Scrolling through LinkedIn today, it can sometimes feel like you’re seeing as many posts from robots as people. In fact, research shows that 54 percent of longer English-language LinkedIn posts were written by AI. The result? A flood of similar posts that often lack personality. Don’t get me wrong: AI can provide a great foundation for your post, as long as you add your own unique touch. But how do you write the perfect LinkedIn post without falling into the AI trap? Senior Content Executive Maaike Huegaerts shares five common mistakes to avoid before sharing an AI-generated post with your LinkedIn network.
Mistake 1: Place your emojis wisely and don’t overdo it
⭐️Exciting news: we are launching a new product in our range! ⭐️
You can immediately recognise an AI-generated LinkedIn post by the above formatting: an emoji at the beginning, an enthusiastic title, and another emoji at the end. Randomly placed emojis are one of the most recognisable signals that you are dealing with a ChatGPT post. AI sometimes places emojis in the middle of the text or after almost every sentence, so be aware of that.
That doesn’t mean you should avoid emojis in your LinkedIn message, but use them sparingly, place them where they make sense, and choose emojis that fit your message. Personally, when I do use emojis, I stick to a maximum of two per LinkedIn message and avoid the typical AI emojis like 🚀, ✨, or ⭐️. For example, instead of the stars in the example above, you could put one relevant emoji at the end of your sentence that relates to the new product.
Mistake 2: Avoid clichés and hackneyed expressions
AI platforms love empty phrases like “I am pleased to announce that,” “It is critical that,” or “I am pleased to report that” to pad out your post. Avoid these types of clichés and get straight to the point. For example, instead of saying “I am pleased to announce that we are launching a new product within our portfolio,” say “We are launching a new product within our portfolio.”
This way, your post stays authentic and keeps your audience engaged. A good LinkedIn post is short and powerful, without unnecessary detours, and keeps your followers engaged from start to finish. Especially now that our attention span is shorter than ever, and people often scroll mindlessly through social media. This also applies to other social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook.
Mistake 3: Not Using Capital Letters in Your Titles
AI algorithms often try to convey enthusiasm by using excessive capitalisation, especially in headlines. In English, there are several ways to capitalise titles. Typically, every noun and adjective, in addition to the first word, is capitalised.
But in certain countries or languages, this is not the case. Sometimes, only the first word of the title is capitalised, unless it is a proper noun. Therefore, ask specifically in your prompt to adjust this. For example: “Take into account the correct capitalisation according to Dutch grammar rules.” This ensures a nice post that does not come across as too flashy.
Mistake 4: Don’t forget to add your own opinion
LinkedIn is a great platform for thought leadership content, but many people forget one important step when using an AI-generated post: adding their own opinion or point of view. What happens then? You get a vague post that is full of statements but tells no clear story, shows no expertise, and offers no points of view or solutions.
Let’s say you work as a CEO at a certain company and want to write a post about leadership. A vague AI-generated post might look like this: “Leadership is important for the success of any company. A born leader knows how to motivate a team and make the right decisions. We should all strive to be better leaders and achieve our goals together.”
How do you improve this post? Show why leadership is important to you. Share your own vision on leadership and how it positively impacts your company or team. What does good leadership mean to you? What experiences have you had that shaped you as a leader? This way you make your post personal and inspiring for your audience, instead of superficial and general.
Extra tip: Don’t forget to end your post with relevant hashtags. The LinkedIn algorithm will then be able to rank your post better, which will generate the most reach.
Mistake 5: Add a Clear Call to Action
AI posts often lack a clear call to action(CTA), which is important to encourage interaction and engagement. Therefore, don’t forget to add a clear CTA at the end of your post. For example, ask your AI prompt to invite followers to comment, share your post or visit a link. This will encourage your audience to take action.
Moral of the story
There’s certainly no crime in using AI as a tool when writing a LinkedIn post. It provides a useful basis for organising your thoughts, but don’t forget to add your personal touch. Let your expertise, opinion, and vision shine through so that your post remains authentic and doesn’t come across as a robotic message.
