Why I Unfollowed You on LinkedIn.

I appreciate the fact that we’re in the same network. I like you. But, it seems that we came here for different reasons. So, I just had to do it. I unfollowed you. I won’t call you out. You know who you are.

Every one of your posts is the latest sample, self-promotion or great deal. You haven’t shared any of your valuable expertise or even begun an insightful conversation. Instead of viewing LinkedIn as a community of sharing, you saw us as little more than sales prospects.

That’s not how LinkedIn is supposed to work.

Look, there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of self-promotion. I do it myself. And, when you “like” someone else’s posts, you are helping to proliferate content. That’s great. But, how about sharing a tip or two and generating a few likes of your own?

You see, you’re missing a huge opportunity to really shine in front of your peers. There’s a lot that you know that most of us don’t know. You are the only one in the world with your perspective. So, why not share it? How about a provocative question to start a discussion? There’s no reason why you can’t join the dialogue and help us shape it.

LinkedIn provides one of the best opportunities to share your subject matter expertise and indirectly promote your business. But, if there’s no, “What’s in it for me?” from our perspective, you’ve missed the mark of how LinkedIn works. Your posts read like commercials, and, guess what? We’re tuning out.

You’re not alone in this. This is a common mistake that some of the smartest people make. But, it’s not wasted energy; it’s simply misplaced. Save the direct selling and promoting for another time and, more importantly, another place.

We don’t want to just hear from you. We want to learn from you.

Please, don’t take this personally. I only unfollowed you. It’s not the end of the world. We’re still in the same network and there’s a good reason for that. So, let’s try to make the most of it … together.

I’ll check back later and see what you’ve been up to.

Until then, tell us something we don’t know.

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