Should you be on LinkedIn?

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This summer, I set myself a challenge. To focus entirely on my YouTube channel for 100 days. Knowing I would be at Colin and Samir’s Press Publish NYC event on Sept 4th I had a meaningful deadline to get the Orbit for Creators Channel in tip top shape and hit 10k subscribers before flying off to New York. Just like Aprilynne Alter before her first VidCon.

But to be honest, it hasn’t exactly gone according to plan.

Instead of blocking out distractions, going full monk mode and creating one banger video after another, I've done the opposite and opened up.

Posting posting casual walk-and-talk videos on Instagram, attending countless social events and even volunteered as a tribute in the LinkedIn hunger games.

OK, that last one sounds more dramatic than it actually is.

It’s really a 10-week challenge set up by Beehiiv’s Partnership Manager Alec Kremins to get people posting on LinkedIn every weekday, aiming to build a habit. Whoever makes it to the end splits the pot.

But this started a lot of conversations around the question:

Should creators like us even bother with LinkedIn?

For me it’s a clear Yes! Because

• It opens doors you didn’t even know existed.

• Metrics are nearly invisible

• It encourages engagment

If you’re on the fence or can only think cringe read my expanded thoughts on it and maybe change your mind.

1. LinkedIn opens doors you didn't know existed.

Unlike YouTube, LinkedIn isn't about hitting massive view counts. On YouTube, if your video only gets 59 views, it feels like there’s something wrong with it. Low views discourage others from clicking and undermine perceived value. But on LinkedIn, it’s not about raw numbers, it's about who engages.

If you get just a handful of likes or comments from influential industry figures, your post can still have massive impact.

I’ve personally experienced this: LinkedIn literally opened doors to spaces and opportunities I didn’t even know were there. It's how I connected with Jackie Lamport, the producer of Money Wise, who’s coming on the show next month. It’s also how I secured a venue for regular creator meetups kicking off this fall in Vienna.

2. Metrics are nearly invisible, and that’s a good thing.

LinkedIn hides metrics better than any other platform. The analytics dashboard is notoriously terrible and honestly, I love it. It reduces pressure to constantly outperform previous content. Instead of chasing big numbers, you focus on genuine interactions. You can write three lines of text in less than a minute, and if the right people notice, doors swing wide open.

It’s why there is almost no week where I don’t talk to a new creator-ai-tech start up about the needs and challenges of creators.

3. LinkedIn encourages active engagement (and reciprocity).

Unlike the passive, lean-back experience of YouTube, LinkedIn is a lean-in platform. It thrives on community participation. Commenting is literally a growth strategy here. By adding your thoughts to others' posts, you're actively growing your network. This reciprocity-driven approach helps you form meaningful connections with influential people in your niche.

That’s how LinkedIn has transformed me into "the European Creator Guy."

I've had conversations with startups, brands, and influential people like Danny Desatnik, who manages brand partnerships for Creator Camp, and industry innovators working on exciting AI platforms.

None of this would have happened through YouTube alone, where the barrier to commenting and engagement is significantly higher.

In fact, I wish YouTube would learn from LinkedIn’s engagement-first approach.

Imagine if YouTube’s community tab allowed you to see what your favorite creators were watching and commenting on, bringing a social element to video discovery. That would show who is watching rather than how many.

So, should you be on LinkedIn?

If you are looking for a platform to share your thoughts with less pressure but full of opportunities, my answer is absolutely yes.

If still think it’s cringe town you can still follow me and lurk a bit longer

💛 Valentin

P.S: One thing that’s been enabled by LI is a collaborative list of the Top 100 European Creators. To give representation to creators who didn’t make it onto the Time Top 100 List.

P.P.S: I never even watched the Hunger Games.