Yesterday, when I logged on to LinkedIn, I was immediately greeted with a new post from Gwen Stefani.
My first reaction was one of wonder and puzzlement - Gwen Stefani on LinkedIn? But then I made complete sense of it.
Why not? Stefani's a business owner with an accomplished career in the entertainment industry. While she's new to the LinkedIn channel, she already has more followers than other celebrities who have turned to LinkedIn unsuccessfully, like Megan Fox (who probably forgot she has a LinkedIn profile).
Can Stefani be successful with the platform? Absolutely, especially if she stays clear of these 'Don'ts'.
- Don't be a one hit wonder - LinkedIn users are advocates of the platform. They're busy business professionals, networking to grow their company and career. They'll welcome and be looking for more posts and updates featuring insightful business advice from Stefani in the future. Richard Branson is a prime example - he's been sharing his business advice post after post since October 2013.
- Don't make it all about the music - While music is Gwen Stefani's greatest business success, she also has an accomplished career in other areas (see her profile). LinkedIn users will also want to hear about her marketing strategies, how she's used networking to advance her career and make important connections, who her professional mentors are, how she leads her company, and maybe even some fashion advice for older business professionals.
- Don't speak (too personally) - LinkedIn's not like other social media platforms where a trillion people follow you but you only have three important contacts. It's a business site and not the place for the type of casual, family and friend updates more commonly found on Facebook and Instagram. While it's obvious that Stefani's personal life inspired her latest album (I think her feature song, Make Me Like You, could have been titled Blake, Why Did You Make Me Like You), there's a place for family, romance and personal life, and it's not on LinkedIn. Stefani's profile shows she gets it, that she understands the platform, and that she's keeping things very professional.
Stefani's hitting Linkedin with the type of content users expect to see on that channel. She's also promoting her latest work on Twitter (using the hashtag #ThisIsWhatTheTruthFeelsLike) and she's hosting a live Facebook Q&A later today. Time will tell if she's able to manage and contribute to them all separately.
What do you think of celebrities turning to LinkedIn? Do you feel a legitimate business connection?
The post Will Gwen Stefani's New LinkedIn Profile Be A Hit? appeared first on myMarketing Cafe.