Episode 74

full
Published on:

18th Jul 2015

74. The Power of Positivity

News

Commentary


  • Positivity works!  I am a great believer in the power of engagement on LinkedIn. Too many people post updates that receive no comments or further interaction but it has been an observation of mine that when you do engage on other people's posts you often attract negative comments and people even start to attack you!


  • People become very brave online and are often unnecessarily rude, something they would be highly unlikely to do to your face! I see this on a regular basis and find it quite depressing because all this does is discourage people from engagement.


  • When commenting on LinkedIn keep your comments positive, encouraging as well as challenging if necessary but never stray into an argument or points scoring. This reflects very badly on you.


  • Don't feed the trolls! People that regularly post negative comments do so because they enjoy winding people up. Don't give them the airtime and just ignore their comments.


 Here are my tips to get more views of your status updates;


  • Always post image updates with a link rather than text updates with a link.






  • Pick a suitable image that has bright colours.


  • Make sure the image file has a suitable name (this will be seen!)


  • Always ask a question to encourage engagement


  • Reply to comments including quoting the person by name to encourage the conversation to continue. Keep asking questions!


  • Make sure your settings allow anyone (public) to see it.






  • Timing is critical. Find out (by trial and error) when your audience are most likely to respond and stick to that time.


  • Topical subjects work - think about how a recent news headline could be applied to your business ie Zayn leaving One Direction = How to cope when a key member of your team leaves.


  • Comparison questions are most powerful in terms of engagement but they need to be relevant so you can't do it all the time









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This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.

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About the Podcast

Informed: the podcast for LinkedIn® users
A podcast for anyone interested in LinkedIn® best practice
"Informed" is for you if you'd like to understand more about how LinkedIn works so that you can be an effective user of the platform.

It's hard to know whom to believe with so many self-appointed gurus out there telling you the latest hacks for going viral and earning 7-figure deals. And even LinkedIn's own publications often don't speak to the reality of using the platform.

But for those who see past superficial promises and sanitised reports, this podcast provides evidence and thoughtful opinion. With a track record of more than 10 years of sensible, no-nonsense advice about honest best practice for LinkedIn, Informed is a trusted source of insight by many thousands of regular listeners.

The show was created by Mark Williams, who's affectionately known as "Mr LinkedIn". Mark retired in late 2025 and handed over the reins of the show to John Espirian, the relentlessly helpful® LinkedIn nerd. John is a LinkedIn trainer and consultant, the founder of the Espresso+ community, the creator of the UpLift Live conference (the UK's original event dedicated to LinkedIn best practice), and the author of the personal branding handbook Content DNA.

John's reputation is for getting to the point and for not being a salesy douche canoe, so you can expect short, sharp episodes with zero ads or sponsored slots. This also is NOT an interview show, so if you've read this far then please don't pitch yourself for a guest appearance. However, you're welcome to get in touch if you have a LinkedIn question you'd like John to cover on the show. (To do that, search for the "Informed podcast" company page on LinkedIn and send a message.)

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John Espirian

Relentlessly helpful® LinkedIn® nerd, trainer and consultant who specialises in LinkedIn best practice for individuals, small businesses and corporates. I wrote the personal branding handbook Content DNA, I founded the Espresso+ online community for small business owners and I'm the creator of the UK's original independent conference on LinkedIn best practice, UpLift Live.