Why Some B2B SaaS Founders Use LinkedIn Like Instagram—and How It Could Hurt Their Business
In today’s digital landscape, personal branding has become a key focus for entrepreneurs and founders alike. Platforms like LinkedIn provide a unique opportunity to share insights, build relationships, and grow your business in front of a professional audience. However, there’s a growing trend among some B2B SaaS founders who are using LinkedIn more like Instagram—posting lifestyle content that has little to do with their businesses.
While it’s understandable that people want to share their personal lives, this shift in content strategy can have some serious negative consequences for both their business and personal brand. In this post, we’ll explore why this trend is emerging, the risks it presents, and how founders can strike a better balance.
The Allure of Personal Branding
Personal branding has become a buzzword in the business world, and for good reason. It allows founders to build trust with their audience, demonstrate expertise, and create a human connection with their followers. Social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter have long been the go-to spaces for sharing lifestyle content. Now, it seems some founders are bringing this trend to LinkedIn, posting about their vacations, luxury purchases, or even day-to-day personal moments.
But unlike Instagram, LinkedIn is still primarily a professional network. It’s a place where B2B relationships are forged, industry knowledge is exchanged, and professional credibility is built. So, why are founders turning LinkedIn into a personal branding platform for lifestyle content?
The answer lies in the desire to stand out, be more relatable, and build an audience beyond just business. However, for founders of B2B SaaS companies, this approach can backfire.
The Potential Pitfalls of Mixing Business with Lifestyle on LinkedIn
Here are some of the key risks founders face when they treat LinkedIn like a lifestyle platform:
1. Eroding Professional Credibility
LinkedIn is a space where people expect to see valuable insights, industry trends, and content that positions you as a thought leader. When your profile is filled with lifestyle posts—vacation snapshots, fancy dinners, or luxury possessions—it can quickly dilute your professional image.
Your audience, which includes potential clients, partners, and employees, may start questioning your expertise or priorities. Instead of being seen as an industry expert, you could end up being perceived as someone who is more focused on personal luxuries than on scaling their business.
2. Turning Off Investors
Investors are constantly on the lookout for founders who are focused, driven, and strategic. If your LinkedIn presence is dominated by lifestyle content instead of business updates, it may raise red flags. Investors want to see founders who are deeply engaged with their industry, sharing key learnings, and discussing market opportunities.
If instead, they see you focusing on personal experiences rather than your business growth or product innovation, they might wonder if you're truly committed to the success of your company. For early-stage startups, where resources and attention are limited, this could lead to investors reconsidering their interest in backing your venture.
3. Missed Opportunities for Business Growth
LinkedIn is a powerful platform for lead generation, building partnerships, and establishing authority within your niche. When you fill your feed with lifestyle content, you’re missing out on opportunities to share what’s most important: your company’s story, vision, and impact.
Founders who post thought leadership content, case studies, customer success stories, and updates about their product development are more likely to attract new business opportunities and build trust with potential clients. On the other hand, lifestyle content distracts from this goal, ultimately costing you credibility and growth in the long run.
Finding the Right Balance: Personal Branding with Purpose
Personal branding is important, but it’s all about balance—especially for founders in the B2B SaaS space. Here are a few ways to strike the right balance between personal content and business insights:
Focus on Thought Leadership Share posts that highlight your expertise, industry trends, or new challenges you're facing as a founder. Showcase your company’s vision, the value your product delivers, and the innovation you're driving in the market. This builds trust with your audience and positions you as a leader in your space.
Humanize Your Brand Without Overdoing It It’s perfectly fine to share personal stories, but make sure they’re relevant to your professional journey. For example, sharing a lesson learned from a challenging moment in your life that applies to your business can make you relatable while still providing value to your audience. The key is to connect your personal experiences back to your role as a founder.
Engage with Your Audience Professionally Interact with your audience by responding to comments on your business-related posts, sharing insights from recent events or meetings, and creating meaningful discussions about your industry. This keeps your content aligned with LinkedIn’s professional tone, while also allowing you to engage authentically.
Highlight Company Achievements Investors and clients are interested in company milestones, new product features, and key wins. Use LinkedIn to share these updates in a way that demonstrates your company’s growth and vision, reinforcing your commitment to the business.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn’s evolving landscape makes it tempting to blur the lines between personal and professional, it’s crucial for B2B SaaS founders to remember what their audience expects from them on this platform: value-driven, insightful, and industry-relevant content. Focusing too much on lifestyle content not only risks alienating your professional network but could also make investors think twice about your priorities.
Think it though… If YOU were an investor, would you risk investing in a business whose CEO seems to be on the beach 4 days per week? If YOU were a potential customer, would you bet your career on purchasing from a company whose staff always seem to be OOO on ‘social team-building’ gatherings?
As a founder, your LinkedIn presence should reflect your leadership, vision, and expertise—qualities that are critical to growing a successful business. Personal branding has its place, but always remember to keep it aligned with your business goals and the expectations of your professional audience.
