7 Common LinkedIn Mistakes I See Founders Make (And How to Fix Them)
On our Ace Founder podcast, I chat with founders about LinkedIn strategy, and for many of my guests, it's still a work in progress.
They know LinkedIn is a platform they should be using to grow their business, but figuring out how to get the most out of it is another story.
That got me looking more closely at founders' LinkedIn profiles, and I started noticing the same mistakes popping up again and again.
Some were small things, while others were bigger issues that made it harder to turn LinkedIn connections into qualified leads.
So, in this month's blog, I've put together the seven biggest mistakes I've come across, along with some practical ways to fix them.
1. Treating your profile like a CV
This is probably the most common mistake I see.
Your LinkedIn profile shouldn't read like a résumé. It should work more like a landing page, showing potential customers what you do, who you help, and why they should care.
Think about it this way: every time someone in your ideal customer profile (ICP) lands on your profile, you've got an opportunity to turn that visit into a lead.
But if your profile doesn't clearly communicate what you do or give people a reason to take the next step, you're missing that opportunity.
How to fix it:
Optimising your profile is one of the first things I'd focus on.
Start with the basics: a good banner, a professional photo, and a tagline that makes it immediately clear what you do and who you do it for.
Then make sure your About section explains how you help your customers, and use the Featured section to showcase relevant content, resources, or offers.
The goal is simple: when the right person lands on your profile, they should quickly understand what you do and how you might be able to help them.
2. Posting inconsistently
I get it. Founders are busy, and LinkedIn isn't always at the top of your to-do list.
But I've seen founders post once a month, disappear for a couple of months, and in some cases go six months without posting anything.
The problem is that when you post inconsistently, it's harder to stay on your audience's radar. People have fewer opportunities to discover you, get to know what you do, and build trust in your expertise.
How to fix it
The good news is that you don't need to spend hours on LinkedIn every day to stay consistent. You just need a system that makes posting easier.
Here are three things that can help:
Batch your content. Set aside time to write several posts in one sitting, then schedule them in advance. That way, you don't have to think about what to post every single day.
Block out time to create. Treat content creation like any other task on your calendar. If you leave it until you have some free time, chances are it'll keep getting pushed back.
Talk your ideas out with AI. You don't have to start every post with a blank page. Talk through your ideas out loud, then use AI to turn them into a first draft you can edit and make your own.
The key is to find a posting schedule you can actually stick to. It's better to post consistently a couple of times a week than to post every day for two weeks and then disappear for three months.
3. Posting mostly updates
It's great to share what you're building. Your audience wants to see what's happening in your business, the events you're attending, and the milestones you're hitting.
But if that's all you post, you're missing a big opportunity. People might know what you're doing without understanding how you can help them or why they should work with you.
How to fix it
To get more out of LinkedIn, I'd focus on four types of content:
Authority content. Show people what you know and how you can help them. Share your expertise, lessons you've learned, problems you've solved, and practical advice your ideal customers can use.
Conversion content. Give people a reason to take the next step. This could mean promoting your offer, inviting people to book a demo, or sharing an irresistible freebie that helps your audience solve a specific problem. More on that in the next point.
Updates. Share what's happening in your business, the events you're attending, what you're working on, and the lessons you're learning along the way. This is the type of content many founders already post, and there's nothing wrong with that. Just don't make it your entire content strategy.
Spotlight content. This is the one I think more founders should be using. Interview people in your ideal customer profile about how they're tackling the problems you help solve, then share their experiences and insights with your audience. You're giving people genuinely useful content while learning more about your potential customers in the process.
The goal isn't to stop sharing updates. It's to mix them with content that builds your authority, gives people a reason to work with you, and helps you understand your customers better.
I'll be sharing more about spotlight content in future posts, because I think there's a lot of potential in it.
4. Not promoting a lead magnet or offer
I hear a lot of founders say LinkedIn doesn't work for them, or that they're struggling to generate leads from it.
But when I look at their profiles and content, there's often one obvious thing missing: they're not promoting anything.
Think about it.
Someone discovers your content, checks out your profile, and likes what they see. What should they do next? If there's no clear next step, that interest can easily go nowhere.
How to fix it
That's why I recommend promoting what I call an irresistible freebie: something free that's closely related to your product and gives potential customers a taste of the value you offer.
Depending on your business, that could be a free trial, a demo, a consultation, or a free audit. The idea is to give people a simple way to experience what you do without having to commit straight away.
You don't need to promote it in every post, either. Start by sharing it around once a week and see how your audience responds.
The important thing is to make the offer visible and give people a clear way to take the next step.
5. Skipping video
I'll be honest: I don't think skipping video is necessarily a mistake, and I get why founders avoid it.
Being on camera can feel awkward, especially if you're used to writing posts rather than speaking directly to an audience.
But video is worth experimenting with because it gives people another way to get to know you. They can hear how you explain things, see your personality, and get a better sense of the person behind the business.
And when you're trying to win customers, that familiarity can help build trust.
How to fix it
You don't need fancy equipment, a studio, or a perfectly scripted presentation. Your phone or laptop camera is enough to get started.
Talk about the problems your ideal customer profile faces, share a lesson you've learned, or explain how you approach a problem your product solves.
Keep it simple and focus on being useful rather than trying to look perfect on camera.
You don't have to become a full-time video creator. Just give people a chance to see and hear from you.
6. Ignoring the people who comment
It's easy to focus on publishing your next post and forget about what happens afterwards. But when someone takes the time to read your post and leave a comment, they're giving you an opportunity to start a conversation.
Leaving those comments unanswered means missing a chance to build a relationship with someone who's already engaging with what you have to say.
How to fix it
Take the time to reply.
A good reply does more than acknowledge the comment. It can add to the discussion, answer a question, or open the door to a more meaningful conversation.
And sometimes, that conversation can continue in your DMs. If there's a genuine fit between what the person needs and what your business offers, it could eventually turn into a lead or even a client.
The key is not to treat every comment as a sales opportunity. Respond like a human, be helpful, and let the conversation develop naturally.
The goal is to build relationships, not force a pitch into every interaction.
7. Not connecting with new prospects
Growing your LinkedIn audience organically is great, but it can take time. If you want to get in front of more of the people who could actually buy from you, it's worth being proactive about who you connect with.
Waiting for the right people to discover your content can work, but it means leaving a lot to chance.
How to fix it
Let's say you're a cybersecurity founder selling to CISOs.
Rather than waiting for the right people to discover your content, build a list of CISOs at companies that fit your ideal customer profile and start connecting with them.
You don't need to reach hundreds of people a day. Start with a manageable number of relevant prospects, perhaps 10–20 personalised connection requests a day, and focus on connecting with the right people rather than chasing volume. Keep your outreach within LinkedIn's current limits and avoid sending repetitive or unsolicited sales pitches.
Once someone accepts your request, you've got an opportunity to build a relationship. They may start seeing your content in their feed, giving them more chances to become familiar with you and your business over time.
Of course, connecting doesn't automatically mean they'll see every post or become a lead. But building a relevant network gives you more opportunities to get your ideas in front of the people you want to reach.
The goal isn't just to grow your connection count. It's to build a network of people who could genuinely benefit from what you do.
The bottom line
Those are the seven biggest LinkedIn mistakes I've been noticing when reviewing founders' profiles and looking at how they use the platform.
The good news is that you don't need to overhaul everything overnight. Start with one thing you can improve this week, whether that's making your profile clearer, posting more consistently, or connecting with people who fit your ideal customer profile.
Get the basics right, build a system you can stick to, and give people a clear reason to engage with you and your business.
You don't need to spend all day on LinkedIn. You just need to use the time you spend there more intentionally.
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