What NOT To Do On LinkedIn: 22 Terrible content Creation Mistakes

Tagging

Tagging people you don't know

Tagging people you don't know and hoping they'll react i.e. like, comment, or share your post, is not only annoying but also a little bit desperate. Not to mention, it's a waste of time because they will often just ignore your post altogether.

People know you're only tagging them for the engagement, which comes across as inauthentic. So, save yourself the trouble and only tag people you actually know.

This is what Richard van der Blom's analysis found:

"You will have a negative impact on reach if 40-50% of tagged people are not engaging."

So make sure you tag only people and companies active on Linkedin that you know.

Tagging too many people

Even if you know the people you're tagging, that doesn't mean you should tag them all in one post. We get it; you want as many people to see your post as possible, and tagging a bunch of people seems like an excellent way to achieve that. But it's not. It's quite the opposite.

Tagging too many people in one post comes across as spammy and desperate for attention.

So, instead of tagging 20+ people, try tagging only a handful. This will come across as more genuine and encourage people to engage with your post.

Tagging irrelevant people

Tagging people who have nothing to do with the topic of your post is a surefire way to get ignored. Why would someone who has no interest in what you're talking about want to engage with your post? They wouldn't, and they won't.

For example, if you are a designer and are sharing a post about the latest design trends, tagging a sales guy you connected with a couple of weeks ago is just irrelevant and a little weird.

Only tag people relevant to your post's topic and who you think would be interested in reading and engaging with it.

Picture it taken from LinkedIn Algorithm Report 2021. Check it out!

Content

Not having a content strategy in place

Posting content just for the sake of it without any strategy or plan is a recipe for disaster. This is one of the most common mistakes people make not only on LinkedIn but on all social media platforms.

Creating content without a strategy is like driving without a destination in mind. You might get somewhere eventually, but it will take you a lot longer, and you'll probably get lost along the way.

If you want to make the most out of your content and get the best results possible, you need to have a content strategy. This means having a clear plan and understanding what kind of content you want to create, who you're creating it for, and what your goals are.

Only then will you be able to create content that is truly effective and that helps you achieve your desired results.

Not setting goals and metrics

Creating content without set goals and metrics is another mistake people often make. If you don't know what you want to achieve with your content or how you will measure its success, how will you know if it's working or not?

You need to have clear goals in mind before you start creating any content. Do you want to generate more leads? Drive traffic to your website? Increase brand awareness?

Whatever your goals are, make sure they are SMART:

• Specific,
• Measurable,
• Achievable,
• Relevant, and
• Time-bound.

Once you know what your goals are, you need to establish metrics that will help you measure the success of your content. For example, if your goal is to generate more leads, then your metric could be the number of leads generated. If your goal is to increase brand awareness, then your metric could be the reach of your content or the number of people who engaged with it.

There are a variety of different metrics you can use, so choose the ones that are most relevant to your goals.

And finally, make sure you actually track and measure your metrics on a regular basis. There's no point in setting goals and metrics if you're not going to track them.

This is what I track:

By tracking your metrics, you'll be able to see what's working and what's not, and you can make necessary adjustments to your content accordingly, which will help you achieve even better results.

Not testing different content formats

If you're not testing different content formats on LinkedIn, then you're missing out on a lot of potential engagement and reach

People consume content in different ways, and what works for one person might not work for another. That's why it's important to test out different content formats to see which ones resonate the most with your audience. Text-only posts, posts with a picture, posts with a video, deck slideshows, live videos, articles...the list goes on.

So experiment with different content formats and see which ones get the most engagement from your audience. And then, once you know what works, you can start creating more of that type of content. This doesn't mean you should only ever post one type of content, but it's a good idea to focus on the types of content that perform the best.

By testing different content formats and then creating more of the ones that work, you'll be able to get the most out of your content and reach your desired results.

Making too many posts unrelated to your business

When you're creating content on LinkedIn, it's important to make sure that the vast majority of your posts are related to your business in some way.

People follow you on LinkedIn because they're interested in what you do, your products or services, or your industry. So if you're constantly posting about things that are unrelated to those things, you're going to lose their interest pretty quickly.

Of course, you don't have to be 100% business all the time; posting a personal update or something funny every now and then is perfectly fine. But in general, most of your posts should be related to your business.

By posting content that's relevant to your business, you'll be able to keep people engaged and interested, which will help you achieve your goals.

Not being consistent

If there's something that all successful content creators have in common, it's that they are consistent. And if you want to be successful with your content, you need to be consistent too.

This doesn't mean that you have to post every single day, but you should be posting on a regular basis. And when I say regular, I mean at least a few times per week.

The more consistent you are with your content, the better results you'll see. Consistency will help you build a following, it will make people more likely to engage with your content, and it will ultimately help you achieve your goals.

So if you're not being consistent with your content, that's one of the biggest mistakes you could be making.

Language and writing

Using too many adverbs

When you're writing content, it's important to use strong, powerful language. And one of the best ways to do that is to avoid using too many adverbs. Adding a few adverbs here and there is perfectly fine. It even makes your writing more interesting. But if you overuse them, your writing will sound weak and watered down.

So instead of saying, "He ran quickly down the street", say: "He sprinted down the street".

Instead of saying, "She talked loudly on the phone", say, "She shouted on the phone".

You get the point.

Adverbs might seem like a small thing, but using them correctly can make a big difference in the quality of your writing.

Using jargon

When you're writing for a general audience, it's important to avoid using jargon. Jargon is a language that is specific to a particular industry, job, or field of study. And while it might make sense to you, it's likely to confuse people who don't work in your field.

So if you're using jargon in your content, it's a good idea to explain it. Or better yet, find a different way to say it. Using jargon is one of the quickest ways to lose your reader's attention, so it's best to avoid it altogether. The only exception to this rule is if you're writing for a specific audience of people who are familiar with the jargon.

This is how Patrick Dominik explained his new role in "LinkedIn jargon" and "in human language". Brilliant. :)

Frequently posting long posts

When it comes to LinkedIn posts, shorter doesn't always mean better. But in general, people are more likely to read and engage with shorter than longer posts.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. If you have something important or interesting to say, and it requires a longer post, then, by all means, go ahead and write it. Full LinkedIn 3000 characters. But in general, keep your post between 800 and 1200 characters.

The reason shorter posts are better is that people are busy, and our attention spans are shorter than ever. So if you can make your point in a few sentences, that's better than writing a long, drawn-out post that people are likely to lose interest in after a few sentences.

Not re-reading your posts

Before you hit the publish button, it's always a good idea to re-read your post. This will help you catch any typos or grammatical errors, and it will also give you a chance to make sure your post makes sense.

It's easy to make mistakes when you're writing, so it's always best to double-check your work before you hit publish. You don't want to make a mistake that could cost you credibility or make you look bad.

You also don't want to edit LinkedIn posts, as that lowers your reach.

Not making the most of the opening line.

One of the most important parts of your post is the opening line or hook.

It's the first thing people see, and it's what determines whether or not they keep reading. So you need to make sure that your opening line is strong and captivating.

A lot of people make the mistake of starting their posts with something mundane or uninteresting, which immediately turns people off and makes them less likely to read the rest of the post. You want to avoid this at all costs.

Instead, start your posts with something that's going to grab people's attention and make them want to keep reading. This could be a shocking statistic, an interesting story, or anything else that's going to make people want to read on.

By starting your posts with a strong opening line, you'll be more likely to captivate people's attention and get them to stick around until the end.

So make sure to preview LinkedIn post with AuthoredUp.

And if you don't have an idea for the hook, we have a 120+ hook template library with examples that you can implement in one click.

Using too many hashtags on Linkedin

Using more than 9 hashtags kills your reach. It reduces it by 35% (again, the same source - analysis by Richard van der Blom and Just Connecting HUB)

This is a big no from the algorithm side:

But it also looks bad from the reader's side. It is sending a signal that you want to game the algorithm. And that is not what you want people to think about your content and you as a content creator.

Using wrong hashtags

When you're creating content on LinkedIn, one of the best ways to get more eyes on your post is to use hashtags.

Hashtags are a great way to reach new audiences and get your content in front of people who might not have seen it otherwise.

But a lot of people make the mistake of using hashtags that are too general, like #socialmedia or #marketing.

While those hashtags might get you a few views, they're not going to do much to help you reach your target audience.

Instead, you should be using hashtags that are more specific to your industry or niche. This way, you'll be able to reach the people who are most likely to be interested in your content, plus the hashtags will be less competitive, and your post will have a better chance of being seen.

If you are a content creator, make sure to use hashtags that you mentioned you will talk about:

If you want to get more in-depth with the LinkedIn algorithm, check out this presentation:

Not putting CTA at the end of your post

Whether you are trying to get people to sign up for your newsletter, download your latest eBook, or just read your latest blog post, it's important to include a CTA (call-to-action) at the end of your LinkedIn posts.

A lot of people make the mistake of not including a CTA, which means they're missing out on a valuable opportunity to get more comments and engagement, drive more traffic to their website, or achieve whatever other goal they might have.

Your CTA should be clear and concise, and it should tell people exactly what you want them to do. They should be able to read it and know immediately what the next step is. Don't make them guess or try to figure it out on their own. In 99% of cases, people won't bother, and they'll just move on.

This is how Ivan Dimitrijevic is inviting people to message him and follow his content:

If you want to learn how to create CTAs and to see the best examples and templates, we wrote a whole 3000-word article about LinkedIn CTAs and post endings.

Stealing other people's content

If there's one thing you never want to do, it's to steal other people's content.

There is no shortage of people who try to pass off other people's content as their own, and it's a huge mistake. Not only is it dishonest, but it's also a surefire way to get caught and lose all credibility.

When people find out you've stolen someone's content, they're not going to want to do business with you. In fact, they might even start to spread negative word-of-mouth about you, which can do a lot of damage to your business.

So whatever you do, make sure you always create your own original content. It's okay to be inspired by other people's content, but make sure you put your own spin on it and make it your own.

And yes, translating LinkedIn content to your native language is stealing as well:

Networking

Putting links below other people's content

Spamming people with links to your own content in the comment section of their posts is a huge mistake.

Not only is it annoying, but it also comes across as desperate and pushy. If you're constantly shoving links to your own content in people's faces, they're going to start to get turned off and not want anything to do with you.

Plus, it's just bad manners. If you're going to leave a comment on someone else's post, make sure it's actually adding value and contributing to the conversation. If all you're doing is promoting your own stuff, you're not going to make a very good impression. Speaking of commenting...

Not commenting on other people's posts

If you're not commenting on other people's posts, you're missing out on a great opportunity to engage with your target audience and build relationships.

When you comment on someone else's post, it shows that you're interested in what they have to say and that you're paying attention to their content. This can help you stand out from the crowd and it can also make people more likely to comment on your posts in the future. Plus, plenty of people can see your comments (even if they're not following you), which means it's a great way to get your name out there.

Of course, you need to make sure your comments are actually adding value to the conversation. A lot of people make the mistake of leaving meaningless comments like "great post!" or "I agree!" in an attempt to get more engagement. This doesn't actually add anything to the conversation, and it just comes across as lazy. If you're going to comment, make sure you're saying something that's actually worth reading.

Joining Pods

Pods are basically groups of people who comment on each other's posts in order to increase engagement.

A lot of people think this is a great way to get more engagement, but it's actually a huge mistake. For one thing, it's against LinkedIn's terms of service. If you get caught, you could get banned from the platform.

But even if you don't get caught, pods are still a bad idea. The comments you get from people in pods are often low quality, and they don't add anything to the conversation(we already talked about how important it is to leave meaningful LinkedIn comments). Plus, people can tell when you're part of a pod, which just makes you look desperate and spammy.

If you're looking for ways to increase engagement, there are much better (and legal) ways to do it. This is a first-hand experience:

Connecting with everyone

If you don't have a lot of connections, you might be tempted to connect with as many people as possible. After all, the more connections you have, the better, right?

Well, not exactly.

If you're constantly connecting with people who are not in your target audience, you're just going to end up with a lot of connections that have no value. These people will not be interested in your content or your products/services, won't do business with you, and will not help you grow your business.

So, don't waste your time connecting with people who will not be beneficial to you or your business. It's much better to have fewer high-quality connections than a large number of low-quality connections.

Quality over quantity, always!

Not customizing your connection request

When you send a connection request, Linkedin allows you to include a custom message. And yet, so many people don't take advantage of this feature.

If you're not customizing your connection request, you're missing out on a great opportunity to make a good first impression and lay the groundwork for a future relationship.

A customized connection request shows that you're interested in the person you're trying to connect with and that you're not just sending out generic requests to anyone and everyone. Writing a custom message only takes a few seconds, but it can make all the difference in whether or not someone accepts your request.

So, make sure you're taking the time to personalize your connection requests.

And note: The connection request message can be only a sentence or two, like the one I've received:

Not engaging in DMs

And last but not least, one of the most overlooked opportunities on LinkedIn - direct messages.

Talking to people, one-on-one is the best way to build relationships, and building relationships should be one of your main goals on LinkedIn. The more relationships you have, the more opportunities you'll have to grow your business or find a job.

But many people don't bother to engage in direct messages because they think it's too time-consuming or they're not sure what to say. And the majority of those who do engage in DMs, don't do it correctly. They either come across as spammy or try to sell their products/services immediately without even getting to know the person, which is a big turn-off.

The key to success with direct messages is to focus on building relationships and providing value. If you can do that, you'll be well on your way to success.

Conclusion

There you have it - the 22 biggest LinkedIn content mistakes people make. Check to see if you're making any of these mistakes, and if you are, make the necessary changes. Avoiding these mistakes will help you grow your account, increase engagement and get more leads.

What's important to remember is that LinkedIn is not a sprint. It's a marathon. It takes time, effort and consistency to see results. But if you pair that with avoiding these mistakes, you'll be well on your way to LinkedIn success.

What can also help you tremendously in your LinkedIn journey is AuthoredUp.

We created a new all-in-one content creation tool for those who want up their content game and get better results on Linkedin.

With AuthoredUp, you can:

• Preview the post on LinkedIn and see how each will look in the feed before publishing
• Add bold, italic, emojis, and bullet points to your Linkedin post
• Use hook templates
• Keep all your ideas and drafts in one place
• Get all content analytics for your posts

If you want to learn more about AuthoredUp and how it can help you, click here.

We hope you enjoyed this article and that you found it helpful. If you did, please share it with your network.

Want to learn more about how Linkedin works? Check these articles:

• What makes a post go viral, and how you can make yours go viral too
• The Science Behind Viral Content: 8 Viral Linkedin Post Examples And Why They Went Viral
• Viral Linkedin post - everything you need to know