Chasing likes

 

Last week, I saw a musical written and produced by “Theaterschool de Springplank” from Amersfoort (NL). It was the musical IMPACT about social media and its effect on teenagers. The actors were all teenagers, who all sang beautifully and acted impressively.

We usually talk about the effect of social media on our children. The positive side (connecting, creativity, information sharing, creating awareness) is usually discussed less frequently than the negative side of social media (privacy, cyberbullying, addiction, mental health, misinformation). When discussing these social media platforms, we usually discuss TikTok, Instagram,  Snapchat, and Facebook (for the ‘oldies’).

But what about chasing likes on this platform, LinkedIn? Of course, there are differences in using LinkedIn or, for example, Instagram.  These are different platforms. Insta is a more diverse platform where personal content and branding are more important than professional content or branding. LinkedIn engagement is usually done to build professional connections, while Insta is more about personal connection – networking versus socializing.

Of course, many businesses use Instagram as a marketing tool for storytelling, brand building, community building, and product promotion, often using influencers to do this for them.

Returning to the similarity between chasing likes on LinkedIn versus other social media platforms.

• We see lots of likes as a validation of our content – the pitfall is that it does not always say anything about the quality of our content or the quality or professionalism of the person posting.
• The number of likes is more important than the quality of the content – are we creating clickbait or sensationalized posts rather than good content? Is my content fun enough or too technical?
• When you see others getting lots of likes, what does this do to you? Do you feel less adequate, less professional, or even an imposter?
• How do we guard our authenticity? Often, I see posts multiple times on my timeline. Is this the algorithm, or is it due to reposting the same content (sometimes with small changes)?
• Feeling the pressure of posting. LinkedIn’s analytical graphs clearly show the number of engagements you have not posted for a while. And if you did not check the analytics, you will get emails telling you you have been missed(….)

I wanted to share some thoughts with you, which were initiated by watching a musical with my 14-year-old daughter. At the minimum, it allowed me to write a post, making me feel content about attaining my quotum of weekly posts and allowing me to chase more likes. 🙂