John M. O'Connor (Career Pro Inc.) is a multi-year career coach, outplacement and career services leader based in North Carolina.
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If you want to create a more authentic brand on LinkedIn, you need to master or remaster some of the soft skills that are often spoken about but often ignored in our technologically laden social media world. In the world of LinkedIn, have you noticed a lot more automated replies, invitations to meetings and lightly disguised sales pitches? If you are like me, you see those coming across more and more.
For some, it's an annoying reality and for others a big turn-off to the LinkedIn platform. To me, LinkedIn still remains the strong standard for potential business relationships and conversations that could lead to win-win opportunities for you, your business and your career. The main reason is that LinkedIn applauds and rewards good behavior. To build your positive relationships and create authenticity on this platform, it's essential to follow through as a credible, authentic connection.
Unfortunately, many people forget the fundamentals of positive communication on LinkedIn. These fundamentals apply to you whether you are new to the platform, an early careerist, a busy executive, an earnest job seeker or even a business development executive.
As the platform gets more complicated and busier, apply these five fundamentals to build better relationships, potential opportunities and long-term, productive relationships.
1. Follow through on your InMail commitments.
It's true in person and online; if you make a commitment to speak to someone, follow up with someone or follow through on something you said you would do in a Linkedin InMail conversation—do it. A lot of people have good intentions as they have a conversation with someone on LinkedIn.
For example, if you say you are going to make an introduction for someone, make sure to follow through on it. Forgetting what you said you would do or blowing off a commitment you made via InMail or ignoring a request made that is reasonable can hurt your LinkedIn authenticity.
2. Askers must take more responsibility.
If you are seeking insights, opinions, help with a connection or inquiring about a role with a company, you must take more responsibility for following through as the asker versus the asked. A recent executive job seeker said to me: "I cannot believe how many people have not responded to me lately. A couple of people who said they would make a connection didn't. What do I do?"
My main suggestion was that he needed to be creative about staying in touch. If this happens to you, gently remind a few people how to best follow through. With a couple of people, you may have to be more patient and stay upbeat. In his case, only two out of about 12 actually did not follow through.
3. Live up to what you say about yourself.
Just under your profile picture, you have a certain number of characters to describe yourself or your brand. In the About section just under your profile picture, you also have a section to build who you are and what you stand for as an extension of your brand. Although LinkedIn changes those areas occasionally by increasing the word limit, they have remained constant and important to your first and lasting impressions.
In short, you need to live up to the standard you create in those sections. All claims you make in those sections about who you are should be who you are in person—in how you respond to others and what you are about. Don't say, "I am a highly committed and responsive technology professional," if you don't act that way.
4. Set boundaries if you need to.
In order to appear connected, too many executives and others set unclear boundaries or look like they are willing to connect and have conversations when they actually are not. If you have a demanding job that does not allow much idle LinkedIn chatter, are a busy professional or do not want to keep up with LinkedIn communications much, think about what you want to achieve on the platform. Do you want to keep a good reputation on LinkedIn and in the digital world? Then set boundaries. It's okay. The key is how you go about it. For example, you could be direct and say something like: "Although I value LinkedIn, I am more responsive through formal inquires to my business email."
5. Respect your audiences.
Whether you like it or not, your personal and professional brand is tied strongly to the impression others have of you from your LinkedIn profile. While this may change in the years to come, it is worth keeping up your titles, baseline company information and activity at a minimum. When the time comes to find a new job, you may find that it's easier to do so if you've maintained your LinkedIn profile and connections.
But you also need to remember that your reputation is often tied to your job and your company. If you want to build the brand around you, make sure your LinkedIn is authentic, up-to-date and properly business engaged; it can help you and those who you serve.
Rarely do I see someone who does not have or need a LinkedIn profile. They are out there and that's okay, too. But until another platform starts and builds, LinkedIn carries a lot of power to help your brand, your professional interests and your reputation. While it has its faults, I find it still encourages positive business etiquette and conversations. It can be a little too salesy but it is still plenty powerful. It is worth living up to the standards you have created and the reputation you have built and want to have at any age and any career level.
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