For a couple of years, LinkedIn has become one of the hottest and trending social media platforms. People call it a platform for professionals. But your LinkedIn profile mistakes to avoid may not make you look like one.
I have been watching LinkedIn evolve for many years. I remember when its user interface wasn’t as good as it is now. Now LinkedIn drives a lot of traffic for me.
People create a new account only when they seek a job. This is the biggest mistake anyone can make. It’s just about finding a job. There are so many more reasons to use LinkedIn today.
Many influencers are making a fortune out of the users’ engagement. You know that LinkedIn has the best people’s reach on a simple text status.
5 LinkedIn Mistakes To Avoid That You May Be Making
It’s so strange to see people making common LinkedIn profile mistakes again and again. There are tons of articles available on the web to create your professional LinkedIn profile.
But no one really cares until someone makes them realize. I have been trying so hard to teach the newbies about the perfect use of LinkedIn.
It seems like I have to work so hard.
Do You Consider Yourself A LinkedIn Pro User?
This is the first question every person should ask before complaining or badmouthing about this platform. I have asked many but didn’t really get positive answers.
What’s yours? Are you a LinkedIn Pro? Have you crafted a professional profile? Do you even know what it takes to build one?
Wait, wait, wait… Am I confusing you? Why would you? It’s just a simple question.
These Are The LinkedIn mistakes That Are Ruining Your Career
Ever since people started using this platform, they always dream about getting 100,000+ views on their status updates. Let me show you how.
#1. You Act Like a Model
I don’t think I need to make you remember that LinkedIn is a platform for people who want to do some work. They’re not here to see your modeling pics.
Look at this profile, the guy is trying to make people curious just like his Instagram profile pic. Are you attracted to him?
I don’t think so. No one would. It’s because, on LinkedIn, people need to see your authenticity, they want to see your face without any glasses, no fancy selfies, and no Snapchat Doggy filters.
Just a simple photo in which your face covers more than 70% of the area. It’s just like you’re about to take a picture for your Passport. It should be even better than that.
I feel so bad about the people who try to display their beautiful pics in different poses. And the worst idea is to add a group photo.
Let me summarise it.
- So many filters
- Your face isn’t visible
- Big fancy glasses
- A Group Photo
If you’re having any such kind of profile photo, people consider you mediocre. That’s a big LinkedIn profile mistakes to avoid.
#2. You Share the Distorted Images
It has been told millions of times that you should always check the quality of your images before sharing them on any social media platform.
And when you’re promoting a brand, the logo reflects the brand value of your company. Have a look at this picture. Would you approach a such company for any kind of work?
I wouldn’t. Just after the first glance, the quality of the service, and the total reputation of that network holder get ruined within a second.
I have experienced that people are more responsive to abstract and unique images. No one can deny that visual content always attracts. Let me tell you what not to do.
- Never upload a smaller size image
- Check the quality once you publish it
- Use the Image update option provided for every LinkedIn post (I really like this feature)
- Never share the domain name directly on the timeline
Have you ever done that? I am sure you did, we all have gone through such a phase. Just make sure you never repeat this. This is one of the worst LinkedIn mistakes to avoid.
#3. You’re a Whatsapp Enthusiast
Whatsapp is one of the most used messaging apps in the whole world. I know it’s banned in many countries. But you may have seen people sharing such status.
Creating a Whatsapp group and publishing it on LinkedIn is the worst thing anyone can ever make. C’mon, it’s 2018 and you don’t need to join a Whatsapp group including random people to get a job.
The thing is people comment on such status hoping to have some shinning but eventually, they end up blocking that number.
Whenever I see such a Linkedin mistake status, I feel pity for those who comment and for the person who started it. It’s because, after that, he/she is never going to meet any professional.
Personally, I never trust such people who just try to get more reach to their status. These are the cheesy stunts professionals hate the most.
Have you created any?
#4. You’re a Lazy Kid
Having a profile pic isn’t the only thing that makes you look like a pro, the cover image should also reflect what you’re good at.
I have seen thousands of LinkedIn profile mistakes and there are only a few people who know the value of having a better header image. Some people are showing their gaming love whereas others are using Angeline Jolie’s pic.
- No pic (Default)
- A Scenery
- A cartoon from the magazine
- Your Instagram pouting pic
- Any Google-picked image
These are the commonly used cover images that directly impact your personal brand value. C’mon, start creating a custom image.
Use the websites like Canva. It takes only a few minutes to create something which can reflect your expertise.
[clickToTweet tweet=”If you desire to become a professional, you have to look like one” quote=”If you desire to become a professional, you have to look like one” theme=”style3″]
Are you still having that default cover photo? That’s a big LinkedIn profile mistake to avoid.
#5. You’re Self-Obsessed
You may have seen many people resharing their own status which doesn’t get a single like or share because of the zero engagement. Have you ever thought about what was the reason?
The reason is that people never engage with a status that is reshared by you only.
Let me describe a situation.
“You update a status about affiliate marketing, you wait for a while and don’t get any engagement. Your mind strikes you to share it again. And you use your lovely finger to press the left click. Boom!!! You’re screwed.”
It’s human psychology to start judging you on the basis of your posts, status updates, and the number of people who are involved.
Tell me your honest answer, do you like such kind of self-shared status?
If you ask me, I don’t. I am also a human. I can’t say about anyone else but according to my experience, you should share it again by creating a new status instead of using that old one.
What do you think? This can be one of the LinkedIn mistakes I have made in my starting days and I recommend everyone to avoid it. LinkedIn is always changing so stay on top of these changes.
You may have seen many people resharing their own status which doesn't get a single like or share because of the zero engagement. Have you ever thought about what was the reason?
Click To Tweet
Are There Any LinkedIn Mistakes You Would Want To Mention?
We’re humans and we all make mistakes but it’s always said that making a mistake can teach you a lesson. But repeating those mistakes can ruin you, especially when it comes to your LinkedIn profile mistakes.
In this era of professionals, people are more into what you show them. You should behave like the person you always wanted to be.
If you want to be a digital marketing pro, do some research, share your experience, gather some recommendations and build a strong profile.
This is what I have earned so far. I got 31 recommendations so far which add value to my profile. How many do you have? What’re the things you have done for your clients?
People check each and every detail before hiring you. Whether it’s just about a few hours job or a full-time job, the recruiters keep an eye on every single portion of your LinkedIn profile.
If you’re making any of these LinkedIn mistakes, there is a 90% chance that the rejection letter will be in your hand.
What do you think? Share your thoughts below in the comments.
