Originally posted on www.carnsight.com
In our ‘two minutes with’ blog posts, you can get to know the members of Carnsight Communications even better. Today, we’re introducing our newest team member, Taylor!
Taylor will be joining us over the summer, learning all things PR and Social Media. She has an undergraduate degree in Fashion Branding and Communications, and she’s currently studying for her masters degree in Marketing and Brand Management.
Featuring one very adorable Edie, the English bulldog.
Name: Taylor Wilkins
Job Title: Summer Intern
Joined Carnsight: 18th May 2026
Why are you interested in PR and Social Media? I find PR really exciting! The industry is constantly growing and you’re constantly learning new skills. Being able to connect and meet new people is always so much fun!
Preferred social media channel: TikTok (100% get stuck in a doom scroll from time to time)
How do you have coffee in the morning: I’m not a huge coffee fan but if I do you can never go wrong with a caramel frappe (but all in all I’m a Coke Zero girl)
Dream job as a child: I always wanted to be a fashion designer
Sum yourself up in three words: Creative, Kind and Bubbly
Star sign: Pisces
Grew up and born: I was born in Bristol and raised there before moving to Bournemouth for my Undergraduate Degree, then moved back to Bristol for my Master’s Degree.
Favourite movie: Coraline!! (I know the whole movie script off by heart)
Favourite dog breed: French Bulldog (they’re just so cute and silly)
Any pets: I am very lucky to have an English Bulldog called Edie
Favourite word: Sparkle – just has a cute ring to it
Least favourite word: Squelch !!!
Playlist: Bella Kay has been at the top of my Spotify lately, but Michael Jackson’s Thriller will always be my favourite album.
Dream destination: Anywhere in France – Particularly Paris
What’s one thing about you we’d never guess? I love Formula One, the cars the speed and the excitement is all so fun to watch.
Name three things that make you happy: Cheerleading, My sister and Fashion.
So that’s Taylor! Want to know the rest of the Carnsight team? Spend two minutes with Jess, Leigh-Ann, Alexandra or Ellen.
Strike Communications has been shortlisted for two awards in the CIPR Excellence Awards 2026 and an award in the PRCA DARE Awards 2026, marking a standout moment for the Bristol-based agency.
For the national CIPR Excellence Awards, the team is in the running for Small PR Consultancy of the Year, a category that recognises high-performing agencies delivering exceptional client work, business growth and industry impact. Strike has also been shortlisted for Low Budget Campaign of the Year at the CIPR Excellence Awards and Low Budget Campaign in the PRCA DARE Awards for its Bring Turner Home campaign, delivered in partnership with Bristol Museum & Art Gallery last summer.
Run by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the Excellence Awards are among the most respected in the industry, celebrating campaigns, teams and individuals that have made a genuine difference – from shifting perceptions to delivering measurable, meaningful results.
The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) DARE Awards brings more top-tier recognition, celebrating the best PR and communications professionals across the UK, with winners determined by a panel of highly respected industry experts.
The recognition comes after three years of strong growth for Strike and it’s most successful year to date last year – the result of its clear strategy on providing values-led strategic consultancy with creative, high-impact campaigns.
The Bring Turner Home campaign captured national attention by rallying public and media support around Bristol Museum’s ambitious bid to bring J.M.W. Turner’s The Rising Squall masterpiece back to the city. Delivered on a modest budget, the campaign demonstrated how strategy, cultural insight and compelling storytelling can drive significant reach and engagement.
Strike’s founder and managing director, Catherine Frankpitt, said: “Being recognised nationally for both our agency performance and our campaign work highlights the breadth and impact of Strike’s work. Seeing our name alongside some big names in the industry and long-established London agencies is real validation for how far we’ve come in the last couple of years. This is real recognition to the Strike team, all of whom put their heart and soul into ensuring we deliver for our clients and remain true to our mission of delivering positive social impact through our work.”
The winners of the CIPR Excellence Awards will be announced at a ceremony in London on 1 July 2026, with the PRCA DARE Awards announced in Bristol on 1 June 2026.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
PR is incredibly powerful but it’s never at its best unless it’s working as part of a wider strategy. The businesses that see real impact from their PR make sure that it sits within a wider ecosystem of social media, paid marketing, newsletters, content, events, and everything in between. When these things all work together, they amplify each other.
That’s the bit people often underestimate.
PR isn’t a magic fix. But when you link it up with the rest of your marketing activity, that’s when it really starts to work wonders.
PR is all about establishing credibility, visibility and trust. Of course, trust doesn’t form from one single touchpoint. It’s something you build. It grows with consistency – the same messages, the same tone, the same values, showing up across every channel.
Think about it like this: PR builds trust. Marketing builds reach. Social media builds community. Paid activity builds momentum. Newsletters build relationships. When all these different elements are aligned, you create a consistent experience that reinforces your message at every point.
Then people start to recognise you, understand you and believe you.
There are tons of ways that PR and social media connect, but sharing coverage on socials is one of the easiest ways to amplify your PR efforts. A single piece of coverage could become:
Sharing PR on your social channels helps you reach people who might not have seen the original piece. It reinforces your message in a place where your audience already spends time. If you want a more in depth explanation, we’ve written a whole blog on developing a social media strategy you can check out here.
Paid marketing is brilliant for getting in front of the right people quickly. PR is brilliant for showing those people why they should trust you. So when you combine the two, you get reach and credibility.
For example, you could:
People are more likely to act when they’ve seen both authority and consistency.
These are just a few examples of who different elements can intertwine. Ultimately, PR is never just about getting your name in the press. It’s more about building a brand people recognise, trust and want to come back to. And that only happens when PR sits alongside everything else you’re doing to show up consistently.
That’s why it’s best not to treat PR as a standalone service. Together, all the different elements work to help you shape your message, strengthen your story and make sure it lands across every channel in a way that feels aligned, intentional and unmistakably you. Because when all those moving parts work together, that’s when you see real momentum.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
Let’s be honest, meetings are kind of a necessary evil when it comes to the corporate world, but there’s been a lot of talk in the media recently about just how necessary they are. With spring in the air and spring-cleaning season upon us, now could be a great time to spring clean your diary and tidy up those endless meetings.
Understandably, 2020-2022 saw a huge increase in the average number of meetings held. I think because we were all massively craving human connection during lockdowns. The thing is, that increase in meetings seems to have stuck and we’re all having more meetings than ever before. A report from Otter.AI on the cost of unnecessary meetings showed that employees are frustrated by the current volume of meetings. Almost half (46%) agree that they have too many unnecessary meetings in their calendar.
A lot has changed in the past few years, including how we define, expect, and run meetings. More people work hybrid roles and it’s far less common to travel for work and thus virtual meetings are still being used as a way to bring people together in one place. While virtual meetings were used to form connections and boost employee morale during the Covid lockdowns, too many virtual meetings are having the opposite effect today and arguably, we’ve all become a little too reliant on them. The takeaway: Just because you can, and we did, doesn’t mean that we still should. Perhaps it’s time to reassess and clear out the cupboard.
Meetings aren’t always useless, though. In fact, a well-run meeting can be incredibly valuable, but perhaps during the lockdowns we all got a little bit too used to having a meeting for the sake of talking to another person in a day of being locked away inside. Now we have to get back into the habit of interrogating the purpose of meetings before we send over that diary invite. Here are some tips for things to consider when sending or agreeing to a meeting invite. Take each meeting (especially reoccurring meetings) in your calendar and ask the following questions:
Before putting a meeting in the calendar, it’s vital to ask what the purpose of the meeting is.
What do you want the meeting to achieve? What needs to be done in order for everyone on present to consider it a success by the end? What are the ‘must’, the ‘would be nice to’ and the ‘if there’s time’ goals of the meeting?
Though agendas are a pain to write, and often go unread, ensuring everyone who’s coming to the meeting at the very least knows what that meeting needs to achieve is very important. It’s also important that everyone who’s been invited to the meeting comes prepared with anything necessary to achieve those goals as efficiently as possible.
It’s worth noting that connection and morale are still valid reasons to hold a meeting. It can be nice to check in with your team in the morning, everyone with their coffees and a smile. However, you have to be sure that that purpose has been established in advance, that everyone is on the same page and ask if a meeting is really what people need for morale at that moment, or if another event, activity or treat is better suited.
But really.
Having too many attendees is a sure-fire way to lose control of a meeting. It’s also incredibly frustrating to be sat in a meeting with nothing to contribute and nothing to take away – those meetings are serious time sucks!
Think carefully about who needs to be present. Ensure everyone is given the space and consideration that add to the conversation. And also respect those who aren’t as vocal in meetings, remembering it’s about the end goal and establishing what’s necessary to achieve that, not waffling for the sake of it.
And when you decide, stick to it! Overrun meetings seem to be an epidemic! When the expectation is that the meeting will overrun, it’s much more common for people to go off track or meander. The workday is busy and there’s also a limit to how long people can concentrate when it comes to meetings, so keep it short and sweet where possible. If a longer meeting with multiple goals is necessary, consider scheduling in breaks. You’d be surprised how much can be done with very little – and we have a whole blog on that too!
Thank you for inviting me to the meeting. I appreciate the opportunity to participate, but I unfortunately won’t be able to attend due to some urgent matters that require my immediate attention. Please could you share any notes taken during the meeting, and I’ll make sure to review them. I look forward to catching up with you at a later date. If there are any actions required from my side, please do let me know, and I’ll be glad to carry them out when I have the capacity.
Meetings can be helpful and productive if done correctly. And the truth is, nailing the formula is difficult. Remember that it’s important to assess the necessity of each meeting and make sure it’s well-planned. With the right approach, meetings can be a valuable tool for communication and collaboration.
What is Thought Leadership in PR copy and why is it important?
Thought Leadership in PR copy is what sets companies apart from the competition. It demonstrates expertise by sharing valuable information, ideas and opinions. It’s called Thought Leadership because it shapes industry conversations which in turn build awareness and trust.
When you’re browsing through the trade magazines, some articles might stand out and capture your attention more than others. Occasionally you might find a feature about precisely the product you need and are ready to buy now, but more often than not you’ll skim through the pages to get an overview of who is doing what.
The articles that often stop us in our tracks are the ones that offer something new. Perhaps an innovative idea or an interesting insight, or it might give us a forward-thinking solution to an age-old problem.
Is Thought Leadership right for my business?
Yes!
When I put the idea of Thought Leadership to clients sometimes, they’ll feel a bit uncomfortable with the idea. They don’t think their company is big enough, they don’t think they are clever enough, or they don’t feel they have enough to say. Some don’t believe that anyone else would want to hear what they have to say because they’re not a market leader yet.
But these are exactly the kind of people readers want to hear from. If you have been in the industry for a while or you are an expert in your field, and you have an opinion or a view on the market, you can use Thought Leadership in your PR copy strategy.
Differentiation through Thought Leadership PR copy
There are not many markets that aren’t fiercely competitive, especially as, at the time of writing, the global economic landscape remains uncertain. Thought Leadership is an important strategic tool that can be used by individuals and businesses to stand out, gain trust in the market, and support success.
If you look through your industry’s trade press now, you will probably find a handful of people that appear everywhere. Individuals that are giving their opinions and often pushing boundaries in their field, or people providing expertise and guidance time and time again. They didn’t start out as the authoritative voice in the industry. Gradually, with consistent coverage, these people become increasingly influential.
The success of these individuals and companies then filters into a cycle of magazines and audiences wanting to hear more from them. They become the leading voice in their area of the market and people want to hear what they have to say.
Is Thought Leadership restricted to PR copy in trade magazines?
Absolutely not.
Longer pieces like blog posts or feature articles in trade magazines are a good place to start when it comes to Thought Leadership because you have a higher word count to explain your opinions and build a picture of your expertise. But the more mileage you can give your Thought Leadership PR copy, the better. You can break it down and use it in your content marketing for example, you can use it for the basis for podcast discussions, or e-mail marketing, or even as the subject of talks at industry events.
The only restriction to Thought Leadership is the time and effort it takes to pull these articles together. It takes time to come up with the ideas, to do any necessary research you need to back up your opinion or to help make your point, to write a full-page article or blog post, and to edit it to make sure it’s valuable for your audience and publication-ready for the magazines.
A dedicated PR copywriter with experience in Thought Leadership PR copy can be a hugely valuable asset if you don’t have the time, resource, or expertise in-house to translate your thoughts, opinions and advice into engaging copy. They will ghostwrite it too, so the article will still be in your name, so you can take all the credit for sounding authoritative, without spending hours writing the articles yourself.
A game changer for PR copy
Thought Leadership is a powerful marketing strategy that should not be underestimated by any business, no matter how big or small, well-known or not. Over time it can transform your marketing and attract the right customers, suppliers, and talent to your business.
PR copy that utilises Thought Leadership can be a game changer for companies with something valuable to say, and remember, if you are an expert in your field, you will have something valuable to say.
For help with your Thought Leadership PR copy, contact me today at [email protected]
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
It might sound logical, but many people skip one important step when they identify an event they’d like to speak at. Attending it. Even if you’re sure it’s a sweet spot for your target audience, here’s why going along in person long before you pitch can be the key to securing that spot.
We’re not short on information about events – through emails, images, social media and videos, we can get pretty close to the action. But nothing allows you to experience it like attending in person.
An event’s “vibe” might not be tangible, but it’s something you can certainly experience when you’re in the room. Are people there for debate, a catch up or networking? Do people attend the stands and how are attendees distributed during the day? Does the venue empty out at a certain time? This kind of information is invaluable to understanding it.
You might have identified an event as the perfect business touchpoint, and you may imagine the audience is spot on, but it’s difficult to gauge that unless you’re actually there. Sometimes even carefully researched conferences don’t deliver in the way you think they will. Or sometimes the audiences are much smaller and more niche than you’d imagine.
You could turn up and see that it’s spot on first-hand. But it could be even more useful to go along and be able to rule out one that you thought would deliver what you needed.
A conference flyer can’t tell you everything. It’s important to understand what kind of sessions there are and how the day plays out. For instance, sometimes there are breakout sessions that could be worth pitching in for, even if the headline spots are taken. By going along you can suss these out and be better equipped for your pitch.
By being there you’re in a good position to try and catch some of the speakers in person and find out more about their journey to being selected. Directly after their appearance you might find a queue of people waiting to speak to them, but catch them at coffee time or, if you don’t manage to, at least you can reach out on LinkedIn and say how much you enjoyed their contribution. That’s a much more powerful approach than completely cold and could get you some useful information.
As with anything, securing speaking opportunities starts with building good relationships. Do your research and understand who organises the conference beforehand, and make a point of introducing yourself during the day.
Remember, this isn’t the time to pitch, but it could be the time to start a conversation that you then follow up on LinkedIn or via email. Explain why you enjoyed the content on the day, ask more about how you pitch for a slot, get on any relevant submission mailing lists and be prepared to play the long game. Building good relationships with the right people can pay dividends, potentially leading to multiple appearances and more invitations to speak in future.
More conferences than ever are charging for speaking slots, and you can understand why. Venues and suppliers are getting more expensive, advertising models aren’t what they were and there’s a ceiling to what costs can be recouped on ticket sales.
A good way to understand the landscape is to attend and see the sponsorship opportunities live, and start to understand what might be charged for and what might be more editorial. In our experience, there are some red lines, but a compelling pitch that delivers exclusive content, or a really interesting speaker, can really help to open doors. Relevance is key.
We’ve seen time and again that the cost of attending a conference that you’d like to target could be one of the best investments you make. It’s all part of approaching securing a speaker slot strategically, rather than tactically. And if you’d like to chat about how we can help secure speaking slots, just let us know.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
PR is an incredibly powerful tool for business growth and development, but before you dive right in with a PR agency, or even your own in-house PR, there are certain things that are important to get sorted in preparation.
There are a few things that every PR consultancy will need from you to begin the process. Not having one of the following sorted before launching can cause delays and complications further down the line, so it’s vital to get your ducks in a row to prevent any problems arising.
Your website needs to make a fantastic first impression. It says everything you stand for clearly and reflects what you have communicated elsewhere. Less is more, so with a new site, focus on getting a few pages spot on initially and then build from there, rather than trying to stretch yourself too thinly with content that hasn’t been fully proofed.
As PRs we will link every journalist we speak to back to your website and in turn, they need to be able to feature it in their write-up, if relevant. And if there are errors, spelling mistakes, the inability to purchase something or there is too much friction in the user experience, this will reflect badly on your business. It might even make the difference between whether you are featured or not.
Your website is your internet home-base and you will send everyone there. Make sure before you start getting visitors, you’re absolutely ready to receive them.
We wrote a piece on the importance of good photography in PR, so take a look to see why images are vital to secure good PR coverage. It’s key you have good professional-looking headshots, pictures of any team altogether and even good images of your products.
Don’t go with shots you’ve gone off or worse still, never did like but felt you should use. Journalists will almost always require a good quality image along with any piece and it may even make for a bigger and better article or position.
It might sound obvious but we need up to date, accurate and relevant contact details for both the business as a whole and key individuals within the business. This is not only so that we can contact you, but so that should it be necessary, we can direct journalists your ways to interviews and prospective clients to the right place.
We can help you to think about who your key spokesperson or spokespeople will be and ensure they are easily contactable in a variety of ways. If they don’t work certain days or hours, it’s good to know up-front. We will also talk to you before any interviews to help you prepare. For a bit more on this see our recent post on how to prepare for journalist interviews.
Social media is a huge part of PR. It’s a great place to share content and interact with journalists. Social media builds awareness and demonstrates your connection to your customers and other members of the community. An inactive social media account reflects poorly on a business and can imply you’re not participating or engaging any longer. It can ultimately lead to a loss in credibility and followers.
When you start doing PR, you need a place to interact with and share both your own content and the content of others within your community. This will mean every piece of PR gets as wide a reach as possible. People within your business circles can also then see you putting yourself out there. You don’t need every account available – try and focus on one or two that really resonate with your audience. At Carnsight we’re most active on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Marketing and PR should work hand-in-hand and help support each other. There’s more here in our piece on PR and marketing with marketing consultant, Nat Sharp. It’s important we know your marketing and any content plan and ensure they work alongside our strategy and timings. Knowing who you’re contacting and when can help refine our target audience, and all messaging should be aligned.
Knowing you’re advertising in a publication could also be useful. While we focus on editorial not commercial content, there could be a potential tie-up. Equally, you could use coverage your PR agency has generated in your marketing campaigns.
If you’re feeling completely stuck with where to start with your PR, don’t panic! You can read our blog on PR tips for small businesses. We’d love to discuss how to help, so feel free to give us a call or drop us an email.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
I’m sure you’ve already been there.
A story breaks.
A debate starts.
Your industry is all over the news. People are talking and you begin to feel like you should be too. The pressure to have a view and share it builds fast.
But we all know, sometimes it’s right to speak out and sometimes it’s wiser not to. But knowing which approach to take can be tricky.
Here are some key things to come back to when deciding whether to join a public conversation:
If you can add clarity, context or fresh insight on a topic that helps others understand what’s happening better, that’s usually a good sign you should get involved. Maybe it’s some data you have, some experience or challenges you solve on the regular. If this is your area, then it’s definitely time to offer up your expertise
If the issue is something your business regularly talks about, genuinely invests in and stands for, then of course ensuring you’re using your brand voice reinforces those values. It’s never a good idea to sit out of a conversation you’ve been all too happy to shout about before. You need to ensure you’re consistent and in turn you’ll grow long term trust and clear positioning.
If the conversation has a clear impact on your clients or customers, they will expect to hear from you. In this instance, staying silent can leave your audience feel abandoned which will have a detrimental impact on brand loyalty and trust.
Some issues are so closely tied to your sector that saying nothing leaves a lot of room for assumptions. When clarity is needed, adding a measured comment can help protect against confusion.
If you have nothing to add to the conversation, no expertise or value to offer, then it’s usually better to wait for a moment when you can offer something more authentic and original to you. There’s no need to add to the noise. Comment should be adding clarity and moving the conversation forward.
I’m an emotional thinker, so I really understand the pull to jump in based on emotional instinct, but it comes to PR, you just can’t rush in without aligning your head and your heart first.
If the topic has frustrated or surprised you, give yourself time before speaking. Personal reactions and considered brand commentary are very different things.
Just pause.
Just because competitors are commenting, doesn’t mean you automatically should. Your brand has its own voice, purpose and audience. Decisions should be based on your strategy, not someone elses!
If the link between your business and the issue is thin, you getting involved could very well be seen as opportunistic. Sensitive subjects in particular require a very high level of care, consideration and relevance.
Before you start prepping any comment or thoughts, ask yourself honestly, why? What am I actually trying to achieve here? Why do I need to be a part of this discussion? Why do I want to say something? Are you trying to inform, reassure, guide or correct something? Or are you simply trying to be involved?
Even if there is no clear reason not to speak, it’s still worth asking if the brand needs to say anything at all.
The strongest brands are the ones that chose their moments with intention, not the ones who comment on everything, and not the ones who disappear until the dust settles.
Joining a conversation can be powerful, sure, but choosing not to is also a strategic decision. The key is to know when to speak up, and when to bow out.
Recent research by Muck Rack shows that close to 90% of AI visibility is now driven by earned media. That’s organic publicity gained through third-party endorsements rather than paid advertising, and it appears in AI Search results. Earned media includes news coverage, customer reviews, and word-of-mouth (user-generated content), which are earned through quality, reputation, or PR efforts. Because it’s earned rather than bought, it is seen as highly credible and trustworthy.
This exposure in AI Search is proving cost-effective and crucial for enhancing brand visibility and SEO. In short, the opportunity for PR is huge and NOW.
SEO agencies and PR agencies are both clambering to upskill their teams, create tools and define propositions to go to market. Last year, we got ahead of the curve by joining forces with Noble Performance to develop our Earned Visibility ScoreTM. More and more industry events are discussing this opportunity, and it was a hot topic at the recent PR Moment GEO conference in London, where we captured some powerful insights.
The humble press release is now, arguably, more important than ever, as the LLMs cite them as a point of authentication. It’s highly recommended that they are uploaded to your company site, with a stable URL and date/time stamped.
The only question mark around this topic is who now writes the release – surely an AI agent, given 10 example releases, should be able to write a decent draft?
We would argue that this is still a craft that requires a human touch. After all, LLMs are only as good as the data added to them.
Our own research into AI visibility, something that we call Earned Visibility, shows that coverage is valuable to your brand being cited and even mentioned in AI Search results, but not all earned media is equal in the eyes of LLMs. Articles in higher-tier publications are returned more often as trusted sources, such as BBC News, The Guardian, Reuters, etc.
However, there is no gold standard; it depends on the type of organisation you are and your aims as to which publications would be most suitable for earned media. The bullseye is not the same for everyone.
In terms of user-generated content, this is a hot topic and a moving beast; one month, Reddit is undisputedly number one across any category, the next, Wikipedia, it’s revolving doors. However, there are a core 6-10 sites that do frequently surface or discuss content deemed as ‘trusted’ by most large language models. Those are Wikipedia, Reddit, Tech Radar, Medium, Substack, with LinkedIn very recently becoming a top source.
According to March 2026 data from Press Gazette‘s top 50 English-language news sites, 40 out of 50 sites saw year-on-year declines in traffic, indicating widespread declines across the industry.
Despite earned media boosting visibility for organisations and investment in PR growing, there is still a disconnect between AI Search and Media. The value of this is still being recognised, and the industry hasn’t caught up yet. There’s no revenue flow from AI tools to media at the moment, and we predict that there’s a battle to be had here in the coming months.
In the meantime, journalist teams continue to get smaller than ever, while their output is arguably bigger than ever.
Once we pitched to editors, now it’s algorithms. It’s not enough to be sensationalist anymore; content needs to be backed by evidence. AI rewards articles that show you as knowledgeable and an expert in your sector. Recycling old content won’t cut it.
Thinking about what algorithms give a preference for also means that when we pitch now, we need to provide way more assets. Your story isn’t just going into print any more. To be visible far and wide, you need to provide more imagery and definitely video to enable coverage.
Measurement has always been broken in the PR industry, with arbitrary numbers of reach, OTS, and PR value. Historically, it’s been difficult to prove the value of PR and secure budget for it. However, your Earned Visibility ScoreTM gives you a robust measurement and proof that securing coverage is worth it.
We recommend that you audit your Earned Visibility to benchmark your current position before engaging in a PR campaign and monitoring the improvement that comes from that. Click here to request an audit.
originally posted to www.carnsight.com
With over one billion users, it’s safe to say LinkedIn has made its mark. Currently, it’s the most social it has ever been, with a clear shift towards personal storytelling and community-building.
It’s not just a place for job announcements anymore, and a lot of people can see the opportunity in that. Networks are easier to build, peers are easier to find, and relationships can be made with no geographical restrictions.
When it comes to putting yourself out there, authenticity still needs to balance professionalism. And whilst showing your personality can be powerful for your brand, crossing boundaries (whether virtual or not) will only harm it.
Here’s some things to keep in mind:
The content you’d post on Instagram won’t be the same as your LinkedIn channel. That being said, there is an increasing overlap.
Personal content ultimately builds trust in the brand, by showcasing the thoughts and opinions of the person behind the product or service. It can be an opportunity for relatability, whether it’s celebrating a proud win or sharing a difficult setback.
A lot of people also see LinkedIn as a place for motivation, a source of inspiring career journeys that can open doors for people just starting out. Sharing honest insights and even vulnerabilities can make your profile more engaging. And if you’re consistent, you can build a familiarity with people that will drive much more engagement than novelty.
Your career journey is unique, so don’t assume people don’t want to hear about it!
Being more personal can get you attention, but it’s important it’s for the right reasons. Some people have built brands on controversy, and have an already established reputation for tiptoeing on the line. But if that’s not what you’re known for, it’s best to stay away from that line.
This doesn’t mean you have to censor yourself or withhold your viewpoints, but it’s worth asking: “is this content uniting or divisive?” If you’re trying to build a real, professional community, controversy won’t help you. Increasingly, consumers are adopting value-led behaviours, and controversy can get you alienated from potential clients.
It’s great to hear more founder stories and see the personality behind the brand, but it’s still important to keep it balanced. Whilst Instagram prioritises entertainment, LinkedIn still needs to feel educational (and TikTok is another form of brainrot entirely).
It’s only been recently that LinkedIn has become a place for celebrating achievements outside of a professional context. Completing your first marathon, announcing your engagement and even your dog’s birthday party have all become LinkedIn-worthy posts. But if it becomes solely personal, people may forget what service you’re even supposed to be selling.
It’s not about perfection, as Leigh-Ann can tell you. It’s about encouraging a familiarity with people, along with professionalism. This doesn’t mean trying to force a learning point into a personal story (see examples), or relying on shock value to deliver your message.
Sharing vulnerabilities in a professional context (eg burnout, redundancy, workplace anxiety) can drive engagement, because these scenarios are relatable and can apply to so many people at work. But ultimately, you don’t have to be vulnerable all the time, or at all! Through trial and error, you can learn how your posts resonate, and what your audience needs to feel like they’ve received value.
The question “how personal is too personal?” is down to you and what you’re comfortable posting. You don’t have to be overly emotive, vulnerable, and (definitely not!) controversial. There’s no pressure to overshare, and it may be as easy as adding one extra post a week. Or, swapping out generic graphics for personal images and team photos. However you do it, be authentic, professional and show the value of each post.
For more social media tips, have a look at Alexandra’s blog on Instagram hashtags.
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