It¡¯s simpler than you think to master content marketing on LinkedIn¡¯s platform. Deciphering when to share and what features to use can be overwhelming at first, but it will become second nature with a few guidelines in your marketing toolkit.
To get a better handle on where and how to execute a content marketing strategy on LinkedIn, keep reading. I've covered everything you need to know from tips on content you should (and shouldn't) share to how to determine the right frequency for posting.
The good news is you can leverage LinkedIn for content distribution without having to pay for it. Check out our video on how to build our content strategy on LinkedIn:
LinkedIn Content Creation Best Practices
- Consider your target audience.
- Engage with your audience.
- Be genuine, not salesy.
- Use hashtags.
- Be consistent.
- Be exclusive.
- Observe and adjust.
Regardless of what medium you¡¯re using, there are a few tips that will ensure your LinkedIn marketing efforts perform their best.
1. Consider your target audience.
Before you post anything, think about who the content is for and tailor your messaging to that particular audience. For example, if your target audience is sales professionals, choose industry topics they care about to hook them in. What problems or obstacles are they trying to solve? Create content that speaks to their needs.
2. Engage with your audience.
It¡¯s easy to create a post and then move on to the next project, but using LinkedIn for marketing shouldn¡¯t be a one-way street. If you¡¯re fortunate to have users commenting on your post, interact with them. Respond to questions and comments, ask for feedback, or ask questions that spark discussion.
3. Be genuine, not salesy.
Yes, social media marketing is about promotion, but you can promote yourself and brand without taking a hard sell angle. Producing good content with an authentic voice will perform better than a hollow sales pitch. People are smart, and can spot dishonesty quicker than you may think.
4. Use hashtags.
Just like other social media sites, LinkedIn hashtags are used to categorize content. You can use them to help you reach your target audience and those with shared interests. Hashtags are also a great way to reach those outside of your network who may be interested in your content based on the hashtags you use. Two to three relevant tags should do the job.
5. Be consistent.
A successful LinkedIn campaign requires consistency. This may be hard at first, but it¡¯s important to develop a regular cadence for publishing. This builds trust with your audience and will help establish yourself as an expert in your field.
6. Offer exclusive content.
It can be tempting to publish the same content across multiple platforms, but that would be a mistake. Provide your LinkedIn audience with exclusive content that they can¡¯t find elsewhere. It¡¯s not uncommon to have the same followers on several platforms, so you don¡¯t want to bombard them with duplicate content.
7. Observe and adjust.
Don't get discouraged if your posts don¡¯t initially get the level of response you hoped for. Make adjustments and continue to improve with each new post you share.How to Distribute Your Content on LinkedIn
- Publish quick status updates.
- Share links to interesting articles, websites or videos.
- Attach a document to your status update.
- Mention people of interest to your connections.
- Talk about an event you are attending or have attended.
- Publish and share an article on LinkedIn.
- Define your purpose.
- Brainstorm topics.
- Narrow your focus.
- Select an image
- Publish video content.
1. Publish quick status updates.
One of LinkedIn's most underutilized features is the ¡°LinkedIn Status Update¡± (also called your ¡°Network Update¡±) in your LinkedIn Profile. This is one of the best ways to stay in front of your target audience on a consistent basis. And when used correctly, these little messages pack a big punch.
Your status update ¡°block¡± is a white box located just below your picture on your homepage. Whenever you share an update, your message is then broadcast to all of your network connections.
You can also control the visibility of your posts before sharing. This means that you can pick and choose which posts you want to share with everyone, share with just your connections, or share with both everyone and your Twitter network.
While updates serve as a great place to share your thoughts, linking in a blog post or interesting website will help you to provide an even richer source of insight.
Tips for Sharing Updates on LinkedIn
- Share links to interesting articles, websites or videos. Use words that grab the readers and encourage them to click the link.
- Attach a document to your status update. Your audience might appreciate receiving checklists, white papers, or case studies. Job seekers, this is a great place for your resume.
- Mention a person or situation that might be helpful to some of your connections. For instance, ¡°I just met with @AlexPirouz from @Linkfluencer and found out they've just won the readers choice award from Anthill Magazine.¡± The ¡°@¡± before an individual or company name allows the reader to click through to that person¡¯s LinkedIn profile or company page.
- Talk about an event you are attending or have attended. This might encourage involvement and/or questions about what you learned there.
Things You Should Avoid When Sharing Updates on LinkedIn
- Talking about what you had for breakfast (or your cat). LinkedIn is a professional network. Before you post, make sure that what you're sharing is relevant to your audience and provides value. While your pancakes this morning may have been delicious, this isn't the place for it.
- Being a spammer. While it may be acceptable to post 20 times a day on Twitter, the landscape of LinkedIn is a little different. To avoid coming off as spammy, try to limit your updates to no more than a couple times per day.
- Talking about sensitive topics. I am too embarrassed to even think about, let alone share, some of the items I see posted as status updates. If your mother wouldn¡¯t want you talking about it, don¡¯t include it in your status.
- Continually pitching products and services. This takes people back to the days of big newspaper ads and screaming radio messages. This is not the purpose of social media, especially LinkedIn.
- Don¡¯t bother posting when no one¡¯s looking. The update you posted at 11:30 p.m. on Friday probably won¡¯t get much traction. Try to align your posting schedule with the business hours in which people in your industry operate. Of course, this varies if you have a global audience.
2. Publish and share an article on LinkedIn.
Another powerful way to distribute content on LinkedIn is through the publishing platform. With all members now having access to the platform, it serves as a great opportunity to expand your reach in a major way.