You built a strong brand and have a loyal following. You’re also a social media pro with a successful social media strategy and following. You’ve made the right connections and have a thriving nonprofit—at least that’s what you think. Did you ever think you could be making LinkedIn mistakes?
Perhaps you’re reminded when a new team member starts discussing the metrics and that mysterious, elusive thing called a “brand.” It’s not something you can see, hear, or touch. Suddenly, what you thought was a good performance may not be the case. Your brand’s an intangible concept that has to do with your donors’ perceptions of you, your organization, and your work.
It’s not entirely defined by your logo, tagline, or tag-team efforts with your marketing team. It’s not something that you can point to and say, “My brand is good.” Your brand is the essence of who you are and what you do. And it’s something that you have to work on constantly. LinkedIn is an excellent platform for many organizations to refine and build on their brand.
LinkedIn has many features that make it perfect for building your brand. It’s a social media platform geared towards professionals. So, it’s a great place to highlight brand qualifications and accomplishments. LinkedIn also allows you to network with people interested in your industries or areas of interest.
With LinkedIn, it’s possible to create a network that aligns with your brand goals while also expanding those goals by connecting with potential clients and important contacts. However, you should avoid the following LinkedIn mistakes on the platform, whether you lead a social enterprise or a nonprofit.
1) You’re afraid to reach out to your fans.
Why is this the number one mistake you could make as a professional on LinkedIn? It’s simple—don’t reach out to current and potential customers! You might be apprehensive of being rejected or of making the wrong impression. You might not want to come across as salesy. But as a brand, it’s a huge mistake.
The best thing you can do is build your network and reach out to your network. For instance, touch base with your customers and prospects. You never know who you might meet or what opportunities might get revealed. Sure, it’s tough to reach out and make small talk, but it’s crucial to build your brand and grow your organization. Start by asking the people you reach out to a question.
2) You’re afraid of saying the wrong thing.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for building your brand, but it’s not a replacement for a solid strategy and strategy execution. You should consider what you say about your brand on its pages or groups. In short, you have to make every word count. So, use the spaces wisely because people will want to know more about you if they follow you.
Make sure what you say about your brand and the content you share is consistent. So, don’t make any mistakes when you type your descriptions and headlines that can lead to a negative portrayal of your brand. For instance, don’t discuss beauty products if you don’t align with them.
3) You struggle with your branding strategy.
You know how important it is to have a branding strategy, right? You planned out how you want to represent your brand. You decided on your logo, tagline, and even your brand colors. But then something happens. Someone says something you perceive as unfavorable, and you doubt your brand strategy.
Here’s the scoop. No one’s going to like everything. But, a good brand strategy is true to its values, goals, and vision. The whole world is not your prospective client, but a small segment of it is, so think carefully about who that is for your brand. And once you feel you’ve got it down pat, stay true to your brand and don’t let comments deter you. They could inform you but not disrupt your brand strategy.
4) You miss the mark when your customers ask for help.
You know that one customer who always seems to come back to you with problems? Well, that ‘problem’ customer does it because they likely feel comfortable doing so. They try to find your brand anywhere and everywhere—including on LinkedIn. And perhaps your brand isn’t addressing their needs.
When customers have an issue with a brand, they often turn to social media, including LinkedIn. So, if you get messages or comments on threads on social media and LinkedIn, respond. Still, when people don’t get a response, this leads to frustration and possible bad feelings that can ultimately affect the entire brand. And this is a real danger for your brand.
5) You struggle to maintain a consistent voice
Every brand has a voice. This is the voice that represents the nonprofit and all its values. It’s the voice that your customers and followers hear when you post on LinkedIn. It’s the voice that helps your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace. But, sometimes, this voice is inconsistent. Sometimes, it’s loud and clear, while it’s funny and witty at other times.
You need to build your brand voice, but this isn’t easy because your brand is complex. Nevertheless, you want your voice to be consistent, but you also want it to evolve and adapt as your organization changes. It’s a delicate balance you have to strike. So, work with your team to develop a consistent brand voice.
Building Your LinkedIn Network for Your Brand
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for finding and connecting with professionals, including customers and leads. There are many ways to grow your network on LinkedIn. One way is to send connection invitations to people with similar interests or who work in the same industry as you. Another way is to follow companies you want to someday get as clients to get their latest updates in your feed.
And here’s one final thing for our list of LinkedIn mistakes. Remember LinkedIn isn’t just about networking. It’s also an excellent platform for promoting your expertise and sharing information. As we know, social media and digital marketing are essential to a nonprofit. They allow you to grow your brand, build connections, and increase sales. And for many companies, LinkedIn is an excellent social media choice.
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