Guys, this is all wrong! (Red flag content to avoid)

Find Your Superpower newsletter 110

Read time: 4 minutes

Topics covered: LinkedIn branding, thought leadership, Mastermind last call!

This week broke my heart a little.

An HR scandal at a Coldplay concert turned my LinkedIn feed into a tabloid overnight. Rumors, mean-spirited comments and memes flooded the platform.

People even posted what turned out to be a fake statement from the CEO—a reminder that fact-checking matters before hitting "publish."

But here’s what confused me the most: senior executives who had built strong personal brands with decades of industry experience were suddenly chasing viral moments about a scandal completely unrelated to their expertise.

Remember, LinkedIn is your digital storefront.

When a trending topic has zero relevance to your business expertise, domain knowledge or professional narrative, let it slide by.

Those hot takes are distracting your target audience from your key services and messaging. Your dream clients are here for your unique expertise and insights.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: likes don’t pay the bills.

Stay focused on what you do best. Your future clients will thank you for it.

Rookies measure the wrong things

The biggest mistake I see executives making is borrowing metrics from the influencer playbook.

While influencers chase heart emojis on trending scandals, smart executives track metrics that actually advance their careers and business outcomes. Just to be clear, the difference between these approaches can be worth millions of dollars in lifetime opportunities.

The influencer mindset: More followers, more likes, more comments = success

The executive mindset: More qualified opportunities, more strategic conversations, more industry recognition = success

When you optimize for the wrong metrics, you get the wrong results.

I’ve received DMs from LinkedIn influencers with 30-50K followers who struggle to convert their followers into meaningful (financial) outcomes, whereas industry experts with 5K connections get LinkedIn Top Voice badges, accelerated promotion timelines and industry speaking opportunities because they are perceived as the main character in their industry.

Guys, track the right thing!

Unlike influencers chasing vanity metrics, industry experts should track business-relevant outcomes:

Leading indicators (track monthly):

Connection requests: Are industry peers reaching out? Quality matters more than quantity here. Random requests from unrelated industries suggest your targeting is off.

Direct messages: Are you getting DMs about your insights? Is your thought leadership resonating with decision-makers? If your inbox is completely quiet or filled with spammy sales pitches, your attraction marketing game is weak.

Comment quality: Are you attracting meaningful professional discussions? Look for long, authentic comments that reference specific points from your posts rather than generic responses. Generic "great post!" comments suggest surface engagement from people who aren’t truly invested in your expertise.

Lagging indicators (track quarterly):

Speaking invitations: Are you being invited to speak at events? Aim for 1-2 quality speaking opportunities per quarter, which signals that event organizers see you as a credible industry authority. Focus on tracking industry relevance, audience size and event prestige rather than just the number of invitations.

Consulting inquiries: Are potential clients reaching out? Target 10+ qualified inquiries per quarter, indicating your expertise positioning is successfully attracting business opportunities. Pay attention to deal size potential and client quality rather than volume alone.

Recruitment interest: Are recruiters contacting you about opportunities? Look for 1-2 executive-level opportunities per quarter, which means your profile effectively positions you for career advancement. Track role seniority and compensation benchmarks to ensure you’re attracting the right level of opportunities.

Media mentions: Are journalists or publications approaching you? Target 1-2 features or interview requests per quarter, showing you’re becoming a recognized expert voice in your industry. Focus on publication quality and reach rather than just frequency of mentions.

Red flag content to avoid:

Stay away from these topics unless they’re directly related to your expertise:

🚩 Generic business advice (unless you’re a business consultant)

🚩 Very private personal details unrelated to professional narrative

🚩 Controversial industry gossip (like the Coldplay incident)

🚩 Generic guru-speak motivational content

🚩 Intense political commentary and rants

These topics will likely dilute your authority and confuse your positioning as a domain expert.

PS: Just in case the guy at the back isn’t paying attention, these posts and comments WILL make you financially poorer.

Whew, this escalated quickly...

This Monday, I opened the August 2025 cohort enrollment for my 12-month VIP Brand Builder Mastermind community with over 200 executives and business leaders inside.

We are now 80% full in less than a week! 

Only two spots remain, and we’ll likely be full by tonight or tomorrow.

If you’re ready to build a personal brand that opens doors to speaking opportunities, consulting offers and career advancement, I invite you to explore my Brand Builder Mastermind.

Over 12 months, we will work together on four key areas:

• Build a brand: Discover your unique niche and create a valuable, monetizable personal brand that sets you apart.
• Learn to speak: Master presenting your expertise in media interviews, and develop your professional story.
• Learn to write: Learn how to create professional content and launch a newsletter.
• Make money from it: Start side hustles, find client leads and develop tactics to grow income from your expertise with guidance from successful mentors.

⚡ LAST CALL TO JOIN US IN AUGUST! ⚡

Love,

Your rocketship captain Juliana 🚀

P.S. The most successful executives I work with treat their LinkedIn persona like any other business project, with clear metrics, regular review and systematic optimization. The results speak for themselves.