5 most common mistakes people make on LinkedIn

3 min read

LinkedIn has long been a well-known platform for recruiters and job seekers. Still, in recent years, the platform has gained popularity among business people looking to build their credibility, develop a personal brand and share ideas about their work field. However, the growing amount of content also brings typical mistakes into sharper focus. What are the most common mistakes on LinkedIn content creation, and how to avoid them?

Companies encourage employees to share company news on personal LinkedIn accounts to build employee advocacy. This is a justified tactic, as employees’ posts attract eight times more views and engagement on the platform than corporate (i.e. official company account) posts.

Unfortunately, many organizations have not yet taken the opportunity to create brand ambassadors on LinkedIn or given their employees the knowledge and resources to make the most out of their profiles. However, poorly thought-out content is created without understanding the basics of the platform. The mistakes can lead an individual or company further from their ultimate goal and reduce users’ trust.

5 MISTAKES TO AVOID:

1. Not setting a goal

LinkedIn is used for various purposes: finding investors, expanding social networks, building a personal brand, staying up to date with industry news, and finding work partners. It is easier for ambassadors to get the most out of the platform if their aim is precise and they know where they are going with their profile. Take time to think about why you chose to create an account and how to support your career building.

2. Targeting the wrong audience

Targeting is the basis of almost all marketing activities. We need to know our audience to create hard-hitting messages that will help address the pain points of our intended audience. LinkedIn allows us to get as specific as possible with our target audience, explore different profiles and identify the issues that people in a particular field or sector might have. Defining the audience is also essential for expanding your list of connections – if the goal is to find investors, there’s no need to add engineers who are unlikely to be interested in the content you share.

3. Unfinished profile

On LinkedIn, it is possible to distinguish between passive and proactive content. While proactive content refers to posts one creates on a profile, passive content can be defined as all the information on a user’s profile relevant to the target audience – from the cover photo to work experience. For many, a profile is the equivalent of a CV, but this is not quite the case.

A profile allows everyone to tell their story and speak to their target audience without being too pushy or sending private messages. The critical elements of a profile are the headline and about sections, which describe to the target audience exactly how the profile owner helps them, gets results for them, and what are the person’s principles and processes.

4. Lack of a supporting message in posts

Anyone, who has spent a bit of time on LinkedIn, has probably come across posts that seem too vague or lacking in content. While many LinkedIn marketers recommend focusing on quantity, or the abundance of posts, to increase visibility, this can also harm a profile owner, as such content can become tedious and superficial for followers.

If you aim to build a strong personal brand, take time to create meaningful posts, check out the trends in your field, and plan your steps well in advance. It can also be worthwhile for beginners to show their first posts to friends or colleagues – take their honest feedback into account and make the necessary changes before publishing the post.

5. “Connect” vs “Follow” button

One of the latest trends on LinkedIn is converting a regular user-type account into a content creator-type profile. This means that the “Connect” button on a person’s account becomes a “Follow” button instead. It makes sense for content creators with a broader audience to switch from “Connect” to “Follow” to avoid drowning in a sea of friend requests. However, accounts with a smaller following should seriously consider this decision before using the button. On LinkedIn, the connect button lets both parties keep up to date with each other’s news and activities, thus expanding their social circle.

How to make redundancies without damaging people and the company’s reputation?

4 min read

A total of 52,000 people in the US tech sector have been made redundant. In Estonia, 17 companies have given collective redundancy notices. How can we communicate redundancies in a way that does not hurt the company and its people?

Making people redundant is probably not a pleasant thing for any company. How redundancies are carried out affects not only the current and future employees of a company but also its reputation.

It is essential to understand that the link between a worker and the company continues after the moment of redundancy. How a company treats its people speaks volumes about its leaders, culture and values.

Internal communication: be respectful

Before communication, getting the inevitable redundancy right is important. Key is in valuing people’s previous contribution to the company and, where possible, advising them on their future career path (leaving the company, looking for a new job – from letters of recommendation, if justified, to engaging paid consultants). Given the impact of redundancies on the organisation, both internally and externally, such costs should not be feared. It is better to do away with the company summer days than the activities mentioned above.

We have experience with companies which, having been forced to make redundancies, have found new jobs for each person affected by that decision. This activity speaks much more about the values and culture of the company than the words on its website. However, in the case of large companies, this is often not possible for obvious reasons. Still, humane and personalised communication should be within everyone’s abilities.

Internal communication: timing is key

Information spreads fast. During redundancies, priority must be given to existing employees. However, they aren’t always the first to hear about redundancies in their company. This is where both corporations and small businesses make mistakes. Most recently, for example, an internal memo of Ford, which made 3000 people redundant, was leaked.

Suppose the redundancies are significant, for example, more than 10% of the workforce of a large organisation. In that case, the first thing to do is to communicate it to the whole organisation. What the managers have decided and why, how the redundancies will be carried out, what processes have been developed to deal with the situation, and what opportunities the company offers to those made redundant. This is important to avoid speculation. It will also give remaining colleagues guidance on how to deal with departing colleagues. So that they can look at each other in the corridor, be supportive of redundant colleagues and help with finding solutions.

In terms of communication, broader reporting of redundancies is also important regarding information leakage. Leaks are going to happen anyway (listed companies are, of course, obliged to disclose the information to the stock exchange first if it is a decision with a significant economic impact), and an internal memo humanely describing and explaining the whole process is the best way to control your message. A good example is a memo sent by Patrick Collisson, CEO of technology company Stripe, to his colleagues on 3 November.

While people have been recruited remotely and via Zoom calls over the past two or three years, the same channel should be avoided to communicate the redundancy message. An employee should get this information in a physical meeting. The more one-to-one meetings that can be held, the better for the people themselves and the company. It is essential to leave room for dialogue between the employee and the employer and to convey the information as honestly as possible. People should not be left with the impression that they are to blame for mass redundancies. That is the difference between redundancy and dismissal (although it is also worth making dismissals in a way that helps people to better realise their potential in the future).

Often the size of the company makes it impossible to have one-to-one conversations, but if attainable, you should try to do so. It can also reduce the risk of people venting their displeasure on LinkedIn or other social media. We probably all remember the companies that made hundreds of people redundant on a Zoom call during the pandemic. Undoubtedly, recruiting talent will be more difficult for them in the future.

External communication: who are the target audiences, and how should they hear the news?

It is not only existing employees who will be affected by the redundancy announcement. Identifying the stakeholders who will also be affected by the information is important. A communication plan to implement the redundancies and clear and specific messages to each stakeholder group will help avoid panic.

Communicating redundancies should be treated similarly to crisis communication – information must be based on facts. Lies, obfuscation and cover-ups will come out sooner or later and can damage the company for years. Consideration must also be given to the employees remaining in the company. It is important to send them a message about how the company is overcoming the crisis.

Preparing the management

No CEO wants to be seen as a bad person during a redundancy period. For company leaders to be prepared to carry out redundancies credibly. A strong and specific message that empathises and puts the people being made redundant at the centre of attention, rather than the managers themselves, can make the process less painful.

Talking about redundancies in person with team members is undoubtedly difficult for the manager. Most people don’t like to put themselves in a potentially conflictual situation. Communicating the dismissal decision is not easy for the manager, regardless of how thorough the preparation is. However, it should not be forgotten that it is an even more negative experience for the person being made redundant. It is up to the company to decide whether the experience is traumatic, whether they explain the reasons for the difficulties the company is facing, and whether it is possible to help and support the redundant person in readjusting his or her life and finding a new job.

Humane chats and support services will not make the redundant worker happy, and they might not understand the motives behind the managers’ decisions for some time. However, after a few months or a year, when the feelings have subsided, most will realise that the process could have been handled much worse, and the actions at critical moments by people and the companies they lead will, in hindsight, be seen through a different lens.

While redundancies are painful for any business, they can be mitigated through thoughtful communication. Avoiding basic mistakes and preparing company spokespersons for external and internal communication.

What to remember when communicating redundancies:

Communicate the redundancy face-to-face, not via a Zoom call or email.
Communicate a clear vision of the following processes and what the company plans to do to emerge from the crisis.
Be clear in your communication – what will change for those who remain in the company and what steps must be taken by those who are being made redundant. And above all – how will the company support them going forward?
Prepare the company’s management for internal and external communication. Think about specific messages for each segment.

3 min read

How to really build a personal brand?

A personal brand is not something that can be artificially created and cultivated. For a personal brand – only authenticity works. Who are you as a person? Who are you as a leader? What are your values? What do you have to say to your followers?

Estonia has only 1.3 million people, and creating a solid personal brand is much easier here than in Silicon Valley, London or Berlin. Yet, for us introverted and shy Estonians, it’s more complex than for others.

As Estonians, we want our work to speak for us. We don’t want to brag about our triumphs or talk openly about our failures or burnouts. If somebody notices us, that’s good; if they don’t, we need to work harder.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that in today’s world anymore. To succeed, you need to build your own personal brand and network to get your message across to the people who matter – potential customers, employees or even investors. A strong personal brand can be the key to business development, recruitment and company growth. But it all needs to be strategically managed.

“A personal brand is not just about self-promotion or being visible online and at conferences.”

Where do you start to build a personality brand?

1. Start with yourself. A personality brand is what people say about you when you haven’t even entered the room yet. What do you want to be known for in particular? A personality brand is not just about self-promotion or being visible online and at conferences. It starts with how you define yourself as a person and what your values are. Creating a personal brand takes work. You need to be knowledgeable in something. Positioning yourself as an expert is hard, and it starts with the question: what am I an expert in? Think about what you want to communicate to people. Why should they believe you? What results have you already achieved?

2. Who is your audience? It would help if you could define as precisely as possible the target audience that you want to reach first. Are they marketing managers, engineers or developers? Once you have defined the audience you want to reach, consider the most effective channel to get to them. Is it strong opinion pieces in traditional media, conferences, inspiring speeches at universities, LinkedIn posts, or all of the above? Whatever you do, don’t forget that artificial speeches don’t give results. Be genuine! Real people’s real stories – even the missteps and mistakes. Dare to talk about them.

“BE HONEST! REAL PEOPLE’S REAL STORIES, EVEN THE MISSTEPS AND MISTAKES. DARE TO TALK ABOUT THEM. ”

3. What is your story? You have been living it even if you haven’t consciously created your narrative. If you’re out of the room, you can guess what people say about you. “They’re an extremely charismatic entrepreneur,” “They’re a great project manager”, or “They’re a genius who creates the best advertising campaigns in our region.” If you don’t consciously create your brand, other people will do it for you. A one-minute pitch or elevator speech is not only important for start-ups. It helps the audience understand your impact and strengths. Develop a clear and concise self-introduction, explaining who you are and how your past skills relate to your current work. What is your mission? What do you value as a person?

4. You create your brand every day. The truth is that everything you do is visible to other people in some way. Whether in real life or online, it affects your personal brand. Treat everyone with equal respect, regardless of their position – be it customer service or CEO. Estonia is too small to be rude to those with nothing to offer you.

1 min read

META Advisory is Estonia’s most successful public relations company

Äripäev’s annual conference on communication management has recognised the best public relations companies in Estonia, and META Advisory shares the top spot this year with Akkadian.

According to Andreas Kaju, founder and partner of META, the agency’s success is based on its comprehensive communication management and execution approach. META has a culture of impact, success, cohesiveness and collaboration. “What sets us apart from other agencies is our unrivalled regional value proposition – META Advisory teams in other Baltic countries and a strong network of partners,” said Kaju. “We approach our clients through a very hands-on advisory approach. Our processes are well thought out, our teams have strong competence, and we apply client relationship management principles that enable us to deliver the financial performance that the business environment allows at any given time, year after year,” he said.

“META HAS A CULTURE OF IMPACT, SUCCESS, COHESIVENESS AND COLLABORATION.”

That’s why META has people who, besides having a broad reach, also have specific competencies or long experience and domain knowledge in one or another business area – food and beverage, financial services, medical and healthcare, technology and start-ups. “In addition, we have people with specialized skills and knowledge in technical professional areas such as personal branding and LinkedIn campaigns, digital marketing bootstrapping, reputation architecture, crisis management, etc.,” Kaju highlighted.

META Advisory would like to thank its clients who have trusted us as partners and encouraged us to evolve continuously. “Only with you can we successfully solve complex communication challenges and projects,” said Kaju.

See the full ranking of the TOP PR firms with in-depth comments from the winners HERE.

2 min read

Five tips to get to the heart of Gen Z through effective communication

With every year, Generation Z makes up a larger share of the population with purchasing power. To win their loyalty, you need to start targeting them now.

Who is Gen Z?

Gen Z is characterised by openness, high technological awareness and a global perspective.

Gen Z is commonly defined as people born between 1997 and 2015. They are characterised by a constant orientation towards the virtual world, with an increasing emphasis on community. The community, be it, influencer followers, social media groups or even forums, is increasingly guiding their consumption decisions. As a result, Gen Z is strongly connected to ‘its clan’, based on shared values, experiences and worldview.

The interactivity of social media allows young people to ask each other for advice and constantly share their views. Gen Z is socially inclined and can quickly acquire knowledge and learn new skills.

Why is Gen Z important?

Young people are becoming an increasingly large part of the purchasing population. What’s more, Gen Z already has more purchasing power than previous generations at their age. One of the reasons for this is that Gen Zers are entering the workforce at younger age. It should be remembered that when marketing a brand, it is necessary to reach potential consumers as early as possible. The earlier we reach Gen Z, the more likely young people – both now and in the future – will want to be associated with a brand they identify with and believe in.

Companies and institutions that are forward-thinking and involve young people in developing marketing strategies will have an advantage.

How do you communicate to Gen Z?

To reach young people, you need to be in the same information space as Gen Z, know the unwritten rules of social media, and stay on top of ever-changing trends. The most important thing is to your communication to be:

Concrete. Gen Z’s attention spans fade quickly, so there’s little time to win it. You need to be able to deliver your message in just a few seconds or be able to generate interest for them to stay longer.
Outstanding. Amidst the constant information noise on social media, you need to stand out and evoke emotion in Gen Z.
Sincere. Gen Z is used to consuming mind-boggling amounts of information, so young people have a good nose for authenticity. They can see through vague talk and promises and are not afraid to call it out.

“Companies and institutions that are forward-thinking and involve young people in developing marketing strategies will now have an advantage.”

It is essential to understand that Gen Z not only consumes information but also creates it. A successful communication strategy can initiate a discussion that allows Gen Z to identify with the proposed topic, share their opinions and pull the entire virtual space along with them.

Five tips to get to the heart of Gen Z:

Create a concrete and specific message.
Collaborate with the right influencers – find people in a similar age group, popular within the target audience, and who are trusted or known.
Speak up on current issues and be active in promoting your brands values.
Pay attention to user experience, too – nothing embarrasses Gen Z more than a cluttered website and bad internet.
Use interactive and innovative solutions. Gen Z’s attention span is quickly distracted, so it’s essential to engage them from the first moment and make them feel like they’re a part of the promotion.