LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool.
Whether you’re here to grow your business, expand your influence, find new career opportunities, or build relationships within your industry, this platform can open doors that no other social network can.
But just like any tool, how you use it determines the results you get.
Use it the right way, and you’ll build meaningful connections, become known in your niche, and see real business results.
Use it the wrong way, and you’ll damage your reputation, burn potential relationships, and end up labeled as just another sales spammer.
That’s why this edition of the newsletter is so important.
I’m going to walk you through the 3 things you should never, ever do on LinkedIn—regardless of your industry, role, or goals.
Each of these points is based on years of experience, observing thousands of profiles, and working with clients who come to me after trying “shortcuts” that backfired.
This is your roadmap to avoid those mistakes and position yourself as a trusted, respected presence in your space.
1. Never Use Software That Auto-Connects or Messages for You
Let’s start with the most common trap: automation tools.
We’ve all seen them.
You receive a connection request that seems generic.
You accept.
Then within 30 seconds, you get a message that looks like it was copied and pasted, followed by a sequence of follow-up messages that don’t sound human.
You’re not imagining it.
That’s software doing the talking.
And it’s a huge red flag.
What is automation software on LinkedIn?
These are third-party tools that promise to do your outreach for you.
They connect with people on your behalf, send templated messages, and follow up automatically—at scale.
They often advertise features like:
- Auto-visiting profiles
- Auto-liking and commenting on posts
- Sending “drip sequences” via LinkedIn messaging
- Connecting with hundreds of people per day without you lifting a finger
The pitch is tempting: set it and forget it.
Let the software fill your pipeline while you do other things.
But here’s the truth:
Automation destroys trust.
LinkedIn is a human platform.
The whole point is that you’re showing up as you—your experience, your voice, your value.
When someone realizes they’re talking to a bot, they don’t just ignore the message.
They actively feel deceived.
And that has consequences.
Why it doesn’t work anymore
A few years ago, this tactic did work.
For a short time.
But as users got smarter and LinkedIn tightened its rules, the platforms adapted, and not in a good way.
Here’s what we see today:
- Low acceptance rates on connection requests
- High message ignore rates
- Account warnings or restrictions from LinkedIn (yes, they can detect many of these tools)
- Damaged personal brand as people begin to block, report, or publicly call out the behavior
This approach goes directly against LinkedIn’s terms of service. But more importantly, it goes against the spirit of the platform.
When you rely on automation, you aren’t building relationships. You’re just playing a numbers game.
And LinkedIn is not the place for that.
What to do instead
If you want to connect with new people, grow your network, and start meaningful conversations, here’s a better approach:
- Connect Intentionally. Connect with people that you actually have something in common with from a business perspective.
- Send human-first follow-ups. Ask a question. Offer a compliment. Start a conversation, not a pitch.
- Engage with their content. Before you message someone, like or comment on something they’ve shared. Show that you’re invested in them, not just your outcome.
- Focus on fewer, deeper connections. You don’t need 1,000 connections this month. You need 10-15 solid ones who see your value and want to engage with you.
Automation promises speed, but in reality, it slows you down by damaging the very relationships you’re trying to build.
2. Never Let Someone Log Into Your Account and Pretend To Be You
This one might sound obvious, but it happens way more than people think.
In fact, there’s an entire industry of “done-for-you LinkedIn growth” services that log into your account, write and schedule posts for you, comment on others’ content, and even send messages under your name—without you ever logging in.
It’s not just outsourcing content strategy. It’s outsourcing your identity.
The problem with “ghost engagement”
While having someone support your content calendar or help you write better posts is perfectly reasonable, the moment someone else starts pretending to be you in conversations or engagement?
That’s where the danger starts.
Because here’s the truth:
No one can be you better than you.
People connect on LinkedIn because they want to know you.
Not your assistant.
Not your VA.
Not an agency copywriter.
You!
When someone engages with you in the comments or receives a message, they assume the person on the other end is… well, the person in the profile photo.
And when they find out it wasn’t?
- Trust is broken
- Credibility is lost
- The entire relationship becomes tainted
It’s worse than just ignoring someone.
It feels like a betrayal.
Risk to your account and brand
Beyond the relationship damage, there are also security and compliance issues:
- Giving someone else access to your login is against LinkedIn’s user agreement
- It increases the risk of your account being restricted or permanently banned
- It opens your inbox and personal brand to mistakes that you are accountable for—even if someone else made them
There’s a big difference between outsourcing support and outsourcing your voice.
What to do instead
If you want help managing LinkedIn (and many busy professionals do), try this:
- Collaborate, don’t delegate. Work with a coach, content strategist, or ghostwriter—but be the one to hit publish, respond to messages, and show up in real time.
- Use tools to support, not replace. Scheduling tools, analytics dashboards, or even content prompts are fine. But the voice must still be yours.
- Batch and time-block your engagement. Set aside 20-30 minutes per day to check notifications, respond to comments, and engage with others. It goes a long way.
- Train a team member to assist, not impersonate. If someone is helping you behind the scenes, make sure they never speak as you. They can prep drafts, flag messages, or organize replies—but your responses should come from you.
The goal isn’t to be perfect. It’s to be present.
Even if you’re not on LinkedIn all day, people will appreciate that the interactions they do have with you are real, thoughtful, and authentic.
3. Never Pitch or Sell Directly to Your Audience (Especially Not in DMs or Connection Requests)
This might be the biggest mistake I see on LinkedIn every day.
You accept a connection request… Within 10 minutes, you get a sales pitch.
No context.
No relationship.
Just a link or a calendar invite and a generic offer.
It’s aggressive. It’s impersonal.
And it doesn’t work.
Why cold pitching backfires
The intent behind these messages is usually good.
People are trying to generate leads, land clients, or grow their business.
But the execution is off.
LinkedIn is a social platform, not a sales platform.
When you jump straight to the pitch, you skip over the most important part of the sales process: trust.
Without trust, no sale will happen.
When someone connects with you, they’re opening the door for a relationship, not permitting you to sell to them immediately.
Pitching too soon signals that:
- You’re not interested in them, just their wallet
- You’re not willing to build a real connection
- You’re treating LinkedIn like a cold email platform, not a community
What to do instead
If you want to generate leads from LinkedIn, here’s a much better approach:
- Lead with value. Always. Post helpful content. Share insights. Answer questions. Give away ideas. The more value you offer freely, the more people want to work with you.
- Use content to attract, not chase. When you consistently show up and speak to the problems your audience faces, the right people will come to you. You don’t have to hard-sell them—they’ll reach out when they’re ready.
- Build relationships through conversation, not conversion. Ask questions in the DMs. Celebrate wins. Comment thoughtfully. Help without expectation. Let the relationship develop before suggesting a next step.
- Make it easy to find your offer—without pushing it. Use your LinkedIn profile strategically. Your headline, about section, featured section, and pinned content can all point to your offer, lead magnet, or service—without you ever having to send a pitch in the DMs.
Selling on LinkedIn isn’t bad. Pitching too early is.
When you take the time to build rapport, show your expertise, and engage genuinely, the pitch writes itself—and usually comes as a reply to something you didn’t even initiate.
LinkedIn works.
That’s not up for debate.
But the way you use it determines whether it works for you or against you.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Don’t automate human connection. Automation might be efficient, but it’s not effective when trust is your most valuable currency.
- Don’t outsource your identity. Your voice, your values, and your presence are what build credibility. No one else can do that for you.
- Don’t pitch before you connect. Selling is not the first step—it’s the result of relationship-building done right.
If you’re serious about growing your business, your brand, or your impact on LinkedIn, focus on these timeless strategies:
- Show up consistently
- Add value freely
- Engage authentically
- Build relationships intentionally
That’s how you win on LinkedIn in 2025—and beyond.
What was your biggest takeaway from this week’s newsletter edition?
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