In the first part of the article, you learned why you should use LinkedIn for content marketing. Now let’s talk about the types of content you should use on LinkedIn.
There are 4 types of content that work well for content marketing on LinkedIn:
• Long content
• Status updates
• Video Content
• User Generated Content
But just knowing which content formats work, isn’t enough. You also need to create and share content in these formats that resonate with your target audience.
Let’s take a closer look at how to use each content format for the best results.
Long content
If you ask 20 different marketers what counts as long, you’ll probably get 20 different responses. Some people believe that “long-form” means anything more than 700 words, while others argue that content doesn’t count as long-form until it reaches at least 1800 words. Whatever your definition is, spreading your long content on LinkedIn is a great way to increase the reach of your content on LinkedIn.
Why post long content
Posting long content on LinkedIn offers several benefits:
• You reach your target audience
• You will get more exposure for your content
• Increasing your audience
You can bet that most of the people in your LinkedIn network are interested in the same areas as you. This gives you the unique opportunity to create and share content that you would like to see for yourself.
What else? You can use this content to connect with your target audience. Your contacts are notified when you post content, so you have a better chance of being read. According to recent research, users are more likely to share lengthy content. This will make your content visible to more people who may want to join your network or follow your content.
How to post long content on LinkedIn
If you’re ready to get started posting long content on LinkedIn, here are some tips to make sure you’re getting the most out of your content marketing on LinkedIn.
Set a goal
What do you want your content to achieve? Or maybe you’d better ask yourself what do you want people to do after reading your content? Is your goal information, education, or sales? Do you want them to make a business decision? Did they share your content? Sign up for an event? The better your content goal is defined, the better you’ll be able to create content that has a real impact on your business and your content marketing strategy on LinkedIn.
Choose the right graphic or photo
Think about who you are writing your content for and why. What do your followers want to know? What are their problems and challenges? Prepare a list of topics you want to write about. Choose the topic that is the most popular at the moment and write a post or article.
Your content should contain graphics that are engaging and compelling to read your content. We recommend posting long content on LinkedIn no more than once a week.
Status Updates
Status Updates are often overlooked feature on LinkedIn, but they’re a really great way to reach your target audience.
Think of status updates as short content that you can use to share everything from popular industry trends to your business updates. You can also edit each post before sharing it on your network to control who sees your post and who doesn’t. LinkedIn allows you to share content:
• All LinkedIn users
• Only your own contacts
• Members of a specific group.
We recommend that you post your status update on LinkedIn no more than once a day. Spend the rest of your time engaging with commenters, your network, and other industry professionals.
Tips for posting interesting status updates
Here’s a shortlist of “good and bad practices” to help create better, more engaging status updates to inspire engagement and support your LinkedIn content marketing strategy.
Tips for posting interesting status updates
Here’s a shortlist of “good and bad practices” to help create better, more engaging status updates to inspire engagement and support your LinkedIn content marketing strategy.
• Share links
Do you find the article interesting? Your network may think so too. Use status updates to encourage your network to read articles, visit websites, or watch movies.
• Include materials
If you have a potential customer magnet, such as case studies, infographics, or ebooks that your audience finds interesting, include the file in your status update so they can download it.
• Mention (and tag) other users on LinkedIn
You can tag people or companies in your status updates. This will send them a notification and make it easier for interested people to find your status update (and you!).
• Promote events
Will you attend the event? Tell us about it in the status update. Or, if you’ve been to an event before and have something to say about it, updating your status is the perfect way to implement your content marketing strategy on LinkedIn.
• Post in good time
As with any social media platform, if you post when no one is around, no one will see your content. We recommend posting during business hours for your industry and location.
• Don’t talk about irrelevant things
LinkedIn users are professionals who are less interested in photos of your pets and children. Be sure to share professional and industry-related content. As with long content, status updates should provide valuable content.
• Do not spam your contacts
LinkedIn is not a place to post all day, even if your posts are interesting. Limit status updates to no more than twice a day.
• Don’t raise sensitive topics
We’ll say it again: LinkedIn is a professional social network. Keyword: professional. Consequently, you will want to limit what you say and share on the platform.
• Don’t just sell
People will start skipping status updates and possibly any other content you share if all you do is try to sell them something. Remember, social media is about engagement.
In part 3 of the article, we will discuss the last 2 types of content that work well for content marketing on LinkedIn.