#TDSU Episode 265:

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:15 - The good and bad of LinkedIn communities

00:03:17 - The art of self-quoting

00:04:01 - LinkedIn for job seekers

00:07:54 - Authenticity on LinkedIn

00:09:25 - Defining authenticity

00:10:28 - LinkedIn's vision revealed

00:11:29 - The algorithm's riddle solved

📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination for GTM content

Website: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🤝 Connect with the hosts:

Dillon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillonryoung

JP's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanpierrefrost/

Rob's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-zambito/

👋 Connect with Ezra Zimbler:

Ezra's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezimbler/

[Ezra] (0:00 - 0:25)

Find the job that you are the unicorn for because right now companies can find unicorns, like people who have industry experience, have worked with these customers, maybe have used their platform before. So that's where using LinkedIn to research companies or like if you're using a platform in the company you've worked for, where you've worked before, there's like a platform you are really knowledgeable about or an industry you're really knowledgeable about.

[Dillon] (0:34 - 0:51)

What's up, lifers, and welcome to The Daily Standup with Lifetime Value, where we're giving you fresh new customer success ideas every single day. I got my man Rob with us. Rob, you want to say hi?

Once again, bing bong. And we've got JP with us. JP, can you say hi?

[JP] (0:51 - 0:52)

Easy killer.

[Dillon] (0:53 - 0:56)

And we have Ezra with us. Ezra, can you say hi?

[Ezra] (0:56 - 0:57)

What's up, everybody?

[Dillon] (0:58 - 1:04)

What's up? And I am your host. My name is Dillon Young.

Ezra, thank you so much for being here. Can you please introduce yourself?

[Ezra] (1:04 - 2:14)

Of course. So Ezra Zimler, I just started my own consulting company, Ezra Zimler Consulting. After 10 years at LinkedIn, working with different customers to really help them use LinkedIn better, more efficiently, I'm going to really make sure they're getting the full value of the platform, which is what I'm here to talk about today.

And I think like the LinkedIn community of customer success is, I would say, almost unmatched in terms of the positivity. I think LinkedIn gets a hard time about some of the content that gets put out there. I feel like customer success, I don't want to say we don't fall into most of those bad traps.

I feel like it is one of the more authentic and real communities on the platform that I've seen. So yeah, today's topic, LinkedIn, let's talk about it. Let's dig in.

And I think, yeah, customer success is strong in it. My role at LinkedIn was in customer success. So we're also one of the biggest customer success departments in the world.

If you combine Microsoft and LinkedIn, it is the biggest in the world. Microsoft owns LinkedIn. So big player in the big time CS game.

But I think also like CS folks using LinkedIn, super important. And like the community on the platform is one of the better ones on LinkedIn.

[Dillon] (2:15 - 2:28)

All right, Ezra, I'm going to paint you into a corner here. If CS is a good LinkedIn community, what profession has a bad one? Hey, just name three to five.

That's fine. Three to five?

[Ezra] (2:29 - 2:29)

Yeah.

[Dillon] (2:30 - 2:33)

I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You don't have to do it.

[Ezra] (2:35 - 3:15)

I'm not saying CS isn't mainstream, but I think your mainstream ones are where you get a lot of trying to put some interesting things. So your classic leadership, folks posting in that vein, you see a lot of this tried and true or not tried and true sayings and catchphrases and whatnot. It is more authentic, actual content and sharing and advice and how people are actually doing it, where I feel like the leadership side, I think there's a lot of actually really good sales content, but I think there's also some sales content that like really goes into that more.

[Dillon] (3:17 - 4:00)

Our personal favorite in the TDSU group chat are the quote cards of people quoting themselves. So their own quote, and then the byline is their name. That's our favorite.

And that when you talk about leadership, yeah, with their headshot, usually professionally done. When you talk about leadership, that's what I think of is the person who would take an Abe Lincoln quote and repurpose it as their own. The classic Michael Scott Wayne Gretzky.

Anyway, JP, I know your relationship with LinkedIn is fraught. So I'd love for you to ask Ezra, what is on your mind when it comes to his topic?

[JP] (4:01 - 4:58)

Yeah, yeah. I've known Ezra for a few years now and been able to have some conversations with him. So I'm really glad you can join us on the pod.

I am curious about, I know we have a lot of people listening, a lot of people who are looking for work. I see LinkedIn as a, these days, I think I see it primarily as a networking sort of function. But I also think about the sort of current job market.

And so I'm going to ask a question that I know a lot of my job seeking friends probably be interested in, which is, I've heard that a lot of times these jobs are getting filled the first hour, things get cut off. What would you say to someone who's looking to maximize how they use LinkedIn for their job search? And I'm talking about more in a tactical way, not necessarily the networking part where you're talking with people.

[Ezra] (4:59 - 7:53)

Yes. No, it's a very, very good topic. I know, yes, the job market right now, crazy.

And yes, and I think one thing I will say as well, I think if you know your goal for LinkedIn, so in this case, job seeking, I think it's very important as you think about how you engage and work on the network. So I think knowing that that is your goal is a great first step in getting out there. So I think there's a lot of strategies.

And I think right now, you've got to be doing a lot because there's a lot of people out there who are also doing a lot. So this job market, and I think it's customer success, but I think it's everywhere right now where there's so much talent out there on the market that exactly your point, you're posting a job, there's 300 applicants in the first half an hour. Recruiters are overwhelmed by having to even go through these.

So I do think being there quick is a benefit at the moment. But I think also to your point, using it as a network to find the people. And the advice I've been giving to CSMs about the jobs search right now, which I think you can help, LinkedIn can help with, is find the job that you are the unicorn for.

Because right now, companies can find unicorns, like people who have experience, have worked with these customers, maybe have used their platform before. So that's where using LinkedIn to research companies or like if you're using a platform in the company you've worked for, where you've worked before, there's like a platform you are really knowledgeable about, or an industry you're really knowledgeable about. Like those are the places you want to focus your time because they like right now the market is so full of talent that they can find folks who have all like, you know, what used to be nice to haves are now things that people can find.

So I think that's one of the big one is like do some research into your industry, into your already area of expertise, or people you've worked with before. Like again, this is the networking side, like talking to people, tapping into those networks, tapping into people who are working at companies that again, you've maybe used their product before. So I think the research angle is there.

I think the, you know, the outreach angle is there. And then I mean, there's the showing your expertise as well. So like, you know, if there is a specific type of CS job you want, again, posting is and posting, I think commenting is one of the most underrated things on LinkedIn.

So like sharing your expertise, other people's posts, and not just saying, yeah, that's a great post. I love you. But more like, okay, like, yeah, I agree.

Like, I really like this. But actually, I think this, like, I think that type of engagement is underrated. I think, you know, people are not used to seeing that.

So it's like, you know, if you're someone who posts a lot, like seeing those comments really makes, you know, it helps you, it makes you think that person, you know, has something to say. And therefore, like, if there are people you're trying to network with, those can be some early steps is like, if they're sharing content, start engaging in a really meaningful way.

[Rob] (7:54 - 8:42)

Rob. Hezir, I realize now hearing you say this, I think about this all the time without realizing I think about this all the time. Because I, I spent, you know, because of the nature of my work, I end up spending more time than the average professional on LinkedIn, I assume.

And so when you said it's authentic to be on LinkedIn, I was thinking initially, like, that's interestingly a hot take that it's authentic to create content on LinkedIn. And, but that's not the way that the community was probably originally meant to function, like the community, like LinkedIn as a community is probably meant to as a place for authentic authenticity. So but it has a terrible reputation for not being authentic.

And I was really trying to unpack why. And I even I looked up the definition, you guys know what the definition of authenticity is?

[JP] (8:42 - 8:43)

Oh, that's weird.

[Rob] (8:45 - 8:47)

The quality of being authentic.

[JP] (8:51 - 8:54)

So the definition of a fed rate. That's true.

[Rob] (8:54 - 9:17)

Yeah, no. So defining authentic, there's a few definitions, but it says of undisputed origin, genuine, and an existential philosophy, it says relating to or denoting, this is interesting, and emotionally appropriate, significant, purposive, and responsible mode of human life. And I'm like, Whoa, yeah, interesting.

[Dillon] (9:17 - 9:23)

That's not an authentic definition. That sounds like AI wrote that.

[Rob] (9:25 - 10:07)

So I got stuck on emotionally appropriate, because that's so subjective, right? For some people, emotionally appropriate, or rather appropriate, just in general, might be them talking about their work life, it might be them talking about their kids, it might be talking about a car accident that they were in, it might be them being vulnerable about them getting laid off at work. And it's interesting, though, just because what some people consider authentic, some people consider cringe.

And as came up yesterday, I was catching up with a friend who's he's retaking a job as a senior product manager at LinkedIn. And he said, I love your content. And I said, it's deliberately half of a charade.

Like, it's half a joke, half, like all the time, I just keep it half a joke.

[Dillon] (10:08 - 10:27)

Well, because I think that's reading the room. That's reading the room. But as I want you to give us some closing thoughts.

But before you do, I think part of it is speaking to your people. Like what's authentic to your audience may be inauthentic to somebody else's audience as well. So there's a bit of like the lens through which it's viewed to as we're go ahead.

[Ezra] (10:28 - 11:29)

Yes. And I'll take you a little bit behind the curtain, like LinkedIn, their vision for content on LinkedIn, is people who are doing the work sharing what they're doing in a way that like other networks can't capture because it's like, you know, they don't want everyone to be thought leader, they want people who are in the trenches doing these things, sharing, hopefully, authentically. And it's like that goal that they that's the vision LinkedIn has for the content on the platform.

Now, has that always happened? Clearly not. But I think like, you know, for yourself, and I think Rob, that's a great point.

It's like, show you need to show up authentically to you and your audience. And like that, again, is how you figure out that sweet spot of the content you want to do. And I think testing that out is important.

So like trying different things, see what works. And I think yes, not taking yourself too seriously. That's advice I give in most situations.

So yeah, I think all of these are really good. And like, I think to your point, figuring out what is authentically you, that resonates with your audience. That's gold.

[Dillon] (11:29 - 11:49)

Perfect. So the riddle has been solved on why the post, the algorithm rewarded those posts that were like, I spoke to 500 CROs in the past 48 hours. And what I learned was, because that, that problem, I'm being half sarcastic, but it denoted that they were out there doing the right, right, right.

[JP] (11:50 - 11:50)

Yeah.

[Dillon] (11:50 - 12:03)

Anyway, as Rob just jumped off, he had to go early. But that is our time. Anyways, this has been fantastic.

I'd love for you to come back and tell us a little bit more about what you're doing, how you're going to make folks successful. But for now, we do have to say goodbye.

[Ezra] (12:03 - 12:04)

Thanks for having me.

[VO] (12:10 - 12:46)

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