walk away with to be positive. Sometimes that means the only positive thing is that they see me speaking about something like the genocide and occupation. For example, even seeing this type of post can help be a comfort to someone who isn't able to post as freely or even comment on such topics. This consideration of how I want people to feel also helped me relax more when I prepare my posts, and weave in some snippets that I find cute or funny but aren't necessarily 'professional'.

10: I sometimes post purely based on a strong intuitive feeling that a message or key learning about something needs to be shared.

Such posts happen every so often and they probably feel like I am birthing something or growing a tooth - it's hard to explain. Those particular posts usually are very resonant and reach the right people at the right time, and there's no way I could have put them out by force on a rote content schedule.

In summary:

Overall, last year I began take more of a mindful and energy conscious approach to life, work and business, and the more I go along, the more I feel that earning money ethically in this world truly is a spiritual journey. Applying these principles and rules to LinkedIn has been very helpful in navigating my career.

#overtoyou: What have you found that has helped you when it comes to LinkedIn? Which of the rules above do you find most resonate with you? Reply to this email and let's chat about it.