An update is not a Post; vice versa

There’s a lot of confusion between updates (resending someone else’s material that you read and find share-able) and Posts (long form personal essays of your own original compostion in the form of observations, professional opinions, etc. {(note the adjective “professional”}.

Here’s an example of one of my shared updates: something I read and curated from all the stuff I come across and thought valuable enough to share with my connections, the public and simultaneously Tweet:

I found it to be an article that I liked and wanted to share and update my readers’ and connections’ grammatical expertise. Many found it interesting enough to share it further. Spread the wealth, so to speak, from the POV of the NY Times, i.e., not my own material.

Did you know you can also share someone else’s graphic just like an update? Click “Upload a photo” found on your Home page next to “Share an Update.”

Here’s a graphic I shared recently as a follow up to the professional opinion series I write on LinkedIn usage by the Presidential candidates:

Not my graphic, but t makes a great point to accentuate my earlier work on this topic.

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When I have something original to say to my followers and connections, I Post a long-form essay on my thoughts and observations in hopes that it starts conversation and adds to the personal learning network we all share. The recent Post pictured below that seemed to hit a nerve:

I have a lot to say on this topic as I come across it everywhere I teach or coach.

I am given the ability to speak my professional mind in a Post in my own words.

Some of them resonate.Like this one.

Eight of you had the incentive to comment and  79 “liked” and many others shared it.

That’s good, what I wanted.

In fact, LinkedIn Pulse featured it on the “LinkedIn Tips” channel. That’s nice recognition for a LinkedIn coach and trainer.

One segue: there IS a difference on LinkedIn between connections and followers: easily defined as connections are those I invite to connect to me or vice versa and have vetted them and trust them to share my personal profile with; the rest may “follow” my work and I am not sure why they are interested in some cases, but I appreciate their listening, initiated by their clicking a “follow Marc” button that will send them my latest Posts).

So pick your LinkedIn method of publishing:

• when you read something someone else wrote that is worthy of sharing, share it as an update
• when you produce some great original material, let us know what you are thinking in a Post.

Just share and offer because you have something to add tot the personal learning network.