February brings a lot of talk about love, appreciation, and relationships. It’s Valentine’s month, after all. Most of it is framed personally, but the truth is, the strongest brands are built on similar foundations:
Trust. Consistency. Care. Attention.
That first one, trust, is essential. And it’s something that has been on my mind lately. It was one of my “feistier” LinkedIn posts, and you can read all about it here.
What Showing Up For Community Looks Like on LinkedIn
We talk a lot about visibility, content, and positioning, but not always enough about community.
Community looks like:
replying thoughtfully to comments
remembering what your clients are working toward
introducing people who should know each other
writing posts that help, teach, and support (not just perform)
attending others’ LinkedIn Lives, commenting thoughtfully on their posts, writing recommendations and giving endorsements when appropriate
My LinkedIn rule? Give more than you get. Believe me, trust compounds faster than reach.
Your February LinkedIn Insight: Comment Strategy > Content Volume
Here’s something I’ve been reinforcing with clients lately:
Your comments are part of your content strategy.
On 2026’s LinkedIn, with AI summaries, GEO discovery, and feed compression, high-quality comments on the right posts can create more visibility and authority than an extra post of your own.
Why?
Because smart comments:
showcase your thinking
attach your name to relevant conversations
get read by the post author’s audience
often drive profile clicks
build peer recognition
Here’s a practical and actionable February habit:
Leave at least 5 high-value comments per day on posts from people in your ecosystem.
Not just “great post.” or some applause emojis.
Add your perspective, your insights, what resonated with you and why. (And please, don’t hijack their post with a link to your own).
Think: contribution, not performance. That’s relationship building in action. I still maintain that comments are where all the magic happens.
Three things before I sign off
I’ll leave you now with three final thoughts. One, if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day (or anytime) gift that will have lasting impact, I’m happy to say that Letters To Lilly: Lessons In Leadership & Loving Yourself is now also available at Barnes & Noble. I’m just back from two book readings and signings in Washington DC, and the outpouring of love, support, and positive reactions in the room were just incredible. I believe this book will have lasting impact on everyone who reads it.
Letters To Lilly Book Event at the Chief Clubhouse in Washington, DC
Two, and this is an important one: LinkedIn is really cracking down on any kind of browser extension or plug-in. More and more people are getting their accounts restricted (meaning they lose access to their account for a set period of time). They often have to go through a process with LinkedIn to confirm their identity and/or to confirm they aren’t using automated tools.
There is a list of third party apps that are approved by LinkedIn. These are the ONLY ones you can use safely: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/marketing-partners/find-a-partner (Many thanks to my good friend Kevin Turner who shared that link with me back in the day.) A lot of the most popular tools that you see people posting about using are not there. And that is quite possibly why some of those very same people get their accounts restricted. My heartfelt advice? Don’t use anything not on the approved list. It simply isn’t worth it.
And last but not least…. Yes, I jumped into the ChatGPT caricature trend. My first thought was I only wish my hair looked this good IRL. If you want to give it a try, here is the prompt: “Please create a caricature of me based on what you know of my work and daily routine.” It may ask you a few clarifying questions. Below is my result (clearly one thing ChatGPT doesn’t know is that I never wear heels!):
Coffee and LinkedIn… ChatGPT has my life down pat
Until next month, may your coffee be strong, your heart full, and your temperatures not freezing (Spring can’t come soon enough for me!) - Melissa