I'm not a LinkedIn influencer

If you missed the last issue, I talked about how I use LinkedIn to cold DM potential clients.

This got me thinking about LinkedIn as a whole.

There’s a general sentiment that freelancers have to be active on LinkedIn to build their personal brands and get noticed by potential clients. It’s why you see so many “hot takes” or thought leadership-type posts in your feed these days.

I don’t know about you, but that content style doesn’t come naturally to me.

It’s not like I don’t have things to say (clearly I do, hence this newsletter 🙃). But it doesn’t feel authentic to post my thoughts on LinkedIn for the sake of posting and getting engagement.

Truthfully, I’m constantly torn between posting more and never opening the app again. If you feel that way too, I want to remind you that you can be a successful freelancer without having a LinkedIn brand.

LinkedIn is a double-edged sword

I know LinkedIn can be a valuable resource for freelancers. Like I shared in my last issue, I’ve landed several clients through the platform — so ultimately, I’m grateful for its existence!

But the pressure to feel like you have to be a LinkedIn influencer is strong. The way I see it, being active on LinkedIn has its pros and cons.

The Good:

• You grow your network

• You get leads by connecting and DMing

• You improve your personal brand

• You get discovered by potential clients 

The Bad:

• You feel defeated (example: when you see a post looking for freelancers and there are already 200 comments within an hour)

• You feel behind in your freelance career (example: when people post about their wins or their income) 

• You feel like you should be posting more/doing more (how does everyone have time to post and comment every day?) 

Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate people who post regularly and have cemented themselves as thought leaders on the platform. But I don’t think it’s a necessity to building a successful freelance business.

My LinkedIn strategy

My approach to LinkedIn is to 1) post when I have something to say and 2) connect authentically.

1. Self-promotion doesn’t come naturally to me, but I know it has to be done when you’re a freelancer. I’ll post a couple times a year reminding people what I do and if I’m available to take on new clients. I’ll also share recent work or, since starting this newsletter, I occasionally share recent newsletter issues (I could probably post about it more, tbh).

2. I also use LinkedIn to engage with people I already have relationships with (fellow freelancers and former/current clients) and form connections with people I want to get to know (fellow freelancers and potential clients). I don’t tend to comment on random posts that the algorithm has served up because it doesn’t feel authentic to me. But I know some people do this to help with their presence and engagement, so that’s something to consider.

Final thoughts

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a LinkedIn strategy or having a goal to post X number of times per week. I also think it’s okay if you don’t have any strategy at all.

For me, the best use of my time on LinkedIn is spent finding potential clients to connect with and eventually sending them a message.

But if you want to get more active on LinkedIn, here are a couple of helpful resources:

• The Lunch Break by Maria Marchewka is a newsletter that shares easy, bite-sized tips and writing prompts for LinkedIn. This is a great place to start if you’re not even sure what to post about.

• About a year ago, I asked freelancers to share the good things that have come out of posting on LinkedIn and I still go back and read the responses when I need a boost of motivation.

To sum it up: You can post on LinkedIn as often or as little as you want — as long as it’s authentic to you.

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✍️ On a Personal Note

Here’s what I’m up to lately in life, work, and everything in between.

• Doing: SXSW starts this week in Austin! If you’re not familiar, it’s a major film, music, and tech conference that brings together a ton of big brands and creators. I don’t normally go to many events these days, but one of my clients is hosting an event for creators that I’m excited to attend 🙂‍↕️

• Planning: Still in planning mode for my Tokyo trip later this year! I got some great tips the last time I shared it here, so if you have any Tokyo must-sees, I’m all ears.

• Reading: Magazines 💘 My love affair with magazines began during the Tiger Beat days (IYKYK) and now I mainly read local print magazines like Austin Monthly and Texas Monthly.

I’ll be back in your inboxes on March 18th 💌 In the meantime, let me know what you’re working on and how I can help!

Rough Draft is a bi-weekly newsletter where I share tips and musings on creating a freelance career from scratch. Subscribe here. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Threads, or my website. 👋