10 Signs You’re Running a LinkedIn Marathon
The running joke where I work is that I need a LinkedIn intervention, though I prefer not to think of my LinkedIn engagement as an addiction.
Rather, I think of it as a marathon. Marathon runners are relentless — as am I when it comes to LinkedIn.
Are you running your own LinkedIn marathon? That depends. Do these 10 signs apply to you?
1. You’re on LinkedIn Every Day
My LinkedIn schedule has me on the platform almost every day of the year, including holidays, though I have missed a couple of days here and there. Surely this amount of activity is enough for people to wonder, “Is Bob Crazy?”, or “Does Bob have a life?”, or, simply, “Why?” Perhaps all three are justifiable questions.
2. You Use the LinkedIn App Regularly
Having the LinkedIn app has only increased my activity. I find the LinkedIn app to be kind of clunky compared to the desktop version, but it’s the last thing I look at before I go to bed. By that time, I’ve already shut down my computer hours earlier after — you guessed it — browsing LinkedIn.
3. You Post Updates. A Lot.
I did a rough estimation of the number of updates I write every week. I was surprised to see that I only average approximately four updates a day.
That said, the suggested number of updates is one a day, lest you annoy your connections. If you do manage to annoy your connections, they can hide you. I’m sure I’ve been hidden many, many times.
4. People Know You From LinkedIn
I regularly run into people who tell me they’ve seen me a lot — by which they mean on LinkedIn. I can’t tell if this is a good or bad thing. I feel like asking these people if they think I’m creeping on them by appearing on their timelines so often — but I’m afraid to hear their answers.
5. You’re a Member of the ‘LinkedIn Police’
As of late, I’ve noticed a lot more personal information than I’d like to see on LinkedIn. I often try to dissuade people from sharing Facebook-style posts on the site. I’ve been called the “LinkedIn police,” but I will continue to fight the good fight to return LinkedIn to its best self.
6. You Make Money From Your LinkedIn Activity
Often, I’m asked if I make money from being on LinkedIn. My answer is, “Enough.” I have a day job as a workshop facilitator at MassHire Lowell Career Center, as well as a LinkedIn side business. All the requests for help I receive come from people who contact me because they’ve seen my profile or posts on LinkedIn. This is surely one benefit of running the LinkedIn marathon.
7. People Ask You About LinkedIn
When I’m asked to be a guest on podcasts, the topic is almost always LinkedIn. I would like to talk about other topics, too, like interviewing or resume writing, but hosts tend to be more interested in my LinkedIn expertise. I suppose this speaks well of my branding strategy.
8. You’ve Been Accused of Being an Addict
I often wonder if there is such thing as being addicted to LinkedIn — so one day I finally Googled “LinkedIn addiction.” I found some articles on the subject, including an enjoyable one from Inc. By that article’s standards, I’m definitely an addict.
9. You Share Your LinkedIn Knowledge With Others
I teach two LinkedIn workshops, and I estimate that I’ve taught thousands of sessions over the years. That doesn’t include workshops I’ve led for outside organizations. I tell management this justifies my being on LinkedIn during work hours, but I do wonder if my LinkedIn marathon annoys them.
10. You’re Invested in LinkedIn’s Choices
I disapprove of many of the changes LinkedIn makes. Sometimes, I am so critical that I fear I may end up on LinkedIn’s most wanted list.
One change I can’t let go of is LinkedIn’s choice to took away unlimited searches. There are others, too — far too many to get into here.
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After all that, the questions I need to ask myself — and maybe you should ask yourself, too — are: Do I have the stamina to maintain this insane LinkedIn activity? Will I have to pare down? Will I burn out and totally drop of the face of the earth? Do I, in fact, need an intervention?
Bob McIntosh, CPRW, is a career trainer who leads more than 15 job search workshops at an urban career center.