Pretty much everyone professional is on LinkedIn today. While LinkedIn is great for some network-reliant businesses, it’s a little bit less helpful for others. Here are a five businesses types that won’t get much from using LinkedIn.
#1: Self-published authorship: Unless you’re writing about business-related topics, you’re better off promoting your material on social media sites that are more geared toward entertainment and pleasure, like Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit. People on LinkedIn may be bored and scrolling, but the vast majority are only on there to network, find new jobs, and get professional updates.
#2: Art: Some people do manage to sell corporate art, and if you can make that work, then kudos to you. It’s often easier to get an agent for that because most of the people in the office aren’t making decisions about what’s getting installed on the walls. If you work with some sort of visual medium, your best bet is visually oriented networks like Instagram or DeviantArt.
#3: Music: Again, the vast majority of people on LinkedIn are not looking for a musical gig for the next party or event. When they do look for one, it will probably be through word of mouth, advertising, or google. You’re better off getting an experienced ad manager to place a few ads here and there.
#4: Educational courses. If you’re one of the many people who has seen the entrepreneurial light of making courses for websites like Udemy, you may think that LinkedIn is a good venue for promoting your content. It may be if you’re teaching about business topics. But if you’re teaching about any subject in the liberal arts, you’re better off turning to other social media networks and maybe dropping a promotional ebook or two on LinkedIn.
#5: Crafting. Some people are really handy with making stuff…whatever that stuff may be. Your best bet for arts and crafting is Pinterest or Etsy. While people scrolling on LinkedIn may stop and take a look at what you’re selling, they’re probably not in the headspace to make a decision about buying it. By contrast, the majority of Pinterest users are already looking for a product, so you have a more engaged audience.
Takeaways
In all of the above cases, you can certainly be the exception to the rule. While these five occupations are all artsy in nature, LinkedIn does have potential use for those who are interested in networking with other artists and finding agents—but direct sales may not be so forthcoming.
Seek expert advice if LinkedIn is not working for you.
