Jonathan Jordan on LinkedIn: One red flag to NEVER ignore: Unkindness. ⤵ A publisher reached out to… | 73 comments (2024)

3 recent experiments I did with LinkedIn(and what I learned):My impressions have been taking a dive like everyone else's so I decided to not give a fork and run some experiments.(Caveat: Results may vary. Meet with an attorney/tax advisor/primary care physician, etc. etc.)Experiment 1: Use LinkedIn's post scheduler.-I've been using Buffer since the fall because it lets me plan my posts in a more visual way-It's more tedious to see all your scheduled posts on LI's tool-But since my impressions were down, I thought, "Hey, maybe they are downgrading posts scheduled through 3rd-party apps."-Plus, the downside of Buffer is that you can't @ people. I always had to remember to "edit" my post ASAP if I needed to tag someone. And according to Holly Crawshaw (and others), editing your post is bad for reach.Verdict: Posting in LI's scheduler vs. Buffer showed literally no direct impact in my post's reach.2. Try out LinkedIn Premium.-I'd used Premium over a year ago before I knew what I was doing. Cancelled it.-Free trial offer winked at me and I thought, "Hey, maybe it'll help my growth now."-It didn't. (Though being able to see all my profile views was kinda cool.)-Forgot to cancel before trial was over. Got charged $70. Oh well.-But overall, it had no noticeable effect on reach, engagement, or followers.3. Comment on others' comments and visit their profiles.-Commenting takes a ton of time, guys.-And I'm no Adam Knorr, the King of Comment Strategy.-But we all know commenting is valuable.-So I spent an extra hour every day last week, going to visit some profiles for people I wasn't connected to and commenting if it made sense to.Maybe I experiment too much on here rather than sticking with one "thing."But I see LinkedIn as a playground, not a library. (No disrespect to libraries.)But the biggest lesson from all 3 experiments was this:-Create value.You can try to "game" the system all you want, but the ultimate game that the system is playing is value.>>>What's an experiment you've run here on LinkedIn?

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You’re believing a lie about yourself:“I don’t have any interesting stories to tell.”LIELIELIEWe tend to minimize our own stories.They make up our “normal.”But your normal is someone else’s curiosity.Your normal is someone else’s relatability.I tend to downplay my 8 years working with kids in foster care because it’s not “related” to my work now.But others find it fascinating.And those years stretched me into a MUCH better listener.That time made me more empathetic. Less know-it-ally, less judgmental.Your story is a rich source of:➡️Insights➡️Inspiration➡️InnovationWhat’s the story you’re not telling yet?Why not?Who might benefit?>>>your turn. What’s a job you had that doesn’t seem related to what you do now but helped you grow?=====Hi I’m Jonathan Jordan and I help people find their Inner Storyteller in books and on LinkedIn.➡️Find 100 Story Ideas in my Featured Section.

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I used to look down on ghostwriters.Then I suddenly realized I'd become one. ⤵ Whoops.The fact is I didn't understand what ghostwriting actually looked like.I believed many of the common myths out there:-"Ghostwriting isn't real writing...it's cheating."-"Ghostwriting is settling."-"I'd never let someone else put their name on my hard work."-And other statements that have made me eat crow.Wrote this for my blog months ago but it deserves to be here on the wonderful world of LinkedIn too.>>>Which myth surprises you most? Or what would you add?

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So many aspiring authors get this wrong: ⤵ How they request feedback.They ask early readers, "Did you like it?"Which puts your test readers in a terrible bind.Because you're only offering them "black" or "white" when writing is a landscape of colors.Instead, here's all you need to ask your early readers:1. Which parts bored you?2. Which parts excited you?That's it.First time I ever sent something to beta readers, I gave zero parameters.➡ So I heard back from zero people.Next time, I gave about 10 parameters.➡ And I heard back from about one-third.The most recent time, I provided the above directions.➡ I heard back from 90%.Don't overwhelm people with the feedback you're requesting.Instead, K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple, Sam)"Yes/No" is simple, true, but it leaves zero room for nuance."Like/Dislike" gives more room for detail and creates safety for people to say, "I didn't like this part and here's why.""Yes/No" invites condemnation. "Like/Dislike" invites conversation.It's true in books.It's true in companies.It's (probably) true in life.>>>What parts of this post bored you?=====Hey, I'm Jonathan Jordan and I help people find their Inner Storyteller. You can start by going to my Featured section to get 100 Story Ideas.

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2.5 weeks ago, I saw a musical about a ghostwriter. It's called "Hamilton." ⤵In 2016, I drove from Dallas, TX to Bismarck, ND.So I listened to Ron Chernow's biography about Alexander Hamilton, which inspired the hit musical.Chernow details how Hamilton became Washington's ghostwriter,from urgent war correspondences,to the famous Farewell Address.Washington was a great leader.Not the best writer.But great leaders understand the power of words.So he found the person who could help find the best words to his ideas.Which is the true value of a ghostwriter who "gets" you.They help you find the best version of your message,to transform ideas into impact.Ghostwriters are an investmentin your Whyin your Legacyin your Strategy.I'm not the ghostwriter for everyone.Which is why I've connected with other ghostwriters I trust.If you've got questions about ghostwriting, just ask:-in the comments-in the DMs-in a 20-minute Q&A>>>In the meantime, what's your favorite "Hamilton" song? And why is it "Wait For it"?

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Stupid writing tip:Write at a 9th-grade level. (10th at most.) ⤵ My client thought I was joking when I told him this.So I asked:"When you read, do you want to think hard about what you're reading ... or do you want to understand without trying?""Understand without trying, of course," he said, as if it was too obvious.(Insert lightbulb.)"Oh ..."You don't need to prove how smart you are.You don't need to impress your reader.You don't need to be a thesaurus.If your reader has to read a sentence twice ...... you've already lost 'em.Instead of trying to sound smart,make your audience FEEL smart.It's the smartest move you can make.>>>How do you keep yourself from being "too smart" in your writing?

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Ever had a movie hit too close to home?I felt that way watching "Inside Out 2" last week. ⤵ Y'all know my status as a Disney Adult + Movie Nerd."Inside Out" is one of my favorite Pixar movies,so I was both excited and nervous about the sequel.Not just because sequels sometimes don't live up to the hype,but because I've also been open here about my own struggles with anxiety.(I mean, I literally had a full-blown panic attack at Disneyland in 2022.)Without giving too much away,several scenes made me tear up.Because it felt like the inside of my own head.You want to know what makes a story stick?Our emotions.The "sticky" stories are the ones that make us feel:-Joy-Sadness-Anger-Disgust-FearAnd yes, even Anxiety.(and the occasional cameo by Nostalgia.)A story powered by emotion makes your audience feel seen.And when they feel seen, they connect.When we connect, we can make an impact.That's the power of Story + Emotion.>>>Have you seen "Inside Out 2" yet? What did you think?

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Have you tackled these LinkedIn must-dos? ⤵ ✅ A freebie offer (aka "lead magnet") in your Featured section✅ A simple branded banner directing people to your Featured sectionWell, now I can say I have.I usually spend Sunday afternoons as dedicated storytelling time, either drafting my posts for the week or working on personal projects. But yesterday, I spent the time:▶Creating the PDF for my new lead magnet▶Adding it to my Featured section▶Revamping my banner▶Rewatching "Mad Max: Fury Road"(Hey, you know what happens with "all work, no play.")Look, I'm no LinkedIn expert. Not by a long shot.But I'm a big believer in sharing your Story.And your banner and Featured section is one of the easiest ways you can start sharing your Story.So ... I guess it was still dedicated to storytelling after all.Oh yeah ... if you want 100 Story Ideas ...... see my Featured section.▶▶▶How are you sharing your story in your Featured section?

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Sunday School (story edition):Ever had a problem?Turn it into a story.The formula’s pretty simple.(See da link.)

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