Why We’re Finally Taking LinkedIn Seriously
From sceptics to strategists
LinkedIn. Urgh. Grim, isn’t it? Banality dressed as thought leadership. Made-up stories disguised as insight.
At least that’s what we thought. But recently, we realised there’s more to the platform than the humble-brag.
Here’s why we’re finally taking LinkedIn seriously.
The platform we loved to hate
We avoided LinkedIn for years. Knowing social media as we do, we understand how easy it is to get dragged into a cycle of seeking self-worth through external validation.
Our approach was to master platforms for our clients without becoming slaves to the algorithm ourselves. Yet, to truly help others succeed, we had to admit it – LinkedIn is more than a gathering place for those with ring lights. It’s a place where business is done.
While driving sales through websites is a big chunk of our digital work, a large share of the businesses we support operate very differently.
For example, the manufacturers and wholesalers we support negotiate the bulk of their orders offline. Their customers aren’t adding six-figure procurement deals to a basket. They research by following experts, building trust, and asking the right people the right questions at the right time.
LinkedIn gives us what we need to reach those buyers:
- Targeting by job role and responsibility
- Authority building through insights and stories
- A place where decision-makers already exist
It’s where B2B credibility is won (and occasionally lost).
So when clients started asking us for help with LinkedIn, we couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer. How could we encourage people to do something we weren’t doing ourselves?
Showing up without selling out
Our first step was bringing in Liverpool-based LinkedIn consultant Laura Taylor from the Social Flow Collective. Laura hosted a half-day workshop, helping us set up our profiles properly and understand the different parts of the platform. But the key takeaway was this:
What we consume shapes our feed.
There’s a lot of good stuff if you follow the right people.
That means curating your timeline. Bored of AI-generated slop? Unfollow. Sick of self-congratulatory claptrap? Ignore it. Eventually, you’ll see more stuff you actually like.
From a posting perspective, we’ve never wanted LinkedIn to become a place for ego-driven corporate speak. So our approach is simple:
- Keep it short
- Keep it useful
- Keep it fun
- Keep it human
We’re not pushing “Dock content.” We’re focusing on promoting individuality and sharing our own voices. For example, Tony’s post about running a 10k showed the power of the partnership with his wife. Sure, it had the obligatory work-related takeaway, but it put people first.
Caroline’s content gives insight into life as a young mum. Simon’s epic dance video shows who we are as people beyond the job titles. Yes, he is our Head of Development.
The point is, every personality adds to the collective offering.
Posting on our terms
Our LinkedIn expert encouraged us to post twice a week. But let’s be realistic. Right now, most of us post once or twice a month. And that’s fine. We’re showing up when we want to, not because it’s expected of us or we need to satisfy an insatiable algorithm.
We do enough to stay visible and relevant. We’re already seeing a difference. People who haven’t engaged with us for years are liking and commenting on our stuff. There’s an increased awareness of our work. Our network is noticeably warmer.
We’ve started seeing LinkedIn as a presence multiplier instead of a personality tax.
Long-term, we want everyone in the team to control their own narrative online. To show who they are and what they bring. Ultimately, that approach will help show Dock in the best possible light.
Then, once we’ve been there and done it, we can confidently tell clients:
“We didn’t like LinkedIn either. But here’s how to use it authentically and actually enjoy it.”
Like all social media, LinkedIn is a long game. We’ve gone from sceptics to strategic users in such a short space of time that clients already see us as trusted advisors.
With Laura’s support and the recruitment of our new social ads specialist, Macaulay, LinkedIn marketing will become a significant part of our service within the next 6 months.
To new and prospective clients, especially manufacturers and warehouse businesses, we say this:
You might not want a LinkedIn presence. But you absolutely need one.
We can show you how to build it without losing who you are.
Find Dock on Linkedin here.
