{"id":86207,"date":"2021-09-27T06:31:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-27T11:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digitalmarketer.com\/?p=86207"},"modified":"2022-01-28T16:50:39","modified_gmt":"2022-01-28T22:50:39","slug":"5-ways-to-ruin-your-linkedin-reputation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digitalmarketer.com\/blog\/social\/5-ways-to-ruin-your-linkedin-reputation\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Ruin Your LinkedIn Reputation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your LinkedIn reputation isn\u2019t entirely fragile. You can make a few mistakes, like hitting publish before editing or adding the wrong link. These are mistakes your audience can look over, as long as they\u2019re not happening all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re not talking about the mistakes that turn the grammar police on you or make you facepalm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re talking about the mistakes that ruin your LinkedIn reputation and make your audience unfollow you and never engage with your posts. These are the mistakes that train your audience to assume bad content<\/em> from you, not only ruining your LinkedIn reputation but your personal brand and company\u2019s reputation too (yikes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are easy mistakes to make and <\/strong>just as easy to avoid,<\/em><\/strong> which means you have no excuse to make them after reading this article. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are allowed to make grammar mistakes, though…because nobody\u2019s perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1: Forgetting to Optimize Your Profile<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your content can make people think you\u2019re a genius. Or it can make them wonder why you let your toddler write it for you. If you\u2019re such an expert, your profile needs to reflect that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Optimizing your profile is (cue a phrase marketers loveeee to use) like collecting that delicious low-hanging fruit. It doesn\u2019t take a huge amount of effort and it only helps you in the end. It\u2019s like giving your viewers the sugar rush of eating a perfectly ripe mango\u2014that you picked by simply lifting your arm and pulling it off the tree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the journey your viewers take every day on LinkedIn:<\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Your content shows up in their feed<\/li>
  2. They click on your profile to learn who you are<\/li>
  3. They judge you<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    That last part is the harsh truth (and you do it too!). If someone\u2019s profile isn\u2019t consistent with the advice, stories, or strategies they share in their content\u2014you won\u2019t trust them. You need proof that they actually know<\/em> what they\u2019re talking about. And that\u2019s why your profile is so important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Take these 5 tips to easily implement your LinkedIn profile:

    #1: Stop using terrible profile photos<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #2: Delete \u2018ninja\u2019 from your headline<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #3: Tell people it\u2019s your birthday<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #4: Create a narrative summary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #5: Boast about how great you are in the experience section<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #2: Disregarding The Foundation of Branding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The foundation of branding comes down to people knowing who you are. Your brand tells them what to expect from you. As a company or personal brand, they\u2019ll learn to expect you to be:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Funny or professional<\/li>
    2. Niche or general<\/li>
    3. Strategic or pure fluff<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      If you post about your dog one day, the interior design of your home the next, and marketing the day after\u2014people won\u2019t be able to box you in. And in marketing, getting boxed in is a good thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      You want people to be able to say, \u201cI follow [Your Name] on LinkedIn and they always talk about X, Y, and Z. They\u2019re a [title of your role].\u201d Your audience can\u2019t do that if you\u2019re content bounces around more than one of those bouncy balls you buy from the $0.25 machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      They can only do that if your content is like a bow and arrow that hits the target every time. That bullseye comes from your content pillars\u2014the 3-5 topics you become notorious for talking about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      For example, if you\u2019re a fractional CMO your content can talk about:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Your marketing expertise (your strategies, thoughts, and experiences with marketing strategies)<\/li>
      2. Why hiring a fractional CMO is better than hiring an internal CMO<\/li>
      3. The results your clients are getting<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Put yourself in a box and let your viewers label you as \u201cthat fractional CMO person.\u201d It\u2019ll put you top-of-mind when they read a post from a company owner looking to hire a fractional CMO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Hellooooo fun work project opportunities.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        #3: Never Adding Social Proof To Your Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Don\u2019t just talk the talk…walk the walk, too. Your LinkedIn reputation is on the line, and if you never prove that you know what you\u2019re talking about\u2014it\u2019s only fair that your audience should question your expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        If you\u2019re constantly posting big ideas but never backing up that you\u2019re trying them out and taking action on them, your audience will put you in a box (see the section above). They\u2019ll brand you as, \u201cThat person who doesn\u2019t know what they\u2019re talking about and is just posting to post.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You never want to be that person. <\/strong>And on our watch, you won\u2019t be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Social proof is crucial for your marketing campaigns. Since LinkedIn is just part of your content marketing…that means social proof is also<\/em> crucial for your LinkedIn presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Share your wins on the platform to make sure your audience knows that you don\u2019t just talk about your expertise…you can back up that you know what you\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Ben Wise<\/a>, who\u2019s accumulated over 200 million views on ghostwritten LinkedIn content, practices this strategy regularly. Here\u2019s his post<\/strong><\/a> explaining why \u201cYour story matters\u201d <\/strong>and<\/em><\/strong> providing proof that people want to read about it:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

        When you add proof to your posts, you show that you\u2019re not just another person trying to get attention on the platform. You\u2019re a certified expert that knows what they\u2019re talking about\u2014and your viewers would be smart to work with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        #4: Consistently Tagging Experts In Low-Quality Posts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Tagging experts in posts can help your post get seen by their audience. But, it\u2019s a dangerous game. You can easily squash your reputation if you keep tagging experts in half-baked, low-quality posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You never want the experts in your industry (the people who can help you grow your business!) to see a notification about a post you tagged them in and think, \u201cI wish this person would STOP tagging me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You always want them to think, \u201cWow, I wonder what they shared this time!\u201d. With insightful posts that promote their<\/em> content, you\u2019ll make quick internet friends with even the highest-profile people in your industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        And that\u2019s the end goal of LinkedIn. Sure, the views are exciting. But views don\u2019t put food on the table, a roof over your head, or money in your bank account. Views have to turn into business\u2014and they can\u2019t turn into dollars if your audience rolls their eyes at every post they see from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        When you tag experts, make sure that you\u2019re not only promoting their content and\/or expertise but you\u2019re adding your own take to what they have to say. Give them a reason to want to comment and engage with your post (and want to connect with you!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself this question before you hit publish on a post that you\u2019ve tagged an expert in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        If I was tagged in this post, what would be my reaction?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        You\u2019re looking for:<\/strong>
        <\/p>\n\n\n\n