9 LinkedIn Myths That Are Keeping You Stuck (And What to Do Instead)
In working with clients, I have found that most professionals who struggle on LinkedIn aren’t failing because they lack effort.
They’re following advice that sounds logical but doesn’t actually drive results.
The platform is filled with conflicting recommendations – post daily, do more video, engage constantly with everything, join a pod, engage even more, follow every new trend…..
The list can be endless. It creates pressure to be everywhere, all the time, but in reality, that’s not how LinkedIn works best. Some of the so-called “musts” are sometimes nothing more than myths. The professionals who succeed on LinkedIn do so not because they do more, but because they do the right things.
Here are nine of the most common myths I hear – and what I believe actually works instead.
Taking Control of Your Digital First Impression.
It was fantastic to deliver the ICON APAC learning session, Taking Control of Your Digital First Impression. Thank you to everyone who joined us. Your participation, questions, and engagement made it a great session to deliver.
During our session, we explored how first impressions are now made online and how your LinkedIn profile serves as your personal brand ambassador.
It represents you around the clock and shapes perceptions before a conversation even begins.
In fact, seventy percent of potential applicants will look at a company’s LinkedIn page before applying for a role. The same applies to clients, investors, and business partners who research professionals before making key decisions.
Click here to see what we covered in more detail.
They Are Not Better Than You. They Are Just More Visible.
Your content gets you noticed. Your profile makes you credible. But your network creates real opportunities.
I was working with a client who on the surface, had everything set up on LinkedIn.
A polished LinkedIn profile.
Strong, consistent content.
A clear personal brand.
But… not much of anything really. No traction. No leads. No real engagement beyond friends/supporters. No opportunities. They were doing all the right things on the surface. But when we dug a little deeper, we found the missing piece: networking, connections, and communication.
Think about the last time you landed a big opportunity – a job, a client, a project. Chances are, it didn’t come from a cold email. It came from a conversation with the right person. LinkedIn isn’t just a content platform.
It’s a real-time networking event that never stops.
Every comment you make? That’s a handshake.
Every post you engage with? That’s a room you just stepped into.
Every DM you send? That’s a coffee chat that could change everything.
Once my client shifted their focus to being more strategic about their network, connections and conversations things shifted. More profile views. More DMs. More inbound opportunities.
Because your profile makes your creditable. Your content gets you seen. But it’s the relationships that create real results.
The above is a slide from my new 20-minute presentation, ‘They’re not better than you. They’re just more visible.’ – designed for professional associations and industry groups. We cover how LinkedIn can help you increase your visibility and position yourself as the go-to expert in your industry.
If this is something you’d like to learn more about for your members or community, let’s connect.
Delivering Marketing-Interactive Masterclass Series
During the month I delivered four online training sessions for Marketing Interactive working with participants from the Asia-Pac region including Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
In these sessions focused on social media, we explored how brands can anticipate risks, set up preventive strategies, protect their reputation, along with created a social media crisis playbook for when things go wrong.
Although we covered strategies, frameworks, and processes – a key point to remember is the human element.
Often businesses assume that a social media crisis stems from a product or services failure. But it’s generally not the case, it’s more often human behavior.
According to Sprout Social’s research:
- 60% of consumers call out brands due to dishonesty.
- 59% cite poor customer service as a key reason.
- 57% are responding by in-person rudeness.
It’s not the product or service that sparks a response – it’s the way people feel about how they’ve been treated.
People react emotionally first and rationalise their decisions later. When trust is broken, their response can be immediate, public, and often amplified on social media.
And here’s where it gets even trickier:
- People behave differently when there’s a keyboard in front of them.
- Social media makes it easier to voice dissatisfaction in a way that escalates quicker than ever before.
- The more emotional the reaction, the more likely it is to gain traction.
In today’s digital-first world, your reputation isn’t just built on what you sell – it’s built on how you treat people.
In a world where digital word-of-mouth hold immense power, your reputation is the sum of your daily interactions.
It about prioritising: Connection over conversion. Value over volume. Relationships overreach.
Upcoming Events
🎆 Elevate Your Sales Using LinkedIn: Join Sharon Davies and I for this in-person workshop on the 10th of April in Brisbane. This hands-on workshop is designed to equip you with the strategies and tools needed to boost your sales performance on LinkedIn and you will leave the workshop with a comprehensive 30/60/90-day sales plan. You can book your tickets here.
🌇Local Link Networking: Brisbane business friends, join us for our upcoming Local Link Networking event on the 30th of April. Our last event sold out and with nearly 70% of tickets already gone, this one’s heading the same way! Don’t miss out – you can grab your tickets here.
🎇 Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ): Excited to be presenting, Mastering Your LinkedIn Presence for the SEQ Division on the 3rd of April in Brisbane.
💻Law Biz Con: I will be speaking at Law Biz Con on at the QT Hotel on the Gold Coast in May on Leveraging LinkedIn for Impact. You can learn more here.
🌎 World Commerce & Contracting – Presenting, LinkedIn for Career Professionals on the 21st of May 2025 in an online session.
✈️ Travel: I will be in Sydney and Melbourne late April/early May. If you would like onsite training at these locations, during these times, please get in touch!
you can find more information on our website or email us at hello@mydigitalbrand.com.au.