LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index (SSI): Why charities should care

You’ve probably heard the phrase “what gets measured, gets managed.” Well, LinkedIn has a little scorecard for how good you are at using the platform to build a professional brand. It’s called LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index (SSI) and while it sounds like something a B2B sales rep might bang on about, it’s actually a brilliant way for charity employees to see how their personal brand-building is going.

Important note: LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index (SSI) measures individuals, not organisations. So if you’re looking to track how your charity’s LinkedIn page is doing, you’ll need page analytics for that. But if you want to measure how well your people are showing up, engaging, and building trust? SSI is your go-to metric.

What’s SSI in plain English?

LinkedIn gives you a score out of 100 that shows how effective you are at four things:

1. Building a professional brand – Does your profile look like you know what you’re doing, and do you share content people actually want to read?

2.Finding the right people – Are you connecting with supporters, partners, funders, and sector peers… or just your old school mates?

3.Engaging with insights – Do you jump into conversations, comment on posts, and share your own take?

4.Building relationships – Do you actually keep in touch with your network, or is your connection list basically digital clutter?

Add it all up, and LinkedIn spits out a score between 0–100.

Why should charities care?

Because SSI isn’t just a vanity metric—it’s a pretty good proxy for influence. And influence matters when you’re trying to:

Get your campaigns in front of more people.

Position your team as trusted voices in the sector.

Show partners and funders that you’re credible.

Attract new talent who want to work somewhere inspiring.

The average LinkedIn user hovers around 30–35. Anything over 50 in the charity sector? That’s a win. Hit 70+ and you’re playing in the big leagues.

Why SSI is perfect for Employee Generated Content

Here’s why SSI makes sense in the context of EGC:

It shows employees how effective their LinkedIn activity really is.

Gives them a tangible number they can improve over time.

Helps charities track the impact of supporting staff to post, engage, and build credibility.

The beauty of SSI is that it measures the behaviours that make employee voices powerful: having a strong profile, engaging with sector conversations, and nurturing relationships that matter.

How to boost your SSI (without spending your life on LinkedIn)

Polish your profile. Think of it as your online shop window. Photo, headline, “About” section. You need to make them count.

Share one thing a week. A story, a lesson, a campaign update. More than once a week is even better but consistency is key.

Engage like a human. Comment thoughtfully, celebrate others, ask questions. Don’t just broadcast.

Grow your network intentionally. Connect with people who care about your cause. Quality > quantity.

How to check your score

You can view your free SSI score right here 👉 LinkedIn Social Selling Index

Final thought from The Den

Think of LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index (SSI) as your LinkedIn health check. It’s not about chasing 100/100 (no one likes a try-hard). It’s about making sure your employee voices are strong, consistent, and helping your cause get noticed.

Because in today’s noisy digital world, it’s not the loudest voices that win, it’s the most trusted. And SSI is your little reminder of how trusted you really are.

Use page analytics to monitor how your charity’s LinkedIn account is performing.
Use SSI to track how your employees’ voices are growing in reach and influence.

Together, those two views give you a full picture of your brand’s presence on LinkedIn.

Get in touch if you’d like to find out about our LinkedIn training or Social Media Consultancy services.