8 LinkedIn mistakes most thought leaders make

As a marketing professional who is mildly (OK, wildly) obsessed with LinkedIn, I’ve noticed many leaders inadvertently sabotage their own visibility. I noticed them, because I have made them. Here are the most common LinkedIn mistakes that are limiting your reach as a thought leader:

Posting external links in your main post 
LinkedIn’s algorithm significantly downgrades posts containing external links. Don’t think putting your link in the first comment is fooling the system. LinkedIn is on to you and often downgrades content where the first comment is made by the author. Instead, invite readers to your website ( See link in bio), try a QR code in the the accompanying image (I’ve had success with that), or just write stand along content that doesn’t require a link out.

Having too many pending connection invites
LinkedIn recommends only connecting with people you know for a reason. They want to make sure your acceptance rate remains high! Sending out too many invitations that go ignored, hurts your profile’s performance. Once a month, withdraw any pending requests to keep your acceptance ratio high. Your invitee will not be notified of your withdrawal, and you’ll be able to re-invite them… maybe changing your tactic (like adding a personalized note) this time around.

Keeping your content strictly professional – Surprisingly, the most successful executives on LinkedIn blend professional insights with personal touches. Purely corporate content performs significantly worse than posts that include authentic personal perspectives or experiences. Work-life balance lives on LinkedIn as well.

Broadcasting instead of conversing 
If you only post but never respond to comments or engage with others’ content, the algorithm dramatically reduces your reach. LinkedIn rewards dialogue, not monologues. The algorithm favours those who contribute to the community. Another hot tip: spend 15 minutes engaging with your network before publishing your own content to prime the algorithm to distribute your posts more widely.

Copying trending formats without adding value
Those Billboard quotes or “My 5 rules for success” templates have become so overused that they’re now largely ignored both by users and the algorithm. Be original. Bring something different! By the way, I am guilty of doing all of them at one point or another, so no judgement.

Tagging too many people 
While it seems like a good way to boost visibility, excessive tagging looks desperate and can trigger spam filters. Also, only tag people who are likely to interact with your post, if they don’t it’s a big red flag to the algorithm. If you want to bring your post to a group of people’s attention, send it to them in a DM with a personal message.

Posting content without visual elements 
Text-only posts get substantially less reach. Even a simple branded template or relevant image can double your visibility. The algorithm loves selfies and rewards video content, so get cosy with your camera!

Not posting at all
The most damaging LinkedIn strategy is having no LinkedIn content strategy. The algorithm heavily favours active accounts, and complete silence (even if you are actively consuming content but not interacting) makes you virtually invisible on the platform. Minimal activity dramatically increases your discoverability. Start small by adding your two cents on content you enjoy. And if you are ready to take it to the next level, but don’t know where to start, I can help! Just drop me a line.

There you have it, eight LinkedIn mistakes that I have made so you don’t have to! Avoid these common pitfalls and you can significantly improve your organic reach and build a more engaged professional community around your content.