We’ve all been there… One day you look up from your business and realize it’s been a while since you showed up on LinkedIn. You remember when you were consistently posting content on the platform, engaging with others in your industry, learning from your peers, and planning content in advance.
You may have become so consumed by client projects you didn’t need to market as actively, taken a break due to other commitments or health issues, or pivoted to freelance writing after a full-time job. No matter why you took a break, you can restart LinkedIn marketing by following the tips below.
Return to LinkedIn Marketing and Build Momentum
Like any other habit, bringing consistency back into LinkedIn marketing takes a mighty push and intentionality in the beginning before it comes easily. Here’s a step-by-step rundown to show up on LinkedIn after a break.
– Fix your LinkedIn profile
Some things may have changed in your business since you stopped marketing. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date before posting content or engaging on LinkedIn. Answer these questions in as much detail as you can:
- Do you have new testimonials/experiences to add to your LinkedIn profile?
- Did you start working with a different set of clients or in another industry?
- Did you start offering new services?
- Did you change the processes of delivering your services?
- Did you change direction in your business in any way?
- Does your profile picture need updating?
- Did you recognize new boundaries you want to set in your business?
- Did you get any new certifications or endorsements?
Remember, these questions are a starting point and not exhaustive. Go over your LinkedIn profile and ensure it aligns with where you are in your business now and where you want to go.
– Start connecting intentionally
Once you have a fresh LinkedIn profile that accurately reflects your current services and credibility, you can start intentionally expanding your network. Start connecting with prospects and peers to oil the LinkedIn machine since it might have jammed a bit.
– Start engaging intentionally
A good way to ease yourself back into the routine of LinkedIn marketing is to start engaging with the posts on your feed. Remember, you can now press the bell icon on the profile of a person whose posts you want to follow. Once you’ve hit the bell icon, LinkedIn will notify you every time they publish a post.
Use the feature in one of three ways:
- Track prospects who are active on LinkedIn by clicking their bell icon so you can engage with their content and build rapport.
- Track thought leaders in your industry to stay in the know about trends and news.
- Track freelance writing experts on LinkedIn, see what they are up to, and learn from their content.
– Introduce yourself
After warming the LinkedIn machine up, consider introducing yourself to your network. You can even post an introduction post every month to stay top-of-mind with prospects.
Introducing yourself with a personality can help you create more connections on LinkedIn. Briefly include what you do, for whom, and how you impact your client’s business. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, post a selfie with your introduction post.
– Work on your mindset simultaneously
It’s hard to pick up any habit after falling off it. Know that we all struggle with it, so you’re not alone.
When you’re trying to get back on track, the idea of habit stacking is particularly useful.
The concept is to stack the habit you’re trying to build on to another one you already have. So, every time you practice the familiar habit, it triggers the new one. Before you know it, you’re already in the habit. For instance, I like to push out any marketing in the first 15 minutes of my workday, right after I log in to my computer. It’s an easy win early on, and I don’t spend the rest of the day thinking about it.
– Determine your rhythm
We can all learn to be more kind and easygoing, especially with ourselves. Please recognize you are trying to build a habit and that it takes time.
Ease yourself back into LinkedIn marketing with small goals every day. You can even celebrate achieving those daily goals with a tiny dance, festive music, or however you like to celebrate. Setting achievable goals prevents overburdening yourself and keeps the momentum going.
– Publish content with a sustainable strategy
There is no one strategy that’s right for everyone. However, you can create a sustainable LinkedIn strategy that works for you. I talk about it in greater detail in this article.
– Analyze the key metrics and check in with yourself
Once you’ve gotten into a rhythm, check in with yourself weekly. How do you feel about your progress? Do you want to do more or less? Give yourself permission to tweak your LinkedIn marketing plan as per your needs and time availability. (But don’t let your efforts stop again completely.)
Another weekly task can be to analyze the key metrics on your LinkedIn profile. Search Appearances and Profile Views. Once you’ve been consistent on LinkedIn for a couple of months, assess the quality of your inbound leads. Do they align with your ideal client definition?
– Pivot if needed
Here’s your permission to pivot if needed. Pivoting can look like doing LinkedIn videos or publishing a LinkedIn newsletter if they interest you (they can be great for your visibility).
It can also mean sending five connection requests per day with intentionality instead of 10 without giving much thought. Analyze your results and pivot.
– Find accountability to stay consistent
It’s good to find accountability when building a new habit. Do you know another freelance writer or copywriter trying to stay consistent with LinkedIn marketing?
Team up with them and hold each other accountable for the goals you set for yourself.
– Reward consistency
Finally, remember to reward your consistency. For me, it looks like taking myself to my favorite library in town once I do a powerful week of LinkedIn marketing. Sometimes, I buy myself ice cream!
It’s hard to pick up on marketing after a long break, but you can do it! Create a positive atmosphere for yourself, start small, and get consistent results from showing up on LinkedIn.
