Do you want to be more active on LinkedIn but feel apprehensive about sharing your own content? It’s understandable to be worried given that your LinkedIn network is made up of work colleagues, clients and professionals in your industry. But the good news is there are ways to share engaging posts without risking your reputation!
How to Create Engaging Content on LinkedIn
In this article we dive into how to plan and create engaging content on LinkedIn. With this information you will gain the confidence to share and communicate with your peers.
Your challenge after completing this article is to publish 1 post on LinkedIn from your personal account.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Update your personal profile
Before you start sharing content or responding to others you should review your personal profile. It’s common for people to click through to your profile to learn about you if you start a conversation with them on LinkedIn.
In the age of bots and fake accounts people are more likely to argue with you if your profile is lacking information. They want to see that you know what you’re talking about! So prove it with your work history.
a) Add a professional photo picture
b) Add a headline that best describes your experience
c) Write a short bio about your professional history
d) Update your experience section so it includes your current and previous work history
e) Add links, PDFs or photos to your roles
f) Ensure your education section is up-to-date
g) Add any licenses or certifications you have earned
Check out my LinkedIn profile to see an example of what it looks like when your profile is complete.
Step 2: Get Inspiration
You want to write LinkedIn posts but what can you write about? Classic writer’s block fear is probably the number one reason why people lurk on LinkedIn but never contribute.
First, remember that your goal is not to get the most likes and views. It’s about creating content that helps someone else in your field.
The best inspiration for a post will come when you’re in the middle of your work day. Keep a notepad or your notes app handy and jot down any questions or ideas you have.
Still don’t have any ideas? No worries. Here’s a long list of thought starters for you!
a) Answer a common question you get from clients
Don’t work directly with clients? Ask someone who works with a client what questions they get the most.
b) Start a debate
Present your side of a topic that your industry is split on. Ask your audience what their opinion is in the comments. The more controversial, the more engagement, but be wary of people who take things too far.
c) Get into the holiday spirit
In November it’s common for people to share what they’re thankful for and it’s not just limited to Facebook! Write a list of things you’re thankful for in your professional career. Tag people who have been instrumental in your growth.
d) Predict the future
The end of 2020 is coming up and December is a great time to make a list of predictions for your field in 2021. You might want to keep it positive to avoid the naysayers.
e) React to an article
We all have opinions. If you’re a regular consumer of industry content, you’ll probably run across an article where you want to add your own thoughts to the topic. LinkedIn is a great outlet for this! Share a link to the article and tell your audience what you thought about it. (Keep it nice and professional!)
f) Create a list
What are the top 10 projects you’ve ever worked on? Share them! Then ask your audience what their favorite projects are to spark a conversation! Or save your audience time and put together a list of links you know they’d love to bookmark. For example, a few years ago I wrote an article called, “An Epic List of Northwest Arkansas Networking Events” and to this day it’s still one of my most popular piece of content. Why? Because it’s helpful!
g) Commemorate an anniversary
Celebrate your work anniversary or your career anniversary with a post expressing your gratitude to your current employer or to the people instrumental in your career trajectory!
h) Share your story
Share a personal story about how you got started as an architect, engineer, designer, etc. When did you first even consider it as a career? Who helped you get there? Was it even your first choice? Ask your audience to share their story in the comments.
i) New employee shoutout
Are you a leader with a new employee? Give them a shoutout and express your gratitude that they’re joining your team! You can also do this for work anniversaries for people on your team.
j) Spotlight a project / client
When a project you worked on is complete it’s a great opportunity to show it off! Share some photos and short description about what your company accomplished on the project.
Step 3: Craft Your LinkedIn Post
Text vs Photos
LinkedIn posts don’t work the same as other social media sites. On Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok etc visuals are King. On LinkedIn text-only posts perform best.
Length
You have up to 1300 characters for each post, but the first 2–3 lines are critical, because everything after this is hidden unless the viewer clicks ‘…see more.’
Formatting
Formatting is important. Use shorter sentences, spacing, and emojis to break up the post. No one wants to read a text wall. LinkedIn’s algorithm also favors lots of breaks. Some people take it too far, of course, and once it becomes unfriendly for the average human to read, you’ve lost your audience.
Hashtags
When using hashtags on LinkedIn, make sure they’re relevant to your content, company, and industry. You should also aim to use no more than 5–6 hashtags per post (including long-form content).
—
That’s it! Now that you know the many ways you can create content on LinkedIn, I want you to complete your challenge and publish just 1 post from your personal LinkedIn profile. Good luck!
Questions? Drop them in the comments section below.