Category: Social Media

Welcome to Part 2 of my personal LinkedIn experiment! If you haven’t read Part 1, I suggest starting there to catch up on the initial steps of my journey. In this continuation, I’ll share more insights and avoid mistakes that cost me time and money. Whether you’re new to LinkedIn or trying to enhance your post boosting strategy, these lessons are invaluable.

Background and Context

Let me give you a bit of background. I began my career in the print and publishing industry when the internet was still in its infancy. As the digital age progressed, I transitioned into online advertising, focusing on PPC campaigns and data-driven strategies on platforms like Google Ads. However, social media, especially platforms like Instagram and TikTok, were uncharted territories for me.

Returning to the social media world, I’ve been learning and adapting. Creating content that resonates on LinkedIn requires an understanding of the platform’s specific nuances. Now, let’s dive into the advanced rules I’ve learned for boosting posts on LinkedIn.

Advanced Rules & Insights for LinkedIn Posts

9. Avoid Diary-Style Posts

LinkedIn is a professional platform. While personal stories can engage, they need a professional tone.

• Don’t: Write like it’s your personal journal. Avoid excessive emotional sharing like, “I was so lost, and then I cried…”
• Do: Provide a takeaway. For instance, “I felt lost after my last job, but that break helped me discover my next goal.”

Ensure your stories have a professional arc, appealing to your audience in a meaningful way.

10. Clarify Value for the Reader

Your story should highlight why it matters to the reader.

• Do: Make lessons clear, e.g., “Here are 3 things I wish I knew when restarting my LinkedIn journey.”
• Don’t: End with just, “…and that’s my story.”

Every story needs a clear takeaway. LinkedIn values professionalism, even in storytelling.

11. Consider Your Visual Tone

Images are crucial for the post’s impact and review process.

• Don’t: Use overly dramatic imagery or influencer-style thumbnails.
• Do: Opt for clean, brand-aligned visuals. Use authentic photos or subtle overlays that reflect your professional brand.

LinkedIn favors visuals that align with professional standards.

12. Watch Out for “Gray Zone” Words

Certain words can cause your post to be scrutinized.

• Avoid terms like “Explode your reach” or “Guaranteed growth.”
• Use clear, truthful language instead of hype-driven promises.

13. Avoid Creating Fake Urgency

Traditional urgency tactics don’t work well on LinkedIn.

• Don’t: Use urgent appeals like, “Act now! This won’t last!”
• Do: Allow your content to be timely without pressure, e.g., “This was a big lesson for me this week — it might help you too.”

14. Balance Authenticity and Professionalism

There’s a fine line between being authentic and being too informal.

• Avoid slang or inside jokes that might not resonate with a wider audience.
• Maintain proper grammar and a professional tone, even in personal stories.

Think casual but well-edited.

15. Importance of Structure

Structure can make or break your post’s readability, especially on mobile.

• Do: Use short paragraphs and impactful one-liners. Avoid overly long blocks of text.
• Preview your post on mobile to ensure readability.

16. Language Settings Matter

Mismatch in language settings can cause rejections.

• Ensure your post language matches your campaign settings perfectly.
• Be cautious with mixed languages, emojis, or non-standard characters.

17. Adhere to Legal and Advertising Guidelines

Boosted posts are subject to advertising laws.

• Do not include content that makes assumptions about race, gender, age, or other protected characteristics.
• Avoid making financial promises like “Double your income in 30 days.”
• Do: Stick to content that complies with advertising regulations. Personal posts can be flagged if they appear to make bold claims.

Wrapping Up the Lessons Learned

These additional insights aim to prevent costly mistakes like the one I made. Following these guidelines can lead to more successful post boosts on LinkedIn.

What’s Next?

In the next part (coming soon), I’ll redesign the original rejected post according to these guidelines and attempt another boost. We’ll see if it passes and how it performs. To catch the next update, feel free to follow, and share this if you find it helpful.

Your Thoughts and Experiences

I’d love to hear from you:

• Have you ever had a post rejected on LinkedIn?
• What was the reason?
• Do you have any tips or tricks for passing LinkedIn’s review process?

Let’s learn from each other and share our knowledge. More updates will be coming soon!

Stepping back into LinkedIn after a long pause felt a bit like discovering a city after years of absence. My time at RedWorks, Inc., working on sleek campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, had been quite an experience. But, diving back into LinkedIn with plans to make my comeback impactful? That was a whole new ballgame.

So, I devised a thoughtful post filled with gratitude and personal reflections. I had some ad credits to use and thought, “Why not boost this heartfelt message for my connections?” I put time and creativity into it, but the result was a rejection. Here’s what happened and what I learned about boosting personal posts on LinkedIn.

Understanding the Boosting Game

First things first, boosting a post on LinkedIn transforms it. It morphs from a personal story to an advertisement. This subtle shift means adhering to professional standards is crucial. Here’s what I discovered about getting it right.

1. Write Like a Pro, Not Like a Pitch Deck

While personal tones connect with audiences, boosting requires a polished approach. Suddenly, your narrative becomes subject to the polished world of advertising. Keep your story engaging yet professional.

• Do: Use personal anecdotes in a clear and approachable manner, like, “I came back after 12 years offline to rebuild my network.”
• Don’t: Avoid shouty, hyped language like, “I’M BACK AFTER 12 YEARS!!!”

2. Be Emoji-Smart

Emojis add flavor and emotion, but moderation is key. Too many can make your post resemble spam, triggering rejection.

• Do: Use 1-2 emojis to enhance your story if necessary.
• Don’t: Avoid overuse that detracts from the professional tone, such as “Thanks!!! 🚀👏📈”

3. Clean Up the Punctuation

Proper grammar and punctuation clarity are vital. Weird punctuation styles can be a fast track to rejection.

• Don’t: Use excessive punctuation like “!!!” or “…”
• Do: Opt for concise sentences with proper punctuation.

Example: Instead of “So… I decided to return… and OMG… it was wild!!” try “After 12 years away, I returned. What I found was totally different in the best way.”

4. No Sensitive “You” Targeting

Your story is yours to tell, but avoid assumptions about the reader’s circumstances.

• Don’t: Say, “If you’re stuck in a dead-end job, you need to read this.”
• Do: Frame it personally, like, “I once felt stuck in a role that didn’t fit me. Here’s how I climbed out.”

5. Avoid Clickbait or Exaggerated Promises

Ensure your claims are realistic and grounded. Over-the-top promises can lead to quick rejection under LinkedIn’s ad policies.

• Don’t: Say, “Learn my secret to instant LinkedIn fame!”
• Do: “Here’s what worked for me in rebuilding my presence on LinkedIn.”

6. Stick to the Right Formats

Ensure your post type fits LinkedIn’s criteria for boosting. Not all formats are eligible.

• Do: Use regular text posts, single images, link posts, or native videos.
• Don’t: Attempt to boost polls, multi-image posts, documents, celebrations, or group shares.

7. Watch Your CTAs (Calls to Action)

Your call to action should feel inviting, not commanding. Make it a gentle nudge rather than a hard sell.

• Don’t: Make forceful calls like “Click here to buy” or “Act now!”
• Do: Invite gently and engage, “If this resonates, feel free to connect” or “Drop your thoughts in the comments.”

8. Don’t Over-Tag or Over-Link

Be mindful of tagging and linking. Overdoing either can edge towards spam territory.

• Do: Tag 1-2 relevant people or companies.
• Don’t: Tag 10+ entities or pepper your post with multiple links.

If you must share a link, consider placing it in the first comment rather than the main post.

Conclusion: Learning from Failure

This rejection was a learning curve. The rules I stumbled across might help someone else sidestep similar frustrations. Boosting personal stories on LinkedIn requires striking the right balance of storytelling and professionalism.

If you’ve faced a similar rejection, or have insights into crafting effective boosted posts, I’d love to hear your experiences. Let’s learn together and improve how we express our stories and connect on this platform. Stay tuned for Part 2 where I’ll dive into structuring posts with high engagement potential. We’ll explore ways to make your story robust and LinkedIn-ready.

As we navigate these nuances together, let’s make our LinkedIn presence not just noticeable but memorable too.

Rejected post:

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