LinkedIn Content Strategy

LinkedIn is a business to business social media platform that many small business owners underestimate. The platform has 562 million members, and nearly 39% are engaged enough that they opt to pay for LinkedIn Premium. If you offer business to business services then LinkedIn may offer a unique platform to reach your ideal customer.

LinkedIn’s average users tends to be a college-educated professional which may not be surprising considering it is a professional networking platform. One study found active LinkedIn users tend to visit the platform at least once a day. While users spend less time on LinkedIn than more leisure oriented social media, those users also engage with content that keeps them informed of industry trends and helps them do their job better. By and large, LinkedIn is an aspirational platform populated by people striving for success in their field. It isn’t just for job seekers anymore!

LinkedIn Marketing Strategies

As with any content strategy, successful LinkedIn Content offers something of value to the audience. LinkedIn may be a good place to promote your white papers, pillar content, ebooks and other long-form content that may interest professionals. 

Since LinkedIn is a professional network it touches on members aspirations and their livelihood. For that reason, it can be a little more serious than other social networks. In everything you do, you want to demonstrate competence and credibility. 

Despite the professional nature, there are numerous spammy, fake and misleading profiles. Establish trust by showing yourself and your brand as authentically as possible. However, this does not mean you must avoid humor. Entertaining content can work well as long as it is tasteful and is appropriate for your client base. For example, someone who works offers PR services to rock bands may publish content that is a little rock and roll as long as it relates to their client’s professional interests. 

In addition to sharing or distributing your website content, LinkedIn is also a place where you may choose to publish native content. Examples of native content appropriate for LinkedIn include:

• LinkedIn Pulse offers the opportunity to publish articles and blog posts within LinkedIn.
• Native video offers you the chance to publish video content that appears in your connection’s feeds. 
• Upload your Infographics or behind the scenes photos.
• SlideShare is a content platform affiliated with LinkedIn where creators share their presentation decks on SlideShare and LinkedIn. They also offer options to embed your SlideShare on a website. 

LinkedIn advertising may be a worthwhile lead generation option to promote white papers, ebooks, and opt-in to a business or professional audience. 

How to Drive Engagement on LinkedIn

As with any channel, create quality content that adds value. Also, all LinkedIn status updates should be written in a professionally credible yet friendly voice. Compelling images or video content also inspire engagement. 

LinkedIn is not a place to simply drop links. That may work for a hiring manager posting attractive job listings, but not for other brands on the platform. Consistently share content, but also engage with content your connections share. This engagement may result in others watching for your content when scrolling their feed. 

Native content like SlideShare decks, video, and LinkedIn Pulse articles may attract attention to your profile. Consider publishing such content if you want to attract attention to your profile and build your network. 

Joining and Participating in LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups offer an opportunity to connect with others who share similar professional interests. Your LinkedIn Group membership may be displayed on your personal and company profile. Each group has their own rules and guidelines. Some groups allow members to share their own or their brand’s content and others do not allow sharing your content. If you participate in groups, be sure to follow the rules and also stay on-topic. By participating in the discussion, you may build your network, establish yourself as an expert, and learn new ideas. 

Should I use a Business profile or a Personal Profile on Linkedin?

Sometimes clients ask use whether they should focus their energy on their personal profile or company page on LinkedIn. The answer is both if both apply to your situation. LinkedIn is a little different from other social media platforms, members are expected to have their own personal profile and are required to use their actual name. Also, native content like LinkedIn Pulse articles must be associated with a personal profile.

LinkedIn requires that members who manage company pages have a personal profile of their own. Whether you want to manage an existing company page or open a new one, you need to have a branded email associated with the company domain. Also that company must be listed as a current employer on the member’s personal profile. 

Like Facebook, LinkedIn seems more generous with organic engagement for personal profiles rather than company pages. Some small businesses find their company page posts reach more people if the page manager and other staff share the update from their personal LinkedIn profile. 

What Type of Content is Best on LinkedIn?

With all the publishing options, the best content to post on LinkedIn is anything that authentically enhances your brand and is useful to your audience. High quality visuals or video tend to inspire more engagement and stand out in a feed. Publicly accessible content like LinkedIn Pulse articles or SlideShare decks have the greatest chance at reaching new audiences through shares and searches.