I often emphasize the importance of visibility. However, today I want to highlight another aspect: the troubling trend of pursuing visibility purely for the sake of algorithms. Active participation in visibility challenges and daily posting can lead to unintended consequences, ultimately undermining rather than strengthening your personal brand. Let me explain:
Imagine attending a networking event where one person dominates every conversation. He speaks loudly and frequently, sharing snippets of information without depth or relevance. Initially, his presence might draw attention, but soon, the lack of substance becomes apparent. Conversations with him feel too shallow, and you can’t figure out what exactly he is trying to say. You and others in the room start avoiding him, seeking more meaningful interactions elsewhere. This is exactly what happens online when people join yet another visibility challenge and flood their networks with constant updates, hoping to increase visibility. Yet, in almost every daily conversation I have, professionals mention someone they’ve unfollowed because “he/she posts all the time, and I don’t understand what is he saying and why.”
You can see everybody talking about “providing value,” yet how many of the recent posts in your feed actually did that? Recently, I have seen too many people prioritize quantity over quality. They flood LinkedIn with daily posts, believing frequent activity will boost their visibility. Are they more visible? Yes. However, from a personal branding perspective, visibility on its own is not enough. Visibility has to increase your credibility as an expert, and every post and comment either adds to your credibility or subtracts from it. To be perceived as an expert, you need to have and share meaningful ideas, you actually need to have something of value to say, some point to deliver. Without that, visibility can quickly become a noise rather than a meaningful engagement.
Authenticity is crucial for effective personal branding. And in the pursuit of visibility, forced content loses your personality and energy. If you don’t know what to post, don’t. If you don’t feel like posting, either change your state or don’t post. People will sense your lack of passion and emotion, and ChatGPT-written generalized texts will just emphasize that. Posting doesn’t establish expertise—it’s your unique perspective, ideas, and passion for your subject that do.
Last but not least, pressure to maintain a constant online presence can lead to fatigue or, even worse, burnout. In the long run, there is no value in being visible for a couple of months and then disappearing again. Find the right and natural schedule for you and stick to that.
My advice?
- Share unique insights and contribute only when you have something valuable to say.
- Use your natural voice: Many ask how they should sound on LinkedIn. My advice: like yourself, just as you are in real life. Anything else works against you.
While visibility is crucial for personal branding success, it’s only effective when it’s valuable and authentic. By all means, be visible, but in a way that enhances rather than detracts from your professional presence. By maintaining a balance that prioritizes substance and authenticity, you can build a personal brand that resonates authentically with your audience and stands the test of time and algorithms.
Join me on a journey to building a global personal brand: https://olesija.ck.page/a33576a470
