Five Excuses That Prevent People From Crushing It On LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is the number #1 social media platform for transforming your career.

You are only one post away from getting your dream opportunity.

Whether it is a new job, board position, attracting amazing clients or connecting with people you admire.

But fear holds you back.

You have content you want to post but you hesitate. You feel resistance. Your insecurity creeps in. You start to doubt yourself.

That voice inside your head says: but what will people think of me? Who am I to talk about this topic?

You imagine people inside your head talking about you behind your back. A shiver runs down your spine. You shudder at the thought of judgment.

So you don’t post anything and your life remains the same.

But it doesn’t need to be like this. You can create the life you want for yourself through content creation.

Here are the most common excuses I hear and how you can get overcome them.

Excuse #1: I am not an expert.

You don’t need to be an expert to create content on LinkedIn.

Expertise is overrated.

Experts are often trapped in their own thoughts, unable to communicate clearly to the general public and enjoy the smell of their own farts.

I’ve had posts go viral where I’ve talked about public health, urban planning, politics, social procurement and infrastructure investment.

For example:

I have little to zero expertise in any of these domains.

I have never claimed to have expertise either, only a curious person with too much time on my hands.

But that’s what makes my content more appealing.

I don’t have the curse of knowledge that most experts have and I can communicate complex topics in a simple way because that’s how I’ve learned about them.

I am not afraid of getting something wrong or incorrect.

As one of my favorite Medium writers says:

“The key is to be three steps further ahead in knowledge than your customer” — Tim Denning

The funny thing is that when you don’t try to be an expert, people start to think of you as an expert.

As a result of posts related to the community work I do, I’ve received board opportunities such as:

Or messages of support like this:

There is a skill or piece of knowledge that people would gladly hear from you about and even thank you for.

Such as:

Document your experiences, learnings and failures. Tell them through a story. People resonant with stories, not claims of expertise.

Takeaway: Don’t underestimate the power of context. While there may be many experts out there, there might not be someone like YOU talking about these issues. You are unique. You are interesting. Be more you.

Excuse #2: I don’t have the qualifications to speak.

Similar to having expertise, many people I speak to are hesitant to post on LinkedIn because feel like they don’t have the qualifications to speak.

The internet is permissionless. There are no gatekeepers to producing content. You become an expert on a topic by constantly reading and writing about it.

Most of the greatest inventions are created by those who were not seemingly qualified to do so:

• Bill Gates created Microsoft with no formal qualifications, only experience.

• The Wright Brothers became the first humans to fly despite no formal qualifications in aeronautics or training in aviation, only relentless trial and error.

• Joe Rogan never got media training or went to get a journalism degree, yet he has the biggest podcast in the world.

A follow-up message from that board opportunity:

People would rather work with someone who has gone out and experienced something rather than work with someone who has a PhD but only a theoretical understanding of a topic.

Takeaway: Your ability to create content is neither decreed or degreed. Don’t let your lack of ‘qualifications’ stop you from creating content.

Excuse #3: I am afraid people will judge me.

You will be judged no matter what you do.

That’s life.

Whether you do or don’t post on LinkedIn, people will have a judgment about you. Some will love your content, others will be turned off by it.

You’ll just have to learn to get over it.

I’ve heard people have judgments about me.

Whether they think I am a self-promoter or as one of my former colleagues called me a ‘LinkedIn bandit’, the judgment will come.

I’ve even attracted criticism for posting a picture of the books I read.

Was it hard to deal with? Sure.

Did it bother me? Of course. I would be lying if it didn’t.

Unfortunately, it comes with the territory. Taking accountability and putting yourself out there means that people will feel like they can judge you. Rightly or wrongly.

Just remember that you will most likely be judged or criticized by people doing less than you. People always want to take down someone who they think is not deserving of their rewards.

Takeaway: Judgement will come no matter what you do. Unfortunately, you’ll have to adapt and find strategies to cope or deal with it. But don’t take criticism from people you won’t take advice from.

Excuse #4: I am afraid my employer will get angry at me.

Follow these rules:

1. Never name and shame.

2. Never make it too obvious you are talking about a specific employer.

3. Never reveal or disclose sensitive or confidential information.

If you don’t do these 3 things, your employer will have no reason to be angry.

And if they do, that’s on them. Not you.

Takeaway: Read those 3 rules again.

Excuse #5: I am afraid that I’ll get hate or abuse.

This was my biggest worry too.

But since posting on LinkedIn regularly for almost 4 years, I have not really experienced hate or abusive messages.

I might be judged, like point #3, but I’ve never received abusive messages.

The audience on LinkedIn is mainly professionals who have their occupations and jobs listed on their page.

There is an additional layer of transparency and accountability on LinkedIn that most other platforms don’t have. You don’t get the number of trolls that Twitter or Instagram have.

Most of the time, I usually get messages like this:

Takeaway: Your perception of the abuse or hate you’ll receive is often worse than reality. Try it for yourself. The risk of abuse is worth it when you think about how many people you might be inspiring.

Closing thoughts

The only thing standing between you and your dream life is your excuses not to create content on LinkedIn.

Thanks to the internet, we have more opportunities to explore divergent career paths or work for ourselves than at any point in human history.

There are no more gatekeepers. There are no more barriers to entry.

The means of creating the life you want for yourself is abundant, it is the desire to do so that is scarce.

Challenge yourself by:

1. Picking a niche.

2. Start creating content.

3. Post at least 2–3 times a week with the goal of increasing to 5 times a week.

4. Watch your career transform.

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