We here at ETSZONE have compiled a few recommended tips and best practices you can use for posting content to LinkedIn. Use these for general guidance and incorporate them to boost your effectiveness when posting content to the platform. It can be confusing at first trying to figure out what to focus on and maybe a little uncomfortable putting yourself out there out there as well, but don’t shy away or be disheartened! Soon enough you will be seeing impressive results and the LinkedIn community is generally positive and forgiving. Read on ahead and happy posting!
Why Post Content to LinkedIn?
LinkedIn has evolved far beyond its beginnings as a place to post resumes and network to find jobs. Its rapidly growing user base now expects to see business content and more receptively engages with it as compared to other social media platforms. Using LinkedIn to offer and obtain business related value is becoming the norm but only a small percentage of users produce content and an even smaller percentage are effectively producing purposeful content as part of a marketing strategy. Posting content to LinkedIn can generate business leads, bolster your brand’s reputation, and grow your network.
Capture Your Target Audience’s Attention By Posting Relevant Content
Think from the perspective of your target audience. What will they likely find valuable, interesting, and easy to engage with? Also, hone your content to suit a specific purpose. Reach potential customers by identifying one of their pain points and conveying solutions that alleviate their issue. Expand your network by choosing a topic you are passionate and knowledgeable about that will appeal to the people you are trying to connect with. Encourage engagement by posting personal/business victories, bringing positive attention to others, and contributing inspirational or even personal/business values related content. In general, keep your content related to business in some way. Personal posts are fine occasionally and can be a nice change for your audience, but try to tie these types of posts back to business.
Craft opening sentences for your posts that hook your audience’s attention and make them want to keep reading. The first 30-40 words of your post appear “above the fold,” meaning they can be seen without having to click “read more,” so include key words and concepts that will resonate with your audience.
Maintain Consistency and Timing
A post a day is great, but fewer per week is fine too. Try to maintain consistency when posting content to LinkedIn. Methodically posting once a week is going to yield better results than several back to back posts followed by long periods of silence.
Experiment with different times of day for posting your content. Think about your audience, what their day may be like and when they would most likely be checking and engaging on LinkedIn. Take into account what time zone they’re in and what type of habits and patterns people in their industry may find themselves prone to. Generally, studies have shown LinkedIn users are more active midweek, Tuesday-Thursday, earlier in the morning and around lunch time. Once you have found a time that seems to get the most traction with your audience, stick to it!
Incorporate a Variety of Content Types
Maintain a mix of content when posting content to LinkedIn. You should view LinkedIn as a social gathering place for business-minded individuals to learn, share, and engage with a variety of interesting content. No one wants to only hear about your business or be bombarded by sales pitches. There is no fixed rule for this, however one easy to remember “blend” is 3-2-1 per week or month depending on how often you’d like to post.
A: Three posts of industry-related content
B: Two posts of acknowledgment, praise, inspirational, or other content of interest
C: One post of your product or service-related content
The A and B type content could tie in your company, product, or service by mentioning it in context, but don’t over-do it. For example, an informative piece about an industry development should emphasize the educational content, and then perhaps include a short mention about how your company has incorporated this new development.
Use a picture, graphic, or video to appear with your post. These are easily added within the posting window. Images can carry a written statement related to the theme of your post. Use something custom or unique, if possible.
Although it might seem that short posts are better, this is not always the case. Research has shown that long posts get more engagement. As of 2021, the post length limit was 3,000 characters on LinkedIn. Keep a mix, but know that longer content is fine if you need it to convey the ideas in your theme.
Boost Your Post’s Visibility By Incorporating Mentions and Hashtags
Add mentions of others in your post using the @ symbol. When you use @ and start typing a name, LinkedIn will pop up a contextual list of names to pick from. Keep typing the name if you don’t see it in the list right away. Mentioning someone brings attention to and increases visibility of that person to your audience. Your post also will appear on that person’s timeline. Be careful not to overuse someone else’s name as it can appear as “spamming” their network.
There are several ways to pick whom to mention when posting content to Linkedin. It could be a customer, a partner, an advisor, a thought-leader, or someone who would appreciate your content, is an expert, or has influenced you in some way. Mentioning acknowledges that person in some way, and they might even then share the post that includes the mention of their name to their audience.
Add hashtags to the post. These are added by starting to type # and continuing from there. If there is a key word or topic name related to your post, you can include it. There are many related hashtags so sometimes it can be hard to pick. Check them out by searching on some of them. Also, change up the hashtags from time to time to keep variety. Hashtags are easily searchable by other people. It allows your content to be viewed by people searching for a particular topic that may not be connected to you.
Spark Conversation and Welcome Engagement
Greatly expand the reach of your posts by encouraging engagement, liking, commenting, and sharing. When posting content to LinkedIn invite others to add their thoughts or opinions in the comments. Ask thought provoking questions. Reply to comments and questions on your posts. Notify employees of your company and personal posts and encourage them to share and engage.
Be Human
LinkedIn users engage more with individuals and their personal profiles as opposed to company LinkedIn pages. A majority of your posts should be on your personal profile. Use your company’s LinkedIn page for updates, accomplishments, and sharing your personal posts.
It is ok to put yourself out there and be vulnerable. People are interested in you and want to hear about your personal experiences, successes, setbacks, as well as lessons learned throughout your business endeavors. You are not a company.
Appease the Algorithm
LinkedIn likes keeping users on LinkedIn. Directing your audience off the site with external links in your posts may reduce the visibility of your posts. To get around this you can add external links in the comment section below your post. You can also put the URL text on the image you will be including with your post. The link won’t be clickable on the image but the information is still communicated without upsetting the algorithm. Additionally, including a link to your company’s LinkedIn page is another way to help others find your company’s website without penalty.
Want the benefits of posting content to LinkedIn but lacking time or maybe still a little lost? Click here to contact us and see how ETSZONE can help!