LinkedIn can be the most productive use of online time for creatives in 2024- growing your business, network, and circle of opportunity to almost unimaginable highs with a minimal time investment

But there is a right and a wrong way to spend your time on LinkedIn.

As a Creative, there is a certain few things that you definitely should do (like commenting and supporting others) and a few things you definitely should not do (read on to see those.) But a lot of us (understandably so) are too busy pushing pixels, meeting clients, learning software, etc to spend hours on social platforms or even produce high quality content.

That’s why we made The Creative’s Guide to Using Linkedin Productively- with these 9 actionable tips we can spend more time engaging with people that energize us, getting job prospects, and growing our network- all whilst not spending all day scrolling and typing.

(Productive) Commenting>Posting

• Use LinkedIn as part of your “burglar bag”- (tasks to do when you have time where you can’t do anything else) to comment and engage with others.
• Productive comments: comments that.. Expand on the post Add humor or unique insight Tag the person
• Set a goal for the number of comments you want to have in a day. You’ll find that it doesn’t take long, is very fulfilling, and will likely lead to a lot of connections.

BOLD with Messages and INSIGHTFUL with Posts

• You don’t have to be revolutionary with what you post, but try to your best to be original and offer an insight that is unique to your experience and industry!
• Do NOT post anything controversial. Cannot recommend this enough. The last thing you want to do is squash opportunities or turn off prospects before getting to know you.
• Conservative with posts, but bold in the inbox. Don’t be afraid to tell creative directors or successful a handy owners that you admire them and want to learn from- and if they seem engaged, be direct in asking to chat.

Crafted Messages (made easy)

• Obvious one- don’t pray and spray, especially at people who work in the same company. They will talk about you, and not in a good way :)
• I have a few general directions I go from when making messages for others, but all have the basic theme of “I look up to you” and some form of congratulations, etc. Position yourself as someone who wants to learn and grow.

Utilize Company Features

• If you have an agency or studio you want to make a connection with, go to their company page. (They should have one, and if they don’t, then that’s a red flag off the bat) Go to the “people” tab and see how people got jobs there, and you have a fresh list of people to reach out to, learn more from, and connect with.
• Bonus tip: if you want to reach out via email, a great tool is hunter.io to find emails based on company naming schemes. Very handy, free tool

Originality

• Creative Leaders get pitched to a ton. One of the easiest things you can do to stand out is to not be cookie-cutter and boring. There is an unlimited amount of things to talk about in the creative industry… ranging from tools, your routines, your work, upcoming events and projects, best practices, coworkers, etc.

Post Variety and Schedule

• Do your VERY BEST to post at least 3x per week. Don’t like posting? Well, that’s okay, because constructive comments should make up the VAST majority of your activity.
• As a Creative, I have found that a good balance is to post your projects or work about once in every 5/6 posts, at the limit. This can differ for everyone depending on your activity level and commitment. (remember… commenting is more important. Have we mentioned that already?)
• Find a balance that works for you, one that includes your projects and is deserving of a “Great work!” comment, but also one that teaches and offers value to your network.

Profile “de-optimization”

• There is a ton of content on how to optimize your LinkedIn profile online, and the criteria change based on your goals, so I won’t bore you with that here. But here's the 80/20 for a good Creative Profile:
• Good Headshot (Come on now, you can do it)
• Clear title with powerful identifiers
• Up-to date job history
• Portfolio and/ or resume as featured link

Premium= worth it.

• LinkedIn Premium allows you to see who has viewed your profile, track the engagement on your posts, and send message to anyone, regardless of their account type or lack of accessibility.

Consistency over Frequency

• Like any social media algorithm… it knows. Building the muscle of being consistent on LinkedIn is just like any other habit. However- starting small and not sticking to a schedule to start with is totally fine.
• If you’re cringing at the thought of messaging people you don’t know- that’s okay! Start with engaging with your audience and others in your circle or own company. The important thing is having a presence, and the more time and energy you are willing to invest, the more benefits you will see in your career.

The creative industry is pretty incredible- if you’re not actively engaging and sharing what exciting stuff is going on in your career, you may be selling yourself short.

Previously thought of as a “business environment”- which conjures visions of corporate suits and dreary office settings- it can be a place where your mind and creativity flourish. With these simple strategies, creatives can build a successful and meaningful presence on LinkedIn in 2024, and still lead a life of creativity outside of just simply networking.

If this article helped you, please leave a like and follow! If you're also looking for more ways to level up your creative career or business, we made the Essential Reading Database for Creative Business Owners- a free Notion Template with succinct summaries to see if you'd like, links to download at the cheapest prices we could find online, and templates to add your own and share.

We also host the Creative's Journal Podcast- a place where we discuss creativity and mindsets that lead to fulfilling and productive lives. This podcast features many meaningful discussions with others about creative lessons, how they apply to life, how they apply to business, and provides actionable takeaways for creatives to implement into their careers.

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