LinkedIn: The 5 common mistakes to avoid in your strategy

LinkedIn is a very powerful tool for building a network, generating leads, and making sales. However, without a well-thought-out strategy, it’s easy to fall into traps and make mistakes that prevent you from generating leads.

We’ll go over 5 common mistakes that could slow your progress on LinkedIn and how to avoid them so you can generate revenue on the platform.

1. Not having a clear strategy

One of the most common mistakes on LinkedIn is posting content randomly, without a clear goal.

Many users start on LinkedIn, post a few updates, and then wait for results that often never come.

A successful LinkedIn strategy relies on a solid plan, which includes concepts like defining your persona, your editorial line, and more.

Why is this a mistake?

• Untargeted content: You risk posting content that doesn’t speak to your audience.
• Lack of direction: Without a strategy, your actions lack coherence, and you’re not sure where you’re heading with your content creation.

What to do?

It’s best to clearly define your goals, such as generating leads on LinkedIn, and then create a detailed plan that includes one or more personas, which match your target audience. This way, you can focus your content on the expectations of that audience.

Here’s a path to follow that works for entrepreneurs:

• Write your business strategy.
• Detail your target audience.
• List your target audience’s problems.
• Generate post ideas.
• Write your posts.
• Develop your editorial line.

2. Neglecting personal branding

Clients often prefer to see a face behind a brand. It’s crucial to take care of your personal branding.

A common mistake is trying to use only a company page to post content, whereas a personal account usually gets much better results.

Additionally, LinkedIn’s algorithm promotes content published on personal pages much more.

At the same time, taking care of your personal branding means having a professional LinkedIn profile.

Don’t make this common mistake—make sure you have a strong personal profile to generate leads on LinkedIn.

Why is this a mistake?

• Less visibility: A company page will generate less visibility than a personal account.
• Hard to build trust: Prospects want to interact with individuals, not just brands.

What to do?

You should prioritize your personal account, spend time optimizing it, and refine the message you want to convey to your audience, the design you use, etc.

You can go even further with additional resources available on this blog to optimize your profile or improve how you can use it to generate more leads.

3. Ignoring interactions with your network

The audience you’re trying to build is made up of individuals, and interacting with them is crucial.

It’s easy to overlook this part, but don’t make this mistake. Remember to respond to comments on your posts and to answer the messages you receive.

Behind each notification, there’s a person who will likely appreciate that you’ve listened to and considered them.

Engaging with your community will have a snowball effect in the long run.

Why is this a mistake?

• No engagement: Without interactions, your posts will have less reach.
• Lack of relationships: LinkedIn is a social network, and networks are built through exchanges, not just by posting content.
• Less visibility: LinkedIn’s algorithm favors engagement, so without it, you’re less visible.

What to do?

Take the time to comment on others’ posts, reply to private messages, and engage regularly with your network through messages or comments.

This shows that you are accessible, which will increase your visibility and the quality of your relationships with your network.

4. Focusing too much on direct selling

A very common mistake with direct selling is trying to “sell” at every opportunity—meaning taking every chance to talk about yourself and what you have to sell.

Not only is this an ineffective way to sell, but by appearing too sales-driven, you’re more likely to damage your reputation than close any sales…

Even though LinkedIn is a platform to promote offers, doing it in too direct a manner can stop you from creating more genuine and deeper relationships with your network.

Why is this a mistake?

• Repelling effect: People prefer to interact with profiles that bring value without expecting something in return.
• Loss of credibility: Too many sales messages can make it seem like you’re only interested in your own personal gain, and you’ll come off as selfish.
• Risk of losing contacts: If you’re too pushy, you could lose connections.

What to do?

Go for an indirect, multi-step approach (trust first, then sales).

Prospects are often more willing to “buy” than feel like they’re being “sold” to… subtlety is key.

Focus on adding value, creating useful content, and engaging in meaningful discussions.

If you build a relationship of trust, sales will naturally follow when the time is right.

5. Not following the platform’s evolution and trends

If you use the platform inconsistently, you may quickly feel overwhelmed and end up using strategies that are no longer effective.

LinkedIn is an ever-evolving platform. Not keeping up with algorithm changes, new features, or trends could cause you to miss out on important opportunities.

Why is this a mistake?

• Outdated: If you don’t stay up to date, your strategies could become obsolete.
• Less visibility: LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritizes users who make use of the latest features.
• Missed opportunities: Missing out on the latest LinkedIn trends, like carousel posts or others, could cause you to miss prospects.

What to do?

You can stay informed about LinkedIn’s updates by consuming content from others.

IndiPen also keeps track of the posts that perform the best.

You can also follow creators who specialize in social media analysis, like Lara Acosta.

Conclusion

Avoiding these mistakes to maximize your LinkedIn presence and generate more leads

By avoiding these 5 common mistakes, you increase your chances of being on the right path to maximize your visibility, strengthen your network, and achieve your goals. Make sure you have a clear strategy, take care of your personal branding, interact with your audience, avoid overly aggressive sales tactics, and stay updated on platform changes to stay competitive.

Building a strong LinkedIn strategy takes thought. Don’t hesitate to check out IndIpen, which is a complete tool for your LinkedIn content creation.