A Basic LinkedIn Content Strategy

Each social media platform is its own creature.  How we behave on Twitter is not the same as how we exist on Facebook.  Each platform has its own culture, and they also have algorithms that govern how content is supported and rewarded (or not).  With this in mind, let’s talk about a basic framework for improving your presence on LinkedIn.

It’s a Two-Pronged Approach

The essential question is: how are you using LinkedIn to bring value to others?  We use social media, regardless of platform, because somehow it brings value to our day.  As a user of LinkedIn, you should be building relationships and bringing value to others, and hopefully they’ll do the same for you.  How do you bring value?  It’s going to happen in two primary ways:

1. The content you share.
2. Engaging with others.

The Content Strategy

The first content set you should be focused on is your profile.  That’s your space to let people know who you are, what you do, and how you might be able to be of service to them.  If you’re sharing good content on your feed and your content grabs someone’s attention, they might click on your profile to learn about you.  It would be a shame if that opportunity gets wasted because when they arrive at your profile there’s no useful information there.  If you’re ready to get more serious about a LinkedIn content strategy, definitely start with updating and enriching your profile.

Once your profile is in good shape, the next step in your LinkedIn content strategy is to consistently produce content that brings some value to the people who follow you.  Three posts per week is a good starting point.  If you can consistently post three times a week, then your audience will get regular impressions of you and get a sense of what you care about and are focused on as a professional.  You can write posts that function like micro blog articles, share short videos of yourself speaking as a thought leader, or occasionally curate content that others have produced that you think is valuable.

The content you put out should be consistently related to your area of expertise and professional knowledge.  If folks want cat videos, they can go to YouTube.  If they want craft ideas, they can go to Pinterest.  LinkedIn is a space for professionals to focus on what they do and why they do it the way they do it.  Showcase your knowledge, your values, and your skill set.

The Engagement Strategy

The final part of your LinkedIn content strategy isn’t about making content, but rather consuming and engaging in the content others share.  You should be spending five minutes each day looking at what other folks are doing on LinkedIn and actively engaging in that content.  Hit the “Like” button for stuff you actually appreciate, and leave a thoughtful comment that contributes to a sense of dialogue around the ideas being shared by others.  This is important for two reasons:

1. This is how you build relationships, and relationships are what drive successful businesses.
2. LinkedIn has an algorithm that is monitoring your activity on their platform.  It also gives you a score, (called the Social Selling Index). The better your score, the more you must be doing the right things to earn that score, so you’re playing to the algorithm in the right ways.  This means that your content is getting shown to other people on LinkedIn.  Your score is determined by how well you have your profile set up, how often you post content, and how much you engage with others.  Ideally, your score should be at least a 70.  (For the average LinkedIn user it’s 30.)

So, to re-cap, the basic LinkedIn content strategy we’re recommending has three parts:

1. Optimize your profile.
2. Post content three times a week.
3. Spend five minutes a day looking at other people’s content and engaging with that content by hitting the “Like” button and leaving thoughtful comments.

If you follow these three steps, you will raise your presence on LinkedIn and get more attention from other users there.  This will generate more leads and help you get more business.  It’s a long-term model, not a quick money grab.

But what if you hate producing content?  We understand that you didn’t get into business to produce content.  If you have no desire to produce content, but you understand that it’s an important part of the modern marketing landscape, let us do it for you.  We actually love making content!  We’d be happy to support your content needs and take you beyond a basic LinkedIn content strategy to one that helps you stand out as a rockstar in your field.  Schedule a discovery session with us and let’s talk about the possibilities.