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Is It Okay to Post Personal Content on LinkedIn?

Social Media Marketing

LinkedIn has more than 740 million active users who use the platform to market their personal and company brands while others use it for employment opportunities.  

This shows that LinkedIn is more of a professional environment. It’s not intended for friendships or personal interactions, unlike other social sites.  

This is why you should think before you create your social media marketing campaigns in Nashville or post anything on LinkedIn.

Everything you post on LinkedIn impacts your reputation and how others see you. If you want to succeed and get the attention of your intended audience, be mindful of your posts.  

So, what kind of content should you be posting on LinkedIn? Is there such a thing as content too personal for this kind of platform? What happens if you overshare?

Strike a Balance Between Being Professional and Being Personable

LinkedIn is designed to be a place for professionals to connect, form relationships, and further their careers. It offers a wide array of content from career advice, to business inspiration, work opportunities, and more.  

Although it can be difficult to determine what content is appropriate for you to post on the platform, especially now that more and more people are posting personal stuff on their accounts, remember to keep things professional and avoid negativity.  

Your friends might be happy seeing you cross the line with your sense of humor but what about your potential customers? Will they like this?  

What if they don’t like your attempts at humor and find it offensive instead?  

If you're unprofessional on the platform, it will be difficult to build relationships and attract new customers. So, before posting anything, think about how it will impact your business and personal brand.  

However, this doesn’t mean that you should be rigid or be like a robot. You still want your social media marketing efforts in Nashville to be personable.

You also want to post content that gives people an idea of who you are, what you believe in, and what you’re passionate about while keeping things professional.

To guide you, we've come up with a list of things you should and shouldn't post on LinkedIn.  

4 Things You Shouldn’t Be Posting on LinkedIn

1. Controversial Posts

Being polarizing, controversial, or just generally unpleasant turns people off. So if you don’t want to lose potential clients on LinkedIn, don’t publish controversial posts.

What consumers want is to do business with individuals they know, like, and trust. And, you’re not exactly fostering “like and trust” when you’re posting controversial content or expressing extreme views on a topic.  

As much as possible, avoid topics that polarize people. LinkedIn is a professional network full of industry peers, potential clients, clients, and people in a business or professional relationship with you.  

This means you need to be on your best behavior. Controversial posts with a negative connotation can divide people. Some will be for you, but some will also be against you.  

And, although you'll be attracting the attention of some, it's not worth it to hurt your business and personal brand.  

There are better and more positive ways to stand out and show who you are. So avoid posting or commenting on these types of posts completely.

2. Salesy Posts

Social media marketing strategy in Nashville aims to build professional relationships.

LinkedIn works best when you use it as a platform to build professional and business relationships, not to blatantly advertise your products and services.  

People hate being sold to, even your existing clients. They will most likely scroll through your social media marketing campaigns in Nashville or sales pitch on LinkedIn.  

If you want to be able to have a sales conversation with your potential clients, you will need to build a relationship with them first. You can achieve this by focusing on providing value.  

Focus your social media marketing efforts in Nashville to provide value. Aim to be your ideal clients’ go-to resource, give helpful tips, and share expert advice.  

So that when they need someone who does what you do, you’re the first one that comes to mind.  

3. Religious or Political Posts

It's best to avoid religious or political posts because these are the two topics that people feel extremely passionate about. They are the epitome of “us vs. them” topics that cause an ugly end to many family dinners.  

As much as possible, avoid posting or commenting on these types of LinkedIn posts.  

4. Personal Posts

Facebook privacy concept.

Although LinkedIn is considered a social media platform, it's not like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat.  

It's a professional environment that requires a higher level of behavior than other social networks.  

It’s important to strike a balance between being social and professional. This means no posts of drinking, partying, pics of what you had for dinner, or your favorite pet.  

People on the platform don’t want LinkedIn to become like Facebook.  

So if you post something personal, make sure you have a rationale business reason behind it. It’s all about context.  

4 LinkedIn Posts that Boost Engagement and Help You Stand Out

Now that you know what not to post, it’s time to discuss what you should be posting more of.  

1. Posts About Timely and Relevant Topics in Your Industry

Want to spark conversations with your connections and help your brand stay top of mind? Post on relevant and timely topics!  

The goal is to share topics that are positive and are relevant to your business, your interests, and your clients.  

2. Post on Topics That Can Inspire Productive Debates

Social media marketing in Nashville inspires productive debate.

While you want to avoid controversial and polarizing topics, it can be good to post about conversation-inspiring topics. Subjects like these can inspire productive debate on important issues in the business world.  

Just be careful about how you present it and the contents of your post. The goal is to be thoughtful and inspire a healthy debate around it rather than dividing people.  

3. Share a Little Piece of Your Life Outside Work

Although we said to keep it professional, it can be beneficial to share a piece of your life occasionally. Give your connections a peek at who you are and what you believe in.  

Authenticity is crucial to building strong relationships with your existing and target clients.  

Here are some personal posts that work well on LinkedIn:

  • Success stories designed to inspire people (try to avoid bragging)
  • Achievements to show you’re an expert in your field
  • Stories about overcoming challenges
  • Mentors who have shaped you
  • Your community, team members, favorite charities, and why they’re great

Your social media marketing campaigns in Nashville should feel authentic and resonate with your target clients.  

4. Professional Wins

Happy coworkers holding a trophy.

Aside from personal successes, you also want to share about your professional wins.  

This is a great way to showcase your growth in the industry, establish your credibility, and position yourself as a thought leader.

Occasionally, share relevant professional or work-related achievements, wins, or changes.  This could be a promotion, a new job, a lesson learned, or getting a new client.  

Take Your Social Media Marketing in Nashville to The Next Level!

Being professional and thinking critically about what to post or comment on LinkedIn doesn’t mean you should avoid sharing any personal information or opinion.  

It’s all about finding the right balance that fits into the platform’s standards or expectations.  

At Digital Resource, we can manage your reputation and help you gain the traction you need to attract more clients online.

Our social media marketing specialists in Nashville and reputation management experts will work with you to create a custom plan that will help you achieve your business goals.

Contact us today to start getting more positive reviews and create positive word of mouth online!

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