Each individual social media platform has its own algorithms that determine how content is displayed to users. Understanding these algorithms and optimising your content accordingly will help to boost your reach and engagement.
Unsurprisingly, the LinkedIn algorithm prioritises content that aligns with its mission: providing value and fostering professional networking and development.
With this in mind, it’s mind-boggling to think that only 4% of LinkedIn users actively post on the platform. This is good news for you, as low posting rates mean that LinkedIn is constantly looking for posts to magnify.
So we’re here to share our 10 expert tips to help you dive in and truly make the most of LinkedIn!
⚡ Optimise Your Profile
First things first, optimise your profile. This may seem obvious, but there are a few key things that people often overlook:
- SEO is linked to the first 156 words on your LinkedIn Company profile. Create a concise summary packed with keywords to capitalise on this.
- Encourage employees to link their profiles to the Company page. This goes a long way in personalising your brand and expanding your reach.
- Use your LinkedIn to create a variety of back links to your website: include your website URL wherever possible on your company page, and also in your posts.
Pages with completed profiles receive 30% more views, so give yourself an easy win and complete yours today!
⚡ Authentic Engagement
LinkedIn is, first and foremost, a platform to connect. So go out there and do it! Engage with people on the platform and show a genuine interest in other users’ content. Find a post useful? Share it with your own connections, or reply with a comment that adds value or shows genuine interest. Respond to comments on your own content too, to let your connections know that they’re seen and you value their input. The more meaningful connections you can create on LinkedIn the better your results will be.
⚡ Leverage LinkedIn Articles
LinkedIn allows its users to create and publish long-form articles directly on the platform. These are a great way to amplify reach, given that they receive considerably higher views than blogs which feature on a company’s own website. You should aim to create articles with at least 1,500 – 2,000 words, as this is the magic number at which LinkedIn becomes more likely to boost your content.
⚡ Industry Expertise
If you’re using LinkedIn as a business, it’s critical that you establish yourself as an expert in your field. Sharing industry news, insights, or even emerging trends is a great way to position yourself as a trusted source of valuable information. Even better? Sprinkle these with practical tips or tutorials that will help users level-up their knowledge or skill-set. As a rule of thumb, try posting 3 pieces of industry related content each week in order to grow your online presence and keep your audience engaged.
⚡ Showcase Your Services
Sharing updates about your company’s achievements, new products, partnerships, or milestones can help strengthen your brand presence on LinkedIn. It’s also a great way to flaunt your company culture and personality. Try to post 1 piece of content each week specifically related to your products or services. You may be tempted to post more, but remember you’re there to connect, NOT hard-sell.
⚡ The Feel-Good Factor
Relatability and likeability go hand in hand. In order to create meaningful connections and community engagement, it’s important that you humanise your profile by sharing content that is authentic and relatable. Share personal insights and anecdotes, celebrate team members, and reveal lessons you’ve learned throughout your career. Try to share 2 pieces of feel-good content each week.
⚡ Humans Are Visual Beings
If you’re limiting yourself to text-based posts, you’re limiting your reach AND your engagement. Infographics, images, videos, and carousels are key to capturing users’ attention.
Video is LinkedIn’s preferred type of content. Just keep them short and authentic! Carousels are a pretty good option too. To ensure your messaging remains digestible, structure your carousel for easy consumption: limit each post to 10 slides containing no more than 25 – 50 words per slide. Most users access LinkedIn via a mobile device, so make sure that your text is large enough to read on smaller screens.
Whatever imagery you’re using, maintain consistent visual branding throughout. Design your content with your brand’s colours, fonts, and style in mind so that your profile appears professional and consistent.
⚡ Be Consistent!
Regular activity on LinkedIn signals to the algorithm that you’re an active and valuable member of the community. What’s more, by regularly engaging on the platform you’ll maintain visibility and maintain users interest over time. Consistently posting builds anticipation, yields a stronger sense of loyalty and connection, and establishes a solid presence.
⚡ Keywords
Just like anywhere else online, optimising your posts with relevant keywords can give your content a welcome boost! On LinkedIn, this applies to hashtags in addition to your post and page copy. Conduct keyword research to identify terms and phrases that your target audience are searching for, and incorporate these naturally into your posts and profile. You can do the same with industry trending hashtags to increase your discoverability and help you reach a wider audience. Remember that quality is more important that quantity – you want your text to flow and you NEVER want to appear spammy.
⚡ Analyse & Adapt
As with any other marketing strategy, it’s important to regularly review what is working, and what’s not. It’s difficult to gain followers if you’re not posting the right content for your audience. Pay attention to your Page Analytics and monitor reach, engagement and click-through rates. This will tell you which content resonates the most, and where you might want to adapt. This is also a really useful way to find out WHEN the best time to post is, which can have a huge impact on your visibility and engagement.
Mastering LinkedIn may require a little more than a haphazard posting approach but, by adopting our 10 top tricks, you’ll be well on your way to heightening your reach and boosting your engagement on the platform.
Remember:
- Optimise your profile with a concise business summary that contains backlinks and keywords
- Reply to comments and interact with others’ posts
- Utilise LinkedIn Articles
- Limit posting about your products or services to once per week. You’re there to connect, not hard-sell!
- Use carousels to take your connections on a journey
- Use video content to drive member engagement
- Post consistently to create anticipation and build trust
- Pay attention to your Page Analytics: review what’s working and adapt.
Implement these tips today and start seeing the difference right away!
