How is your LinkedIn output affected by the news and events happening around you?

It’s easy to feel anxious at the moment, given all the things happening in the world.

When you scroll through your news feed or look at social media, you’ll be bombarded by rocketing fuel prices, political polarisation and the ongoing war in Ukraine, and more besides.

I don’t know about you, but I find it all a bit overwhelming and I wonder if it’s starting to affect how I come across on social media.

So I asked my network to see how they felt about their LinkedIn content in light of the negative news and events swirling around.

40% of respondents find it harder to be positive on LinkedIn, while 7% of people are posting less than before.

But the surprise finding for me was a fifth of people saying they are doubling down on positivity. Perhaps that's what's needed right now?

Graph showing 40% of people are finding it harder to be positive on Linkedin

Of course, a quick snapshot poll like this doesn't do credit to the nuances of the question. For a start, not everyone has the self-awareness to see if they are being affected by everything that's happening around them. I'm not sure if I do.

And if you are posting less, is it because you feel less inspired or are you just being sensitive to other people's situations? Likewise, if you're doubling down on positivity, are you telling more good news stories about your company, or sharing tons of pictures from your recent Safari in Kenya?

Whichever camp you fall into, it's import to go back to first principles and think about your core audiences: what is it that they need and what do they expect from you?

Why business leaders need to stay active during tough times

If you are a leader and see that 40% of your team are finding it hard to be positive, your active presence and leadership is more important than ever.

Going missing is not a good look.

I did a Sales Navigator search last week and found that CEOs of large companies in the UK (those employing over 1,000 people) are posting 2% less compared to a similar search I ran in October 2020.

CEOs of smaller UK companies (those employing 50-1,000 people) are posting 6% less than before.

Not massive drops, but looking at my Sales Navigator lists of active CEOs, I see a change of tone from many bosses who are playing it safe on social media by posting about everyday things like partnership announcements and results.

I posed the question to some of my peer group in the Social C-Suite group and Maybe* CEO Polly Barnfield replied to say...

“Saying nothing suggests one of two things … either you don’t care or you have nothing of value to say. As a leader, neither is a great. You don’t need to go all out and be a social media diva but showing up authentically matters. A lot.”

This sense of being present was reinforced by 'The Social CEO' author Damian Corbet, who said, "I think leaders absolutely need to lean in during tough times. To some extent, how much they say may depend on which industries the CEOs work in. Some will be less 'controversial' than others. Also, tone of voice and at least some basic PR nouse helps. Bernard Looney's profits statement for BP a few weeks ago, for example, was clearly misjudged and ended up with him being lampooned on the front of a national newspaper."

Learning from Connected Leaders

I've seen a few examples of leaders who have impressed me on LinkedIn recently.

Take a look at Brewdog’s James Watt, who has been taking the government to task about the fuel crisis and explaining how inflation hits his business.

Read this post about how the opening of Brewdog’s Waterloo bar is reason to celebrate, but that the government mustn’t ignore the challenges of the hospitality industry. His follow up post this week offering solutions is also worth a read.

Not every CEO wants to be as political or confrontational as that, so how about Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi. She keeps a steady flow of content on LinkedIn, covering topics such as women in leadership, ESG and manufacturing - always with a positive frame of mind, bringing a different perspective to the table.

Or how about NatWest CEO Alison Rose, who consistently publishes on the platform and also manages to engage with others, especially colleagues at NatWest. Working in the financial services sector, many would forgive her for being quiet during a cost of living crisis, but she has maintained her presence.

NatWest CEO Alison Rose shares her experiences on LinkedIn

Putting the 'social' back into social media

In many respects social media can be a bit like tabloid newspapers, with more salacious or incendiary content rising to the top.

But that doesn’t mean playing to the gallery is the right thing to do.

I work in the business-to-business sector, which means LinkedIn is the preferred platform for most clients. And while it’s far from perfect, it’s not anywhere near as noisy and negative as Twitter, YouTube or Facebook.

So the opportunities to connect with other people on a human level is much easier and the risk of getting caught up in a verbal jousting match is relatively small (unless you go looking for it).

During the pandemic LinkedIn helped to make sense of all the challenges and enabled me and millions of others to connect in solidarity with others. In the months ahead it could form a similar role - but if only works if people turn up and get involved.

Why it's important for leaders to be active on LinkedIn during uncertain times

Why business leaders need to stay active during tough times

Learning from Connected Leaders

Putting the 'social' back into social media

Further reading