LinkedIn for Beginners: The Confidence Playbook

[00:00:00] Starting on LinkedIn can feel like you're walking into a party and you don't know anyone. But what if I told you that you don't need to be the loudest person in the room to make an impact? Welcome to the Social Media for B2B Growth Podcast. I'm Michelle J Raymond and each episode I'm sharing best practices and actionable tips you can apply to your own B2B social media strategy.

[00:00:28] G'day everyone, it is Coach Michelle J Raymond and I hope you're all having a wonderful week wherever you are in the world. And I wanted to go back to basics in this particular episode and I'm talking to all of those LinkedIn beginners that are out there. And beginners doesn't necessarily mean it's you that is brand new to the platform. I'm talking about those people who are sitting on the sidelines wanting to get started

[00:00:54] but paralyzed by all kinds of things that can come up in our minds that prevent us from taking actions. And like I said in the intro, coming onto LinkedIn can feel like you're at a party, everybody else knows everyone, you're the newbie and you feel a little bit left out. I always want to make sure that these episodes are actionable. So we're going to talk about three steps that I think you can follow that will get you off the sidelines and into the game.

[00:01:22] When it comes to LinkedIn, getting your mindset right is absolutely crucial. And these fears pop up in all kinds of different types for all kinds of different people, those that are starting out, those that have been in their career for a long time and everywhere in between. And so when we wrote the LinkedIn branding book, when we created the brand squared system for people to follow to create their personal brand and business brands on LinkedIn, our first step is all about mindset.

[00:01:51] And there's such a big section that's dedicated to talking about these fears that we have on LinkedIn. Now, my own fear is I have a fear of not being good enough of also that shows up sometime as not being the best. And there are days when I get crippled by these fears and I still can't create content, even though I've been doing it for almost a decade now.

[00:02:15] And my mind goes into these places. What if the client thinks it's not good enough? What if they don't like it? What if they want me to change things? What if, what if, what if, what if? The list goes on and on. And so in the LinkedIn branding book, if you haven't got a copy, you can grab it on Amazon. But these are some of the fears that we listed in that you're thinking about fear of judgment, fear of offending others, fear of being boring, fear of talking too much, fear of standing out, fear of speaking out.

[00:02:42] You can see that there are so many different ways that this can happen to people. I want you to spend a moment and just think about if you had to put words around what your fears are, what would they be? And I want you to think about that because some of them will be obvious. Some of them may be less so. And if you need some help, like I said, grab a copy of the LinkedIn branding book. We've got a free workbook that comes with it. They can work through exactly this kind of thing.

[00:03:10] And, you know, often people say it's imposter syndrome, you know, when you don't think you're expert enough to be able to sharing your voice with other people on LinkedIn. Because it feels like the people that are posting on LinkedIn, they've got it all together. And that's not always the case. I can assure you probably in most cases it's not, but they're feeling that fear and taking action anyway. But more importantly than just naming these fears and being mindful that they're there,

[00:03:39] I want you to then have the strategies that I use to overcome those fears. And if I rewind back to the first time that I ever tried to make a video, I was petrified. And I can't believe that now, but going back, I sat down in front of a camera and freaked out.

[00:03:58] Now, what got me past that point to where I am today and even further than that, speaking on, you know, international stages is I have to stop and think it's not about me, but what I've got and what I can share my knowledge or my thoughts is valuable to other people and will help them get closer to their goals.

[00:04:20] So the minute that I start thinking about how I can be in service of other people, what do you know? All my own personal fears disappear. It's like you shift the focus from the negative into doing something positive for other people. And that immediately when I start thinking about those people I want to help, I get excited. It's like nothing can stop me. And so from that perspective, I want you to think, who is it that you want to help? Who are you in service of?

[00:04:48] Why does your business exist? That is why we are on LinkedIn. And so when you keep that in mind, then you can take those actions freely. Like, honestly, it's like this cloud disappears in a heartbeat. So that is step one, getting your mindset in the right place. So before we go into step two on how you can get more confident and take action on LinkedIn, I want to just share a quick word from our podcast sponsors Metric.

[00:05:16] And if you've been here for a while, you're probably already familiar with our main sponsor Metricall. This all in one social media management tool is packed with time saving features that change the marketing game. They have recently rolled out some cool tools I really like because they make managing content so much easier. The post library feature for instant scheduling and idea management. The Canva and Google Drive integrations to centralize assets.

[00:05:43] AI assistance to generate new content ideas and optimize per platform. And the Blue Sky integration for those of you who are looking to get started over there. This only scratches the surface of Metricall's capabilities and with their insightful data, competitor analysis, ad creation, link in bio tools and inbox management. This tool is a must for any marketer content creator or social media manager.

[00:06:10] And while many of the features are completely free, capitalize on this special offer I've got for you listeners. Use code MICHELLE30 to test any Metricall premium plan for 30 days for free. So if you've been looking for a reliable tool this new year, I highly recommend checking out Metricall and all the details will be in the show notes. Let's say that you have followed my advice and now you're keen to get started on LinkedIn. You're in the right frame of mind. You're ready to take action.

[00:06:40] What should you do next? What I want you to do is go across to your LinkedIn profile. And before we do anything else, I want you to do a quick check, a quick audit and make sure that it really reflects who you are. Does it reflect who you want to serve? Does it reflect the problems you solve? What makes you different? Have you completed all of the information that's required on your profile?

[00:07:05] If you find yourself going, yeah, it's a little out of dates or I haven't really ever gotten back to fill out that part of my profile properly, then spend a little bit of time updating things. Same goes for things like your profile photo. Make sure it's, you know, from within the last couple of years at least. And I can see you even with my old lady eyes looking at your photo on a mobile device. I want to make sure that your face is clear.

[00:07:32] The cover image, which is the banner on your profile is also really important. And you can go onto Canva and there's templates there that can help you get started. If you don't have the resources to hire a graphic designer or like me, when I first got started and probably still to today, I am certainly graphically designed challenge. So Canva is a really great tool to find some of those LinkedIn banners.

[00:07:54] So make sure that you are confident in your profile, that when you reach out and start taking actions on the platform, your profile doesn't let you down and it doesn't make you cringe when you think about it. That's how you'll know you've done the right amount of work. I've got plenty of episodes and resources about how to do that. Exactly. If you're someone that's stuck or need some help, then I rewrite LinkedIn profiles for people who are just like, you know what, Michelle?

[00:08:24] That's not my thing. Or I'm time poor and I don't have the time to sit down and figure out how to do all of that. You can reach out and connect with me and we can have that conversation or you can book a call straight from the link in the show notes. So that's one that we can easily get fixed because then after that, I want you to take some baby step actions and we don't have to dive straight into creating content.

[00:08:49] And often that can be the intimidating piece of LinkedIn that stops people from doing anything when they're trying to get started. So just like when I was learning how to run at the gym and still learning how to run, I can't call myself a runner yet just because I've managed to do one run here and there. But the first step was literally walking in the door. So congratulations to you if you're logging onto LinkedIn and taking a look around.

[00:09:17] The next thing I had to find something that I could do that was manageable and it wasn't too hard for me. And so you're going to do the same thing. What does that look like? That could be sending connection requests to people that you already know that you're not connected to. Think about your colleagues and teammates. Think about your customers. Think about people, you know, in the industry. Again, they already know you. There are high chances of saying yes. If they don't connect, it means nothing.

[00:09:44] But it's the action that you take that will start to build that momentum. Other things you can do is if you see something that when you're scrolling and you like somebody else's post, then take a moment to actually press the like button and engage with that post. And in the beginning stage, I'm not asking you to leave comments. And again, still not even at the point where I want you to create content. This will help you build your confidence.

[00:10:11] If you're going to have a lot of comments, small actions done consistently, all of a sudden you're going to realize, hey, I've got lots of friends in my community. There are lots of friendly faces that are popping up. There's content that I enjoy seeing from people that share similar values and interests to me. And you'll find yourself all of a sudden wanting to take those next steps. So after you spend some time liking and then progressing into commenting, actually, you will feel like LinkedIn is a different experience.

[00:10:40] You'll no longer feel like you're an outsider. And that can slow down some of that mind chatter that we were talking about in step one where those fears kick in. The good news is when you're surrounded by a cool community of people and you start engaging with them, those fears fade into the background. I'm so delighted you've listened this far because it suggests to me you've enjoyed what you've heard. But before we get to the final point of this episode, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on LinkedIn.

[00:11:08] After all, it's a podcast about growing your business using social media and what better way to get practice than connecting with me. Send me a note with your connection request letting me know you found me through the podcast and let's keep this conversation going. To all of my LinkedIn beginners out there, if you have followed along in this episode, you now have your tools to get your mindset into a good place.

[00:11:32] You're now proud of your LinkedIn profile and you've taken some small actions. And don't rush this process. Like, honestly, like the longer you spend getting comfortable in this beginning phase, it could be weeks. For some of you, it might even be months. It's OK. Take the time that you need. But let's say you're now at a point where you're happy to do your first post. What will you post?

[00:11:59] Now, I recommend for most people if it's your very first one and you're not sure what to do, then do an introduction post. Let people know a little bit about you. Remember, they have only potentially maybe seen you like and comment or maybe they've been and visited your profile, but they really don't know any of the things about your experience, about what's important to you, about your values, who you are in the world.

[00:12:27] And it's OK in this post to say, this is my first post. I am a bit nervous because, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah. Insert your reasons and share that with people. Now, for some of you, being vulnerable might feel really scary. I totally get it. But the thing that I want you to understand is that when you build that right community of those people that already know you, they're there cheering you on.

[00:12:55] And I would say in general, LinkedIn is a pretty positive platform. There's not too many issues with trolling and that kind of stuff. And it's super cool to know that people have got your back and they are especially supportive when people are getting started. So it's OK to share with them. And to be honest, it will stop you from feeling like you're pretending.

[00:13:18] It will allow you to take a breath because I often find that first post people really get really super stressed about it and that anxiety builds. And when you take that moment and just go, you know what? I'm not going to pretend I'm anything other than actually freaked out about this whole process. Share that with people. It's amazing. Honestly, the compassion and kindness and empathy that comes back to you is just, you know, one of my favorite parts around LinkedIn.

[00:13:48] Tag me in the post. I'll come and be your number one cheerleader. I love helping people get started on LinkedIn. LinkedIn. So if you are listening to this, obviously I'm only scratching the surface on the different ways that I can help you. If you would like more help, then reach out and we can book an intro call where I can learn more about you, where you're up to, what your goals are, and let you know about maybe some of my training programs that would help you out. And so just know you don't have to figure this all out by yourself.

[00:14:16] That is why people like me exist in the world to help LinkedIn beginners get started with confidence and make sure that they're taking action. A quick recap on this one. First of all, get your mindset straight. You are probably going to feel fear more than you ever imagined. Every time you sit at that keyboard to take action.

[00:14:43] The good news is it will fade the more small actions you take and you build up that courage with consistency. So don't be putting yourself down because it's only the like and you're not posting and it looks like everybody else is doing it. The same can come when people are trying their first video. If you find your brain getting into that funky place, always go back to who do I want to create this content for? What difference will it make and what lights me up?

[00:15:10] And as long as you are guided by that life is much easier. Spend a little time polishing your LinkedIn profile. Make sure that you don't cringe when you have a look at it and that it doesn't undersell you. So keeping in mind, what do you do? Who do you do it for? And what makes you different? That's as simple as it needs to be. Now, after we've got those things done, we are taking those actions. So we're connecting with people that we know. We are starting to like and comment on other people's posts.

[00:15:40] And building up to getting that first post done. For some of you, you might not be completely new to LinkedIn, but it's about getting back in the game. It's amazing how if you miss one day, then one day turns into one week and then all of a sudden a month goes by and you've fallen off the horse. Well, it's time to get back on again. And as I said, I am here to cheer you on listeners. If there's anything that I can do to help you, like by all means, reach out. Let me know on LinkedIn.

[00:16:09] I would love to know if you're getting started on LinkedIn. What is your biggest challenge? This helps me create content for you. This helps me plan out future episodes because I want you to have resources that you can refer back to so that you can be confident on LinkedIn. And most importantly, take action. And for those of you who are responsible for employees, then think about what could you do to help them take action?

[00:16:35] You're in exactly the same position as I am, but make sure you are there to support them and cheer them on. I'm looking forward to hearing from those of you who actually take the leap and start taking this action. Do reach out and connect with me. I love when I get those messages and people say, oh, my God, Michelle, you actually responded. It's you. It's not someone in your team. It is absolutely me. And I absolutely respond. Sometimes it takes longer than I would like. But, you know, hey, that's life. I will get there eventually.

[00:17:04] So have fun. Enjoy the process. Be comfortable being uncomfortable as a learner. Trust me, it gets easier. So until next week, everyone. Cheers. Thanks for listening, everyone. Once again, if you found value in today's episode, please follow or subscribe and leave a review in your podcast app. And more importantly, connect with me on LinkedIn for more insights and strategies. Until the next episode, keep growing your B2B with social media.