LinkedIn Behaviors to Avoid

Ten Things Not to Do on LinkedIn (From Someone Who Would Know) 1. Don’t change your profile name to reflect attending an event. This can get you locked out in certain situations (which I’ve confirmed firsthand). I’ve raised this concern with the LinkedIn editorial team. 2. Avoid editing your posts. Editing can drastically reduce their reach and visibility. 3. Don’t mass-mention people. I've been seeing a lot of this recently. Not only is it annoying, but if those mentioned don’t engage, it can hurt your performance over time. 4. Don’t view too many profiles too quickly (15+ in 60 seconds) or send excessive invites. If people flag you as someone they don’t know, you risk getting locked out. 5. Be cautious with job opportunities that seem suspicious. Scams are on the rise, and our community maintains a list of known scams. If something looks off, let us know, and we’ll help. 6. Avoid using external links in your posts. This can significantly reduce their visibility. 7. Don’t have an incomplete profile. Make sure your profile is fully filled out with a picture, headline, banner, “About Me” section, and everything else. Even if you’re not currently job hunting, treat today like the first day of your search - someone might be checking you out for a job, speaking opportunity, or something else important. 8. Don’t feed the AI algorithm (personal opinion). You can turn off your data sharing for AI training in your settings. 9. Don’t rely too much on in-LinkedIn recommendations. Data shows that most people don’t pay much attention to them. 10. Don’t ignore your metrics. LinkedIn provides a wealth of information on impressions, engagement, and followers. Even if you’re not serious about the platform, it’s good to know what works with your audience. Keep in mind that the follower count resets at 8 PM EST, so start tracking it to measure real growth - the platform's number doesn't include churn so if you want to know real figures, you need to record it yourself at some cadence.

Want to write better LinkedIn posts? ❌ Don't do the following: - share news without putting your own thoughts - write clickbait headlines that don't deliver on the promise - use excessive emojis that distract from your message - post generic motivational quotes without context or application - copy trending formats without adding unique value - write walls of text with no line breaks or white space - overshare personal details that aren't relevant to your audience - engage in humble bragging disguised as vulnerability - use industry jargon that alienates part of your audience - post inconsistently then disappear for months at a time - make it all about selling without providing genuine value These are the common mistakes that reduce engagement and credibility on LinkedIn. The key is being authentic, valuable, and consistent while respecting your audience's time and intelligence. Instead, focus on sharing insights from your actual experience. When you've learned something through trial and error, that's content worth posting. Your failures and pivots often resonate more than your wins because they're relatable and educational. Remember that LinkedIn is a professional platform, but that doesn't mean your posts need to be boring or overly formal. The best content strikes a balance between being approachable and substantive. Think of each post as a conversation starter rather than a broadcast. Ask yourself: would this add value to someone's day, teach them something new, or spark a meaningful discussion? Finally, comment on others' content, respond to everyone who takes time to engage with your posts, and build genuine relationships. The algorithm rewards conversation, but more importantly, your network will remember who showed up and added value to the community. Consistency in both posting and engaging is what builds a presence that matters. What would you add to this list? (Whisper) I would like to hear what drives you crazy when scrolling LinkedIn.

𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟓 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 LinkedIn is one of the most powerful tools senior executives have to build visibility, attract recruiter attention and open doors to new opportunities. But many still struggle to use it effectively. Over the years working with executives, I’ve noticed five common mistakes that hold people back from truly leveraging LinkedIn’s potential. 1. Using vague or fluffy headlines Headlines like “Passionate leader” or “Experienced professional” might sound impressive but they do not help you show up in recruiter searches. Recruiters type in clear job titles and specific keywords. Your headline needs to include the exact roles and key skills you want to be found for. 2. Neglecting profile optimisation An incomplete or generic profile that lacks relevant keywords and detailed accomplishments will be invisible to recruiters. Your summary and experience sections should clearly reflect your expertise, industry, and achievements with language recruiters use. 3. Ignoring LinkedIn activity Posting infrequently or not engaging with others’ content means fewer people see your name. Regular posting, commenting and sharing relevant insights builds your personal brand and keeps you top of mind in your network. 4. Sending generic connection requests A simple “Let’s connect” without personalisation often gets ignored. Taking a moment to add a meaningful note explaining why you want to connect dramatically increases acceptance and starts a conversation. 5. Not showcasing measurable achievements Listing responsibilities alone does not demonstrate impact. Executives must highlight measurable results — revenue growth, cost savings, team development — to show their true value and leadership capability. Fixing these mistakes requires intentional focus but can transform your LinkedIn presence. You’ll see more profile views from relevant recruiters, better quality connections, and more inbound opportunities. If you’re frustrated by a lack of traction on LinkedIn, start by reviewing these five areas and make small, strategic improvements. Your career growth depends on being visible in the right way to the right people.

How NOT to network on LinkedIn. This week, I had a strange exchange in my DMs. Let’s call him Bob (not his real name). Bob had a vague profile, but his experience was in marketing and he sent me a polite, personalised connection request. So I accepted. Immediately after I that (suspiciously quickly) he invited me to an event. I politely declined. Two days later, another message: an invitation to meet for coffee at a specific time and place. There was no explanation or context. No thanks, Bob. 🚫 His intentions might have been perfectly professional, but his approach made me feel uncomfortable, and I told him so. He said he’d "take the point on board" and suggested we "disconnect to save time." And now I’M the one feeling uncomfortable. 🤷🏻♀️ This little incident made me realise it’s worth saying out loud: Basic human decency applies here too. If you’re messaging someone on LinkedIn, here’s a quick refresher on what NOT to do: 🚩 Invite strangers to events without explaining why. 🚩 Send “hi” or “hello” and just wait for a response. It's not mysterious, it's uncomfortable. Immediate block! 🚩 Launch straight into meeting requests without building any trust first. 🚩 Make people guess who you are or why you're contacting them. 🚩 Pitchslap, using obvious sales scripts pretending to be genuine conversation. 🚩 Get defensive or rude if someone sets a boundary. 🚩 Use LinkedIn as a dating app. 🚩 Ignore the tone or boundaries the other person sets. Respect them and move on. Good connections start with clarity, courtesy, and curiosity. What weird or red flaggy behaviour have you experienced here? 👇🍿

Can you imagine being let go from a company and then receiving a sponsored LinkedIn message inviting you to a webcast about the very solution you used to market, telling you that you can now learn about AI? Or being asked to “partner” with someone who has no understanding of your business model. Or getting pitched technology that has absolutely nothing to do with what you do. Or receiving a request to introduce someone you have never met to your entire network. These are just a few recent highlights from my LinkedIn inbox. If you are sending messages like these, here are a few friendly tips. 1.    Take a moment to review your target list before emailing former colleagues. 2.    Know the person you are reaching out to. Do not pitch a product unless you know whether it is relevant. 3.    Please do not ask someone to be your partner or introduce you to their network out of the blue. 4.    Do not tell someone they are doing something they are not doing, such as hiring a sales team, if they are not. 5. And for the love of the gods, LinkedIn is not a dating app. Do not send random compliments to strangers based on a profile photo. LinkedIn can be an incredible tool for connecting, sharing information, and staying in touch with your network. But you will waste your time and frustrate people if you do not use it properly. #linkedinetiquette #professionalcommunication #networkingtips #digitalmanners #personalbranding

I want to help everyone have a better experience on LinkedIn! Consider this is a public service message to improve everyone's content and connections by removing the annoying things that drive people away. Here are 13 LinkedIn no-no’s 1. Selling in your first DM If you connect with someone and start selling your product before you have ever talked you will their business. 2. Don’t post the following Stock photos or meme’s without content Text only posts Article links without your original thoughts 3. Attacking content creators for their thoughts.  It’s okay to disagree and have civilized discussion but to outright attack a content creator’s experience, background, or content without having substantial facts is unprofessional and disrespectful. 4. Multiple paragraphs DMs. Sending long multiple paragraphs about your product or services should be saved for a phone call or email IF you’ve earned the relationship. 5. Sending DM’s that say “bump”  If someone doesn't respond to your first message, they are either not interested or too busy to respond. Sending a new DM each day with bump is annoying and will lead to you getting blocked. 6. Tag Spamming Most people know this but don’t tag 50 other active people to get your post viral. LinkedIn Algorithms know this and make them less visible. 7. Use Hastags in moderation In the past 3-5 hashtags were ideal. In today’s formula 1-2 are the max. Putting in 10+ hashtags is not only ineffective but looks desperate. 8. LinkedIn is not a dating platform This should be self-explanatory but this is a business platform and no place for romantic relationship advances. Professional relationships and business networking, yes. 9. Posting infrequently and expecting results Don’t expect to get a lot of tractions on your content if you only post once or twice a month. You must build your authority and audience over time. 10. LinkedIn is not just for your online resume and job hunting You can gain a ton of opportunities, knowledge, and professional referrals from this platform. It’s astonishing that people still think this is just for job hunting. 11. Hijack a thread One of the most annoying things is when you have a thought provoking post that is going viral and then you have someone hijack your thread. These are people that never communicate with you, and they decide to fight, argue, or take over your thread by commenting with everyone in your post, the only option is to block them and then that kills the post going viral.  12. Politics and Religion  Discussing these on this platform can be a no-no but is fine as long as it relates to business or professional development. Outright political hate speech or agenda pushing is not okay but explaining how a policy affects your business is great educational content. 13. Sales only posts If all your posts are about buying from me, listen to this, or your next sale, you will not get any traction or attention on LinkedIn. What other #LinkedInTips do you have?

You're doing LinkedIn all wrong. I see professionals making basic etiquette mistakes every day, from CEOs to fresh graduates. These errors aren't just embarrassing - they're costing you valuable connections and opportunities. Let me share the essential dos and don'ts for LinkedIn success, based on my experience helping over 50+ professionals build their presence: ⿡ Profile Picture ✅ DO: Use a clear, professional headshot ❌ DON'T: Use vacation photos, group pictures, or worse - no picture at all ⿢ Connection Requests ✅ DO: Add a personalized note explaining why you want to connect ❌ DON'T: Send blank invites to strangers hoping they'll accept ⿣ Content Sharing ✅ DO: Share valuable insights from your experience ❌ DON'T: Treat LinkedIn like Facebook with personal updates ⿤ Engagement ✅ DO: Comment thoughtfully on posts that interest you ❌ DON'T: Leave generic responses like "Great post." or "Nice." ⿥ Network Building ✅ DO: Focus on quality connections in your industry ❌ DON'T: Try to reach 30,000 connections without purpose The most common mistakes I see daily: • Sending promotional messages right after connecting • Writing "Following" or "Interested" on job posts • Sharing motivational quotes without context • Using inappropriate hashtags • Posting political content According to LinkedIn's own data, profiles with proper etiquette get 40% more opportunities and 3x more response rates. Yet, I still see professionals struggling with these basics. They wonder why their network isn't growing or why they're not getting the opportunities they want. The truth is: LinkedIn isn't just another social media platform - it's your professional identity online. So I ask you: Are you ready to take your LinkedIn presence seriously? If you want to learn more about proper LinkedIn etiquette, drop a "Yes" in the comments. Let's make your LinkedIn profile work for you. #LinkedIntips #Personalbranding #Networking #Jobseekers

LinkedIn can change your life. It can open doors you didn’t know existed. It can get you noticed by people who’ve never met you. It can land you a job, a mentor, a new chapter. But it can also work against you. ↳ Quietly. ↳ Permanently. ↳ If you’re not intentional. Because LinkedIn doesn’t forget. The way you show up here? ↳ It builds your reputation. ↳ Post by post. ↳ Comment by comment. ↳ DM by DM. And just like in real life, people are watching. ↳ Deciding—subconsciously—if you’re someone they’d hire, trust, or refer. Mistakes that hurt people long-term on LinkedIn (and how to avoid them): 1. You only show up when you need something. ↳ If your first post in 8 months is “I’m looking for a job,” it’s already too late. ↳ Build value before you need help. 2. You treat this like a résumé, not a conversation. ↳ Posting wins without context feels empty. ↳ Share lessons, not just titles. ↳ Share insight, not just updates. 3. You copy content to chase engagement. ↳ Plagiarism isn’t just lazy; it’s transparent. ↳ Your voice is what builds trust. Not someone else’s story. 4. You ghost people in DMs. ↳ Networking is a loop, not a line. ↳ Leaving others hanging says more about you than your “open to work” badge ever will. 5. You argue to prove a point, not to grow. ↳ Comments are a chance to build bridges, not flex opinions. ↳ Nobody wins the internet. ↳ But you can lose credibility trying. 6. You treat everyone like a lead, not a person. ↳ The instant pitch in a new connection message? ↳ It’s not networking. It’s noise. 7. You forget that LinkedIn is real life. ↳ Would you say that in a meeting? ↳ Would you introduce yourself like that at an event? ↳ Then don’t do it here. Use this platform to share what you’re learning. ↳ To highlight others. ↳ To engage like a human, not an algorithm chaser. Because the people who win here long term? ↳ They’re not just “building a brand.” ↳ They’re building trust. And trust is the one metric LinkedIn doesn’t show, But everyone feels. Post like your future boss is reading. ↳ Because they probably are. ♻️ Repost to help others avoid these common LinkedIn mistakes. ➕ Follow Nathan Crockett, PhD for daily educational posts. (I've compiled several additional LinkedIn mistakes in a carousel 👇)

Don't participate in engagement pods. Don't use automated commenting tools. Don't game LinkedIn. It’s not working. Multiple Top Voices just lost their badges. A LinkedIn VP (Oscar Rodriguez) was clear: LinkedIn wants “authentic and meaningful conversations.” I don't like to talk about the algorithm. But this matters because it’s coming directly from LinkedIn. Here are the 2 things that violate LinkedIn being a place of "authentic and meaningful conversations": 1) Engagement pods See an example below. That's spam. Don't do that. Important distinction: If you're like me, you're worried you just did something wrong by supporting a friend. That is definitely not what LinkedIn is punishing.  LinkedIn is punishing spam. Keep commenting on LinkedIn. Keep supporting your friends. 2) Automated commenting tools. Commenting drives LinkedIn growth, That's why comments are abused. This mirrors email in the early days: Useful → popular → flooded with spam → crackdown LinkedIn is acting now to prevent comments from becoming filled with spam. One more thing: Ignore AI tools promising “3x impressions” or “10x followers in 30 days.” I'm writing this post is to try to convince you out of that stuff. The Takeaway: 1) Avoid engagement pods and AI tools promising extreme growth. 2) Treat LinkedIn like the gym.  We all know the best ways to be healthy. Eat more protein, less calories, sleep more, and workout more. On LinkedIn, that means post consistently, trigger emotion in posts, and write clearly. To be clear: The views expressed are my own and not those of my employer.