As an independent LinkedIn consultant, I have a professional obligation and reputation to maintain when I engage with my LinkedIn network and teach others how to best use the platform to meet their goals.

With that said, I may even call people out when I think they are trying to ‘game’ LinkedIn for their gain rather than actually build lasting relationships.

One example of what I mean by this happens to me fairly often by people who I can see are experienced users based on how detailed their profiles are and their large number of connections and followers. Someone has advised them that the more people they have, they will get more reach so they send many connections with the goal of gaining a large network.

What I teach my clients is to be intentional about the relationships they want to invest in, and how those relationships support their goals.

Too many people are looking for transactions versus relationships, here are 7 LinkedIn mistakes LinkedIn users should stop making if they want to be taken seriously and attract opportunities that align with their goals.

Common LinkedIn Mistakes

1. Make a self-promotional post in a LinkedIn group you are not even active in (this is considered spam 🙁 )
2. You send a connection request to someone without explaining why you want to connect.
3. You don’t respond to a message a new connection may have asked, rather you ignore their questions and respond with something else which is typically self-serving.
4. Constant Sales Pitches: Constantly promoting your services or products can annoy followers.
5. Not Liking or Commenting: Failing to engage with others’ posts can hinder relationship building. Simply ignoring messages can also damage professional relationships.
6. Sharing Irrelevant Content: Posting unrelated content can dilute your personal brand and low-quality images or videos can diminish your credibility.
7. Using LinkedIn Automation Tools: Generic messages that are mass-sent or impersonal messages can come across as spammy which destroys your first impression.

More LinkedIn connections do not necessarily mean more opportunities!

You only have the bandwidth to handle so many relationships, you want to be sure you have the ‘right’ people in your network.

Whether you are on a job search, or building a professional network to grow your business, the mistakes people make over and over will influence a positive or negative first impression.

Note about your LinkedIn Profile

To make a great first impression and to be taken seriously you want to ensure your LinkedIn profile is clear, specific, and establishes your evidence-based credibility.

Update Your LinkedIn Profile Today!

By avoiding these biggest LinkedIn mistakes, you can enhance your LinkedIn presence and build stronger professional relationships resulting in more consistent opportunities.