Back in January 2024, I made a New Year’s resolution to share my work more frequently on the professional networking site LinkedIn.
I even posted a declaration in those terms on the platform, while sharing an article that I’d been pleased to write and felt that business professionals would be keen to read, given that it was an economic story.
As with most New Year’s resolutions, though, I didn’t manage to follow through.
Fast forward 18 months, and I’ve posted on the platform only two more of my articles. And out of at least 1,000 stories I’ve written in my journalism career to date, I’ve shared only four on LinkedIn.
Not because I do not see the importance or usefulness of LinkedIn. Quite the contrary.
For example, I have seen some insightful posts floating into my timeline as they gained good traction. I ended up connecting with some writers of such posts and interviewing them for stories.
I also know of folks who’ve landed job opportunities through the connections they make on the platform.
Not to make it sound transactional, but the point I’m making is that I do see how being decently active on what is ultimately a professional networking platform can help with one’s professional growth.
But each time I make a mental note to share something on LinkedIn, my self-consciousness about being seen as trying to look for affirmation for my stories would eventually get the better of me.
It’s either that, or the fatigue from work and life that makes the prospect of crafting those three four lines of explanation and clicking “post” so bothersome.
And that is how I have ended up with only about 30 posts even though I have had this LinkedIn account since my undergraduate days some 10 years ago.
Another factor making me wary of becoming more active on the platform is the articles that I have read about bot-like activities to boost engagement.
There are even “pods”, groups of users – sometimes paid – who agree to like, comment on and/or repost each other’s content, according to these articles.
How then do I overcome my own hesitance and do enough to raise my profile somewhat on the professional networking platform?
POST WITH A CLEAR ‘END GAME’
When I spoke to Dr Juliana Chan, the founder of a LinkedIn masterclass called Find Your Superpower, one of the first pieces of advice she gave me was to post with a clear goal in mind.
“If I am unclear about my ‘end game’, then it would be hard to find the motivation to post on LinkedIn in the first place,” said Dr Chan.
On doing it in a sustainable manner, she suggested starting small. Generally, posting once a week is “entirely manageable”, she said.
And instead of coming up with new content, I could just pick one of my hundreds of stories to begin with, she added.
While I told her that I would feel like I’m blowing my own trumpet by showcasing my work, she said it is worthwhile to shift away from the “me, myself and I” mindset and instead focus on what she described as “inclusive storytelling” in my posts.
This could include behind-the-scenes stories that could interest my readers, industry tips that may be beneficial to younger journalists or fresh graduates looking to enter the field, or even lessons that I learned from the stories that could benefit others.
“For me, LinkedIn isn’t performative, I’m genuinely trying to achieve all of these outcomes for anyone who reads my posts,” she added.
Ms Serla Rusli, a LinkedIn career expert, summed it up as follows: “People respond best to original, reflective content that’s grounded in real experience or insights, because that’s what makes it relatable and engaging.”
FROM LINKEDIN CONNECTIONS TO HOLIDAY PALS?
I believe that LinkedIn is merely a tool to get in touch with a wide professional audience. But I am also aware that a comment or a like does not necessarily equate to a professional relationship.
Demonstrating the possibilities of LinkedIn, Dr Chan said that she has even made real friends from the platform – people whom she ended up inviting to her birthday parties and has even gone on holidays with.
As cliche as it may sound, the key to developing a proper professional relationship from a mere online connection is authenticity, according to the experts that I spoke to.
Even when it comes to interacting with other people’s posts, Dr Chan advised to do away with the generic “Great post!” comment.
“It is not only a waste of your time, it is also challenging for the poster to reply to your comment besides a weak ‘thanks’, which means a potential connection would have been squandered,” she said.
Instead, take the time to contribute something insightful and value-add to the discussion.
“I’ve seen my own comments attract attention simply because what I commented was not only complimentary but insightful and useful on its own!” she shard.
On expanding my network and reaching out to people I don’t yet know personally, Dr Chan suggested a gradual approach instead of immediately sending a cold request to connect.
“Cold connection requests fail the majority of the time,” she added.
Interact consistently with their posts, before sending a request with a customised note. When the person has accepted the connection request, Dr Chan advised dropping a thoughtful message as a follow-up.
“(But) whatever you do, do not try to pitch them or sell them something,” she said.
Any suggestions for collaboration or partnership should come only after one finds a “mutual professional chemistry” with the new connection.
Counselling psychologist at mental health platform Intellect, Ms Nicole Lee, reminded me that although LinkedIn is career-focused, every profile belongs to a real person who wants to be seen and valued beyond their job titles and resumes.
“While the main objective of such platforms is to seek career opportunities, pursuing genuine connections can lead to more meaningful, long-term value,” she said.
“When connecting with others, it helps to look for shared interests, ask thoughtful questions, and practise active listening. When people sense genuine intent, trust and connection naturally follow.”
CAREFUL NOT TO OVER-LINKEDIN
Though it is good to invest effort on LinkedIn to help form new, professional relationships, the experts reminded me to always to be mindful about how much energy I invest there, as with all other social platforms.
“While they can offer inspiration and motivation, they can also subtly contribute to feelings of comparison, pressure, or anxiety, especially when our sense of self-worth becomes closely tied to job titles or career achievements,” said Ms Lee.
The experts advised me to set tangible boundaries – like time limits and turning off non-essential notifications – as practical ways to safeguard myself.
More importantly, they also reminded me to always be conscious about my thoughts and feelings when I navigate this platform.
If I constantly compare myself to others, or I constantly feel the need to “one-up” others in my next post, or I get caught up by vanity metrics such as “likes”, then perhaps it is time to take a step back, said Dr Chan.
“Remember: Likes on LinkedIn don’t pay the bills. Only our clients, employers, collaborators and industry mentors do. Focus on finding these people,” she added.
Instead of posting and engaging constantly, she added, just focus on writing one quality post and engage a handful of industry peers each week, and build up genuine relationships with those.
“Our real work and relationships matter infinitely more than our LinkedIn presence,” she reminded me.
