Quite a controversial title, considering most people I know – Digital Marketers included are not keen. Yes, you can’t comment on others posts as a company page, nor can you publish articles, it’s quite limited in its functionality for business pages, for now.
But for me, as a freelancer and a sole trader, I find it quite refreshing as a platform with lots of scope. Ok, I would probably feel differently if I was running my own company page, but for now, in this situation, I kinda love it. Linkedin gives limited options for spamming – although groups can be quite spammy and I do receive some messages advertising products, however, 50% of those messages are also people wanting to connect and being genuinely friendly offering to connect me to people in their network. I kinda like that.
I also like that I’m not inundated with adverts like I seem to be on Instagram at the moment which is really annoying. I also don’t have to wade through pages of group posts as I do on Facebook to see the genuine posts of people in my network I’m interested in. The adverts are also super straightforward in comparison to its friend Facebook.
Recently, I’ve also found Linkedin to be full of nothing but positive messages and genuine conversation, none of this like for like, or – would you like to be featured on my page, genuine comments from people who are genuinely interested in what you’re talking about without all the BS. I’m really finding it quite an inspiring platform at the moment, I also love that it’s (mostly) devoid of perfect white flat lays and more about personal stories and general storytelling.
But for all the perks, there are the not so great perks. As mentioned earlier, it doesn’t have great functionality for business pages (yet) and advertising, though more straightforward than it’s counterparts is a lot more expensive than on other platforms. It’s also slow moving, movement can be unbelievably slow in regards to engagement and follower numbers in comparison to other platforms, but good things take time.
I was talking about this recently with a client who had lost a little faith in Linkedin because it was taking more time than he had planned and he had been wondering if it was all worth it. Turned out he had been contacted by a connection who had been following him for a while and commenting on his feed, which turned into a contract and an exciting project he now can’t wait to get started on. The ROI on Linkedin is a really tricky one, but if you take the advice of a certain Mr Barlow and ” Have a little patience” you just might get there. ( Sorry not sorry.)
So there are a lot of Con’s to match my Pro’s – I get it, but if you look at the stats, it’s not just me. Linkedin is growing, with over 500 million members, it’s on the up, and with recent changes favouring smaller accounts, it’s definitely a platform to keep an eye on. But if you still aren’t convinced take this last point with you, my favourite.
Linkedin is the most low maintenance of all the platforms, it doesn’t have the neediness of Instagram or the too much sharing of Facebook, it doesn’t even have the be here right now urgency of Twitter. With Linkedin, you only need to post once a week to stay current and get results. Its the equivalent of a low maintenance laid-back boyfriend you only have to text once a week, but he still brings you your favourite takeaway on date night.
I would love to hear your thoughts on Linkedin, let me know if you’re a lover or a hater?