5 Key Takeaways from LinkedIn's Creator Accelerator Program

As LinkedIn’s U.S. Creator Accelerator Program (CAP) draws to a close, I wanted to reflect on the experience and share some of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned through this process.

While all of this advice is couched within my participation in this program, these are, perhaps, the most universal takeaways from the last six weeks.

Don’t be afraid to experiment:

My biggest apprehension when applying to the Creator Accelerator program was the emphasis on video content. While I know some basics about lighting and editing, the prospect of being on camera in any capacity still makes me incredibly uncomfortable. But the fact that I was nervous to create new kinds of content simply reinforced my desire to take risks.

And, to be honest, my reach and impressions absolutely tanked for the entirety of the CAP. Even when engagement was on par with my typical posts, impressions were consistently down by about 75%, on average. I’m still not sure what happened, but the fact that I was trying new things every week– types of content and topics I don’t as frequently engage in– probably didn’t help.

I don’t care.

The opportunity to experiment– coupled with the need to build new skills– was more than worth the drop in impressions. I’m still finding my way as far as video is concerned, but I genuinely believe that video content, audio events, and other emerging forms of engagement are the future of LinkedIn. Moreover, carousels are a genuine game changer on this platform, and the continued rollout of new features will only encourage greater experimentation.

I was in a rut before starting the CAP, but a willingness to expand my typical repertoire has been both refreshing and necessary. After seeing what’s possible, there’s definitely no going back to my previous approach on this platform.

Network outside of your profession:

Like many others on LinkedIn, my network is focused largely on those within a couple professions and a relatively finite range of positions. But one of the biggest lessons I’m taking from this experience is the need to diversify who you’re following as well as the topics you monitor.

This entire process has afforded opportunities to connect with, follow, and learn from a host of incredibly talented individuals I may not have otherwise connected with.

I don’t claim to be an expert when it comes to tech or topics outside of my current professional purview. But I’ve been following folks talking about marketing and branding, experts discussing a host of Web 2.0 topics, and others who have expertise that I decidedly do not. Even when I don’t entirely grasp the intricacies of certain posts or conversations, I have learned a lot– and I was encouraged to begin doing my own research to become better informed.

More importantly, following others I might not otherwise connect with offered immense inspiration when it comes to my own content. As one of my former mentors was fond of saying, “The best ideas often come from unexpected places, and the best people to learn from are those who know a whole lot about things you don’t.” 

Reframe your timelines:

I knew that time management and scope were going to be the biggest challenges to the project I proposed for the CAP, but I was optimistic.

I knew that conducting interviews, posting videos, creating guides, and engaging in a range of career-related research would be incredibly time consuming, but I ultimately had no idea how expansive my initial plans were. Although I’ve accomplished many of my initial goals, my project will ultimately extend long past the six weeks of this program.

And I think that’s for the best. I would rather ensure my materials and resources are well researched and comprehensive, even if they take longer than expected. I had to repeatedly remind myself than most of the deadlines I was working under were self-imposed; many of my deliverables are useless if they’re not well written and effectively delivered.

While forthcoming materials likely won’t be perfect, I’ve learned to slow down and focus on quality over quantity.

Set specific, actionable goals:

One of the advantages of the CAP is that it provides specific structure for participants.

The requirements of the program offered an idealistic framework, but I also knew that I needed to be more engaged across all aspects of LinkedIn while still setting boundaries. After all, activity doesn’t necessarily equate to progress.

In addition to posting requirements, I set goals for liking and commenting on a minimum number of posts a day. I also set goals for hashtags I would check each day and communities I would engage in each week– all while spending a maximum of an hour a day logged in. Truth be told, the hardest part of my plan was limiting myself to only an hour a day on LinkedIn.

But having specific daily and weekly goals gave me the structure I needed to glean as much as I could from this experience. Moving forward, I know these sorts of micro-goals will be integral to my approach to this platform.

Consistency breeds productivity:

Anything can become a habit, and having specified goals and limitations helped make posting, commenting, replying, and engaging more of a habit.

For me, that consistently massively boosted my overall productivity.

While I previously worked from a monthly content calendar, reframing my goals helped refine what content I produced, when I posted, and how I engaged with my network. The entire process helped me reevaluate how I used this platform.

And the experience made me more productive and more efficient with my time.

Ultimately, I’d recommend anyone who wants to be more active on LinkedIn to apply to future iterations of the CAP. Even if you’re not accepted into the program, you’ll have outlined a longitudinal future project that you can complete.