And how to fix them.

LinkedIn is a powerful and misunderstood tool. It can be a powerful way to grow your connections and business or a massive waste of time. I asked LinkedIn expert Daniel Alfon what the top mistakes business owners make on LinkedIn are and how to fix them. 

1. Only spend time on the platform when you need something. 

It’s very common for people to hop on LinkedIn, spend tons of time on the platform, and then forget about it for an extended period. This usage gap is something that doesn't necessarily happen on Twitter or Instagram, or TikTok. Many people signed up for LinkedIn five or ten years ago when they were looking for a job or new clients, and the minute they landed the job or client, they left the platform. 

Business owners should remember that you don't have to use LinkedIn often, but you do need to stay in touch with your network on the platform. Touchpoints with your network could take as little as five minutes a week. Turn on your LinkedIn notifications for things like birthdays and new jobs, and take the time to send a quick (not copied and pasted) message off LinkedIn, so you don't get lost in the comments. Sending an email to congratulate someone on a new position or let them know you thought of them can transform the quality of your connections and help you grow your business. No one wants someone only to reach out when they need someone, so don’t be that person and nurture your relationships on the platform.

2. Trying to grow both the quality and quantity of your connections. 

When you start your journey with LinkedIn, ask yourself, “In three years, would I like to be the best connected or the most connected?” Most entrepreneurs and service providers want connection quality and quantity, but they're mutually exclusive. If you want to grow your network, you'll no longer know your 20,000 connections. If you want quality connections, you’ll need to build genuine relationships with your connections. 

You cannot have meaningful relationships with 30,000 people, so the worst thing to do would be to try and have both because you'll end up with very little quality and not enough quantity.

Quality

Let's say that 2% of people will see what you shared, and if you have 300 connections, only six people will see it. So, why does it make sense to connect only with people you know, even though it's not a lot? Because you share a mutual connection and can reach out to that person for referrals.

Quantity

In terms of LinkedIn, very large equals 30,000 connections. If you share something, 2% becomes 600 people, which is a sizeable amount, and some of them may engage.

Why not both?

The worst thing is starting with people you know well and then growing your network tenfold. Instead of 300 connections, you'd have 3000 connections, and at the end of the day, you only added 54 new eyeballs. It would be a lot easier simply to message 54 people because you don't have real exposure, and you polluted the quality of your network.

3. Using your profile like a resume. 

If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur on LinkedIn, your objective should be to grow your business. A misconception of LinkedIn is that because it is used as a resume repository, you should treat it like a resume. If you're not looking for your next position as an employee, then that perspective doesn’t make sense because clients don’t look at resumes to make buying decisions.

If you're looking to grow your business and find clients, the easiest thing to do is consider your LinkedIn profile as a website that needs to convert your ideal reader. 

With so many platforms and marketing channels, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The key to LinkedIn success is building authentic relationships, delivering value, and treating your profile like a website for your ideal clients. 

- Hey Mickey Anderson 

About Daniel Alfon: 

Daniel Alfon is the author of "Build a LinkedIn Profile for Business Success." Since opening his LinkedIn account in early 2004, Daniel’s helped thousands of entrepreneurs and consultants grow their businesses using LinkedIn. 

Be sure to snag Daniel Alfon’s Free Headline Cheat Sheet:

Our profile headline is the single most important real estate on LinkedIn. This cheat sheet contains examples, a formula and how-tos to craft a killer Headline. 

https://www.danielalfon.com/#freebie 

Find Daniel Alfon online:

Website: https://www.danielalfon.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielalfon/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanielAlfon   

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfon/