If you find yourself dreading LinkedIn, you're in good company. Many small business owners feel overwhelmed and irritated by the quantity of irrelevant content, self-promotional posts, and the platform’s ever-growing list of features. You may scroll through your feed, bombarded by boring updates from past colleagues and random connections, wondering how to navigate it all.
LinkedIn keeps rolling out new features like video, collaborative articles, LinkedIn lives, and newsletters. Should you bother with them? It feels like there’s always something new, and figuring out which tools actually matter is daunting. When everything feels like “too much,” it can be easier to put it off than to take any action at all.
You’ve seen others in your industry getting leads from it and you know you should be on there, but you dread it every time. At the same time, you know LinkedIn is the platform where your ideal clients are, especially compared to other platforms like Instagram, Threads, X, and Tik Tok.
LinkedIn doesn’t have to be a headache; with the right strategies, it can become a powerful tool for generating leads and growing your business. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to make LinkedIn serve your needs while not feeling so overwhelming.
By the way, you don’t need to fall in love with LinkedIn – you just need to figure out how to use it in a way that serves your business and that feels good to you.
Once you have a plan and start implementing it, you will actually looking forward to opening LinkedIn. Your feed won’t be clogged with irrelevant posts or random updates from people you haven’t worked with in years. You won’t be staring at a blank page wondering what to post. You’ll know exactly who to message and start a conversation with. As a result, you’ll book sales calls and get the results you want.
(In this related article, I share how to get more replies to your LinkedIn messages.)
Here are five practical strategies to make LinkedIn less irritating and more fruitful for your small business:
1) Stay focused on your goal for using LinkedIn
Since your main goal on LinkedIn is to generate leads, staying focused on that can save you time and reduce overwhelm. Remember: you're not on LinkedIn to be amass loads of followers or go viral! You're on the platform to get more business.
You don’t need to engage with every post, respond to every notification, or focus on drastically increasing your follower count. Keeping lead generation as your top priority helps you stay strategic, directing your attention to only those actions that directly support your business.
(In this related article, I share exactly how I define a LinkedIn strategy and what’s included in a good one.)
2) Add relevant connections for your current business
I recommend growing your network — and simultaneously making LinkedIn more interesting — by connecting with people who could directly benefit from your services and potentially become clients. You should also add connections who influence or reach your ideal audience, like peers, industry leaders, and thought leaders.
By curating your network, your feed will become full with relevant content. Plus, when your network is filled with the right people, it’s easier to connect, engage, and show up authentically, knowing you’re speaking to the audience that cares about what you have to say.
Don't forget to also remove irrelevant connections. I share more about how to do that in strategy 1 in this detailed blog post.
3) Tell the LinkedIn algorithm which content you like - and which content you never want to see again
If you’re tired of seeing content in your feed that doesn’t resonate, unfollowing or muting that content will help you see better content in the future. LinkedIn lets you stay connected to people without “following” them, so you don’t have to feel bad for doing so.
By refining your feed, you’ll start to see useful insights, relevant discussions, and industry news that help you engage meaningfully. And when your feed is less cluttered, LinkedIn becomes a more pleasant and fruitful place to be since the content is more relevant.
By the way, if you find yourself getting spammed over and over by the same culprits, especially via the message feature of the platform, don't hesitate to block them. Blocking them is your way of making LinkedIn a less cluttered place. That's your right on the platform, so you shouldn't feel bad about it!
4) Prep your content in advance
Preparing your content in advance (also called “batching” content) makes LinkedIn so much easier to manage, especially because you’re busy. In my own business, for example, I prepare my content 3 months in advance so I don’t need to worry about it on a day to day basis. Batching your content frees you up to focus on other areas, and it helps you stay consistent with your messaging. Plus, when your content is ready to go, it’s easier to show up and engage without scrambling to think of what to say.
5) Focus on certain futures, and ditch the rest
LinkedIn has a lot of features, but not all of them will serve your goals effectively. I recommend sticking to simple, high-impact actions, like posting valuable content and sending direct messages. Instead of getting wrapped up in video posts, LinkedIn Lives, newsletters, or other advanced features, focus on the basics that drive results. By putting your energy into consistent posting and meaningful messaging, you can get great results without spreading yourself too thin and wasting your precious time.
(In this related article, I share why you should stop focusing so much on impressions and followers on LinkedIn.)
You might be wondering… “Ok, I want to start using LinkedIn to get clients. But where do I start?”
The best place to start finding clients on LinkedIn is by optimizing your LinkedIn profile. Before diving into posting or messaging, refining your profile messaging ensures that anyone who lands on your profile instantly understands what you do, who you help, and why you’re the best fit for their needs. When your profile is set up for conversions, it works hard for you in the background, even when you’re not actively talking with leads.
(In this related article, I dive deeper into how I define an “optimized profile” and walk through why it matters so much for a small business owner.)
In my service LinkedIn Profile Refresh, I review more than 30 sections of your profile to make sure it clearly communicates your expertise, showcases real results you’ve achieved, and guides potential clients toward the next step in working with you.
You'll fill out a questionnaire, which I'll then take to provide word-for-word copy changes. Then, you'll watch my short tutorial videos (1-3 minutes each) and implement the changes to your profile. No more staring at your profile wondering what’s missing—I’ll take care of it so you can start seeing real results from the work you're already putting into posting and messaging LinkedIn. The process takes about 3 weeks from start to finish.
After we optimize your profile, I recommend focusing on building a LinkedIn strategy. Through my monthly coaching program Leads on LinkedIn, you will become comfortable navigating LinkedIn to find right-fit clients for your business.
We focus on two main skills - LinkedIn posting and direct messaging. These skills bring the right clients into your orbit so you can consistently grow your business without relying on time-consuming strategies like video and expensive strategies like ads.
The program includes the following:
Actionable curriculum: learn step by step how to identify leads, craft effective posts, and manage your direct message conversations
Time-saving templates: instead of staring at a blank screen, start with inspiration for every direct message and post you write.
Direct message feedback: get feedback leads on the messages you are sending on LinkedIn to improve your response rates and book calls
Post critiques: get critiques on the posts you write to ensure your messaging is clear so you build trust with your ideal clients and referral partners .
Ongoing email access: get personalized guidance any time a question arises so you keep making progress.
Within just a month, you'll have identified and contacted 30 prospects for your business. You'll have the skills and systems to do it again any time you want an influx of leads. And, this rinse and repeat process gets more effective every time you do it!
I know that you don’t have hours to spend on LinkedIn. I’ll never suggest you post five times a week or spend your entire day online. Instead, you’ll focus on high-ROI activities that get results without overwhelming your schedule.
Learn more and get started here.
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