Hey Reader,

Each week in this newsletter I answer a question from a reader. This week's question comes from an internal comms manager in New York who asks:

Thanks for sending this in, this is a great topic to talk about. Right off the bat, yes 'embarrassing' is absolutely the right word, that is how I felt about posting content literally for years. Actually I still feel that about other platforms like TikTok (I'm too old to be a video native) but with LinkedIn I feel like I'm in a good place and of course I'm happy to share.

If you've been wondering how to start posting on LinkedIn and how to get past the cringe of doing it, today's newsletter is absolutely for you.

Now as comms pros we are used to operating behind the scenes, making other people look good but keeping ourselves in the background. Posting on LinkedIn flips that entirely which is why it feels so daunting.

But we can deal with daunting. Daunting is okay. It's time you put some energy and focus into your own career and your own visibility. I made the decision to do that for myself some years back and it has paid off SO MUCH. I thought today I'd share a bit about my LinkedIn journey, show you what it's done for me and give you some inspiration to start posting your own content.

Yes it's scary, yes it's embarrassing, yes I think you should do it anyway!

My lurker days

I was trying to remember when I started posting on LinkedIn. At a guess it was 2018 or maybe 2019. And before I posted anything, I lurked on that platform for a LONG TIME. For some reason I felt totally paralysed when I considered posting anything, even though I was literally writing for a living and I know how to tell a good story.

My brain made a really big deal out of LinkedIn for some reason.

• People will laugh at you!
• What if you say something stupid?
• What if people don't LIKE YOU?
• Who do you think you are? No one wants to hear what you think, ya big jabroni

All of these bizarre thoughts, on and on, until one day I figured posting would surely be easier than endlessly THINKING about posting. So I started. I have no idea what my first ever post was (I did try to scroll back and look, but LinkedIn doesn't let you go back that far) but it was likely something very safe, maybe about a podcast I listened to or a book I read.

I didn't post very much but I took a different route to getting comfortable on the platform instead, I started commenting under other people's posts. I would add my thoughts or share a story or just try to sneakily post-without-posting to get over the fear.

And it actually worked. I went from posting every once in a while to posting once a week and then 3 times a week. And now I pretty much post every work day and have done for probably 3 years. Sometimes my posts go viral, sometimes no one sees them at all. Either way, the world keeps spinning and I realise posting is no big deal. Anyone can do it.

Embarrassment is normal

What I wish someone had told me back then is that the embarrassment and cringe and fear I felt at posting on social media is totally normal. The rumination and over-thinking and paralysis is totally NORMAL! Putting yourself out there is hard.

I'm reminded of this quote from a boxer named Ed Latimore:

Feeling embarrassed about something new isn't a sign to stop or avoid it. It's the opposite, it's a sign you're getting outside of your comfort zone and pushing yourself to do something new. Feel the fear and do it anyway!

So if you're reading this and you also have a mental block about posting yourself on social media, please know that it's normal and you can absolutely get over it. The bad news is that the only way to get over it is by posting and doing the scary thing! I can assure you that it genuinely does get so much easier over time.

LinkedIn is a long game

When I look back over the last few years of posting content, I really do think that LinkedIn is a long game. You don't get LinkedIn famous overnight. You need to put in the reps and be consistent over months and years to get the results you want.

After I had been posting for a couple of years, I decided to take LinkedIn seriously. I started investing a lot of time and energy into studying other creators, looking at what they were doing and how and why. I took courses and attended webinars and really dug into how social media works. I'm old enough to remember life before the internet was even invented so I didn't grow up with this stuff, I really did need to study it and learn it.

I began understanding content marketing and content pillars and how to identify core themes and split them into various ideas. And at some point, maybe 2 years ago, I started batch writing LinkedIn content rather than trying to think of something on the spot each morning (which was brutal, I don't recommend it). Batch writing has been so helpful and now I'll often block off a few hours to play music, drink coffee and write.

I love writing so this is a joy to me, not a chore.

Is it worth it?

Posting on LinkedIn changed my life, I say that wholeheartedly and without reserve. I'm just shy of 60k followers on that platform now and because of my writing on LinkedIn I've:

• Had recruiters in my DMs asking me to interview for jobs
• Launched my own business (mostly because people on LinkedIn were asking me to do consulting work before I was even a consultant)
• Worked with some of the biggest brands in the world
• Been flown around the world to speak at international events
• Got to meet Larry the Cat at 10 Downing St

For the last one about Downing St, yes this is true - the Head of Internal Comms in the Cabinet Office followed me on LinkedIn, we got chatting, he invited me over for coffee and the rest is history. All of that happened simply because I was posting on LinkedIn!

Honestly posting on LinkedIn is the smartest thing I ever did for my career. It's opened so many doors and created so many opportunities. I really encourage you to give it a try too. It is 100% worth the embarrassment.

Are you up for a LinkedIn challenge?

In The Curious Tribe this month, we've been doing a LinkedIn posting challenge, designed to help members push past the fear of posting and just do it. Part of my role in the tribe is to identify areas of discomfort and push you into them. Sometimes it's just the little nudge you need to grow.

I've been sharing a simple one-line prompt into the tribe twice a week during August, and members have been writing and sharing posts on the back of them. Some of my prompts include:

• Something you’ve changed your mind about
• One thing you’ve learned since working in comms
• One book you recommend and why
• Five things people don’t know about you

These are simple, fun prompts to get you started. Here's some of the posts tribe members have been creating from these prompts:

Why don't you try a few of these prompts and try posting yourself? Yes it's scary and yes it feels embarrassing... but so what?

And when you're ready, come join us in the tribe and let's do this together.

Thanks for reading and stay curious,

Joanna

Find me on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn and check out my book​

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