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Happy last day of the work week, folks. National Hot Wing Day too, maybe? I don’t check those ridiculous calendars. Or calendars in general. 

What’s on tap with today’s Main Thing? We’ll do a quick break-down of what LinkedIn users dislike despise about the platform. Can’t be vanilla and get any attention on LinkedIn. But some things are really annoying to other LinkedInners.

After that, nibble on This Week’s Marketing Wrap-Up.

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The Main Thing

How to Not Annoy People on LinkedIn

Do I enjoy a good roll in the hay with LinkedIn? No. 

Nor any social media platform. They hurt my brain. 

Wish they’d all go outta business. 

However, they’re not gonna.

So, it’s wise to know what to avoid if you’re trying to grow your brand on LinkedIn.

Now, what annoys me on LinkedIn isn’t necessarily the same stuff that gets on the nerves of the masses.

3 things that bother me are:

1. Daily promoted messages (inbox ads)

2. Blatant click-bait post titles with no real payoff

3. Pro wrestling-level hype of AI (“1 prompt created $200k MBA-level course!”🙄

But I’m a weirdo outlier. So, see below what the average Joe or Jo Ann doesn’t like about being on LinkedIn.

7 Things to Avoid Doing on LinkedIn

#1 Overly salesy content. Users scroll past obvious pitches immediately. 

#2 Humble bragging disguised as inspiration. Posts start with "I'm humbled to..." then launch into self-promotion. Users can spot fake modesty from miles away, and eyerolls erupt.

#3 Generic motivational quotes. Posting random inspirational quotes without adding your own angle or story makes you blend into the social slop.  

#4 Engagement bait that manipulates without substance. "Agree or disagree?" posts with no depth just to boost comments. Users are getting savvy to weak tactics and scrolling past them.

#5 Personal oversharing inappropriate for a professional platform. Keeping it real is fine. But dang, people! Sharing deeply personal struggles or family drama crosses the line. Makes things uncomfortable.

#6 Virtue signaling posts that feel performative. Taking stands on issues purely for social credit rather than true beliefs. Users can sense when someone's jumping on trends.

#7 Connection requests with immediate sales pitches. Nothing kills trust faster than connecting with someone then immediately sending a templated sales message. Professionals worth knowing shouldn’t be seen as leads.

I forgot to mention LinkedIn “Hot Takes.” I’ve said it before, but no one’s listening because “Hot Takes” are still a pox on LinkedIn. 

If you have to alert people you’re about to give a “Hot Take,” it is not a “Hot Take.” Good grief. Moving on…

“Everybody wants something from each other on LinkedIn.”

That’s what a former TV commercial producer I used to write for told me. I guess that’s obvious.

But many LinkedInners try to cover that fact up.

Those folks try to camouflage their intentions.

Other people? They’re way too direct right from the first connection request. They want to skip the kiss and hit the sheets ASAP.

I’m no social media growth hacker. But seems to me, being yourself on LinkedIn is the best way to get what you want?

On that note, one way to get more out of LinkedIn is to avoid unnatural interactions. 

According to Claude (AI), there are roughly 100 AI tools (across all platforms) designed for replying to social media followers. Gross.

Not very social to have a bot reply to someone who took time to watch your LinkedIn video or read your 500-word post. 

However, I hope more people keep using these non-human tools. 

Not just because it increases the odds of LinkedIn going bankrupt🤞.

But because it gives legit humans a better shot of getting traction on social platforms like LinkedIn.  

Alright, on to the Wrap-Up.

Please share Inbox Hacking with a fellow marketing genius or business owner. I appreciate you reading and sharing. 

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin.

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