LinkedIn: Content

Tips for Creating High Engagement LinkedIn Posts

Most LinkedIn content is either boring or outrageously cheesy, neither of which people want to consume. Here’s how to generate high engagement on LinkedIn. Most LinkedIn content is either boring (merely pasting your latest blog link) or outrageously cheesy attempts at being the next Tai Lopez (ridiculous vlogs), neither of which people want to consume on the platform.

1. Quick + Informative Native Videos Grab Attention on LinkedIn

When it comes to hours spent on social media, most people are spending a ton of time on platforms. People barely used LinkedIn in terms of time on the platform when compared to other social media. The majority are using less than two hours a week, with a large portion at zero minutes.

2. Keep it Simple Stupid: Text-Only = Big Wins

Like LinkedIn, Twitter is another one of those less used social platforms that people either love or hate. 

3. Stop Using LinkedIn as a One-Way Street

Social media is a joke nowadays in the marketing space.

Why? Because every single marketer has the same strategy: Spam promotions and then leave.

4. Write Better Content Directly on LinkedIn

Most people use social media for one overarching reason: to drive traffic somewhere. But when it comes to LinkedIn, keeping people on the platform itself can often produce better engagement. While it’s nice to have some clicks on your latest post, it likely isn’t your cash cow tactic. Want real engagement? Stop sharing links that 99 percent of your audience is ignoring. It ain’t worth it. Instead, take advantage of LinkedIn’s fantastic native content system and produce short stories that hook your audience in without forcing them off the platform or disrupting their session.

Types of LinkedIn Content to Post

1. Blog Posts.

There are a few ways to share a blog post on LinkedIn. One is to use the native publishing platform to create content directly through the social network. Just click “Write an article” on the top of your feed. The other is to share the link to an article on your company’s website. We might call this a “status update.” A third option is to republish a blog post that has appeared on your company’s blog directly to LinkedIn’s publishing platform. This is called syndication. Note that LinkedIn won’t let you publish content directly from your organization’s page. Rather, someone from your company would need to publish it on their profile on behalf of your organization.

2. Third-Party Content.

LinkedIn is all about starting conversations and building relationships, and sometimes that means talking about something other than your own brand. It may sound counter-intuitive, and it’s certainly true that clicking on a link to, say, a Forbes article, takes the user away from your brand and to another site. But you want your target audience to associate you with valuable information. Because if they do, they’ll be that much more likely to click on your original content. Furthermore, each time they like something you post, that activity appears on connections’ news feeds.

3. Native Video.

Not to be confused with the video ads that LinkedIn is aggressively marketing, native video is any unsponsored video content that you share with your network, meaning you haven’t paid for its placement in a news feed. Some sources have cautioned users away from video. For instance, one study correlated zero multimedia embeds in posts with higher average LinkedIn views.

4. Text Only.

LinkedIn users often just scan their feed between doing whatever it was they went there for in the first place. While visual content is great at giving the eye something to latch onto, it can also be an encumbrance if the copy is the most engaging aspect of the content.

5. Photos and Graphics.

Text-only posts have their place on LinkedIn, but a cursory glance at your newsfeed is enough to remind you that imagery absolutely dominates this media platform, which makes sense. The mind excels at processing imagery, especially when that imagery does a really good job at providing information or making a point at a glance. Photos and graphics can be used to complement a point you’ve made in a short post, or as a standalone element that can convey information on its own. 

Other Content Types To Consider?

• Live images, videos and/or text updates from events.
• Original research (always a good idea if you have the means).
• The latest episode of your podcast.
• GIFs.
• Screenshots from, or links to, SlideShare decks.
• Links to eBooks, white papers, case studies and other collateral.

Tips for writing your own LinkedIn content

Know your end goal

Spend a little time to determine what you hope to gain from posting. Do you want to be seen as an expert on a professional topic that you’re passionate about? Or perhaps you want to share professional updates so people get an insight into your career and what you’re learning along the way.

Be personal, yet professional

Don’t be afraid to open up about failings or challenges – talking about things that didn’t go to plan and what it taught you gives your writing credibility and can highlight your self-awareness, resilience and creativity!

Break up your content

When people read articles online, they don’t read every word, instead they scan the page for key take away points. And LinkedIn is no different! When you write your content make sure you use subheadings or bullet points to break up stretches of copy and keep your sentences short and sharp so they are easy to read.

Spend time on your headline

So you’ve spent some time writing your content, you’ve structured it neatly and you’re ready to share it with the world … stop! Before you publish you need a stellar headline that draws attention. Your headline is the only thing between your post and your potential readers, so give it the time your article deserves! The best way to do this is to brainstorm a few different headlines and test them on your friends.

Edit, and then edit again

Your LinkedIn profile is your professional brand. It will be the first-place future employers look to when you apply for jobs and, it may be the way you find your job in the first place. Poor grammar, spelling mistakes, or clumsy sentences can impact your reputation and be a turn-off to someone considering hiring you in the future.

Before you hit publish, ask someone you trust to look over your work. If you want to edit it yourself, try to have some time away from your post before you review it. Even coming back to it the next day with fresh eyes can help highlight any changes you need to make.