The 3 biggest LinkedIn mistakes charities make (and how to fix them)
I love LinkedIn, but I know lots of people don't. If you're here, hopefully you're in the first camp.
However...
There's a good chance that, at some point, youβve opened LinkedIn, seen an interesting looking post... clicked 'see more'... and then... War & Peace. π« Or your feed is a corporate jargon-fest. Or someone's shared what they learned about productivity from something tenuous and random, and it makes you wonder if LinkedIn is worth it.
It can feel a bit⦠business-y. A bit sales-y. A bit not for us.
But LinkedIn can actually work brilliantly for charities - once you stop overthinking the βrightβ LinkedIn style and just focus on being clear, warm and real.
At Social for Good, weβve supported hundreds of charity marketing and comms teams to use LinkedIn in a way that feels authentic, doable, and genuinely impactful.
But there are simple traps that even brilliant comms teams fall into. And there's no judgement here - we've all been there.
β Mistake 1: Relying on your organisationβs page alone
Your company page is useful - it's your shopfront, your professional presence. But LinkedIn is a people-first platform. And the algorithm is very clear on this: personal profiles get more love.
The reach is higher. The trust is stronger. The opportunity is bigger.
When you only post from your organisation's page, you're missing out on the networks, voices, and credibility of your team.
β Fix it: Blend the two. The best results happen when organisational and individual activity support each other.
Get your CEO, SLT or subject matter experts on board
Encourage staff to share updates and add context in their own voice
Use the page to amplify peopleβs posts - by resharing or adding a thoughtful comment that reinforces their message
Offer some light coaching or training so people feel confident showing up
Think of your page as the basecamp - but your people are the ones climbing the mountain.
β Mistake 2: Posting dry, internal updates
Too many charity LinkedIn posts read like pinned announcements: βWeβre delighted to shareβ¦β, βWe did thisβ¦β, βWe launched thatβ¦β π¬
That kind of update might be great for your internal newsletter, but for the public on LinkedIn? Not so much. It needs flipping.
People come to LinkedIn hoping to find something useful, inspiring or real. If your posts donβt offer that, theyβll simply scroll past.
β Fix it: Make your audience the hero.
Frame updates in terms of impact for your audience or community
Tell human stories, not just stats
Ask questions, invite perspectives, open the door to dialogue
Think conversation, not broadcast. Thatβs what makes people lean in, not scroll on.
LinkedIn: less cat videos, more sector networking and conversations.
β Mistake 3: Getting stuck in reactive mode
For lots of charity teams, LinkedIn activity begins and ends with their own posts: you publish, you reply to comments, you like things in your feed if and when you have time.
Thatβs reactive. Important, but limited.
Think of it like being at an event: reactive is standing at your stand, waiting for people to wander over. Proactive is walking into the room, introducing yourself, and joining the conversations already happening.
β Fix it: Be proactive.
Comment on others' posts - add your take, ask a question, spark a chat
Join sector conversations, even if you werenβt tagged
Encourage your team to spend 10 minutes a week engaging (from profiles or maybe your page)
Track what comes from this - new connections, partnerships, opportunities (because it will happen)
You donβt have to be everywhere. But youβll make more impact by stepping off your stand and into the room.
Three simple actions you can take today
1οΈβ£ Identify a few people in your charity who could start using LinkedIn more strategically. (check out this success story for inspo - a charity that accessed grant funding and secured a keynote talk just from spending time on proactive engagement.)
2οΈβ£ Re-read your last three posts and ask: Would I engage with this if I didnβt work here?
3οΈβ£ Carve out a little time each week to get into some proactive community engagement.
LinkedIn doesnβt have to feel corporate and cringey. And it definitely doesnβt have to be a chore.
When itβs done right, it can be one of the most powerful tools for growing your visibility, building trust, and connecting with the right people.
And if you want to take this further... The Social for Good Accelerator is a social media training program made for charity teams just like yours - no fluff, no overwhelm, just smart strategy and kind support.
Lucy and Kerry - your Accelerator trainers