DID YOU KNOW: LinkedIn has over 706 million users currently. (Source: LinkedIn)
Unlike other social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook, LinkedIn serves a special purpose for businesses. These users aren’t just Hollywood celebrities or musicians. You will find people that can have a significant impact on your personal development, whether you are running a business or looking for a job.
You may ask, “What’s the catch, Adam?”
The catch is that you need to create quality content which can attract your future business partner, employee, or your employer.
A lot of the users feel they need only one viral post to get everyone’s attention. Does this sound like you too?
Getting attention is easy. Sustaining it is the tricky part.
So let me share with you what a money-making content strategy is really NOT about:
It’s not about delivering a knockout punch once.
It’s not about how many comments or likes you receive.
And it’s certainly not about attaching a revenue figure to a single post.
New users on LinkedIn make the mistake of posting almost anything and everything in return for absolutely any kind of results.
Without a content strategy, goals, and the know-how and value, you will not succeed on LinkedIn.
Cracking the secret of content marketing on LinkedIn
If you use LinkedIn regularly, you will get some bizarre and irrelevant posts from people you are connected to that will make you wonder, “What were you thinking?” You’re almost halfway there to cracking the code if you have ever felt that way.
Posting about how you traveled to a meeting won’t get you anywhere. What people want to know is how you can be beneficial to them. Let them know what the meeting was about briefly, without completely spilling the beans – now, that is more interesting!
Don’t post once and be done with it. You need to keep going week in and week out. Maintaining consistency and regularity with your content will further solidify your network. Many LinkedIn users wait for that one viral post and then go on to post mediocre content. You can’t put all your energy into one punch. Yes, you might win the round, but you will lose the fight.
Be creative in your content composition while maintaining regularity.
Creating a successful content strategy
Going forward, if you don’t have any concrete plans, you won’t be able to produce high-engagement content. Social media marketing isn’t solely based on content. For instance, the relationship you have with your connections on LinkedIn plays a vital role in engagement criteria.
Initially, you might not have many connections. But don’t worry about that, because gradual progression is far better than a sudden rise. A lot of the time, people connect with random strangers who have no connection with their industry nor themselves. If you do that, you won’t reach many people with your content. That’s why it is crucial to identify your audience.
Generally, LinkedIn users can be:
- General experts
- Professionals associated with your industry or business
- Future customers
- Current customers
Before creating your content or even connecting with people, you will need to identify who you are approaching. LinkedIn’s algorithm promotes your posts to more people if you are very clear as to who your content serves and what problem it’s solving.
You have to be precise. Don’t be a ship without a radar.
Keep these three tips in mind when you are working on your LinkedIn content strategy:
- Position yourself as an expert in your field
When people browse through their LinkedIn feed, they look for posts that are innovative – something of a game-changer. It doesn’t matter which industry you work in, if you can show up as an expert in your field, you will, without a doubt, attract more engagement.
Knowing your clients’ needs and demands is essential in establishing yourself as an expert.
Whip up a video in which you talk about your industry’s development, which other experts haven’t discussed yet, or use LinkedIn Pulse to post a riveting blog. People will start interacting with your posts, blogs, and videos through likes and comments if they find your content interesting and useful. But don’t get carried away with it.
When you join industry-related groups, you will be able to monitor your potential clients and your competitors. Monitoring such groups will help you understand your target demographic a bit better. Plus, you will be able to fill up the information gap left by your competitors. This will instantly make you an expert in the eyes of your target audience.
But be careful about not being too pushy. A lot of the time, experts make this simple mistake, which can be very costly. If anyone feels that you are trying to invade their ecosystem, you will lose the interest of that individual.
It’s not always about the likes and comments you get. Sometimes, the passive impact you have on your audience can bolster your position as an expert.
- Educate your audience
New information is always eye-catching. No matter how you choose to present it, if you can convey your message, it will leave a long-lasting impression on your audience. You don’t always have to stress over how to come up with brand new content – instead, add your spin to something that the world already knows.
DID YOU KNOW: Over 61 million LinkedIn users are senior-level influencers and, on top of that, around 40 million users sit on the decision-making table.
So, when you share content on LinkedIn, remember the well-informed audience who are out there, and match the high standards that have already been established.
What methods should you use when posting something informative?
- Use simple bullet points to catch your audience’s attention
- Short video clips with subtitles are very effective on LinkedIn
- Reference research-backed articles and studies in your content to give it weight
- Engage with your audience and indulge in conversations
- Consistently show up week after week
What are those posts, videos or articles that you look forward to reading when you are scrolling through LinkedIn? Perhaps that one entrepreneur you have always admired, or a colleague who shares real and genuine content that makes you think.
Now, imagine if these content creators that you keep an eye out for post content once and vanish for a few weeks – are you going to remember them after that point?
Schedule the days and time when you will be sharing new content every week. This means you will stay on track, knowing your audience is expecting to read what you have to say, for instance on a Wednesday morning at 9am.
Being consistent helps you much more than one single viral post.
Adam’s view: A viral post VS the know, like, and trust factor
Now, you are probably wondering – What is a viral post?
Viral in this context is just a level of engagement 10 times that of your regular level. If you manage to be consistent after a viral post, that’s like hitting the jackpot. But you can’t put all your effort and concentration in creating that one amazing post, because your consistency will take a dip.
Do you want to be a one-hit-wonder? Many businesses understand the wonders of the know, like, and trust factor. One of our followers, John Dean, explained the dilemma regarding viral posts perfectly – “Social media is like the newspaper, today’s headline is tomorrow fish and chips wrapper.”
Businesses and relationships are built on trust and compatibility. In real life, you can easily tell a lot about people by judging their social cues. But on a platform like LinkedIn, your content and conversations are your social cues. So, you need to portray an image of a trustworthy individual.
Businesses that have a B2B model rely heavily on recommendations and word of mouth. The recommendation process is a byproduct of the “know, like, and trust” factor. You can belong to a different culture or society, but if you manage to find a common ground, then it isn’t too challenging to become trustworthy.
Once you gain the trust, upholding it should be your number one priority. If you fail to deliver on your promises, your clients won’t even hesitate to walk away from you and your business.
Being strategic and creative in your content will make you likable. Once you start interacting with your audience, you will gain their trust. If you manage that, people would be coming back to you for more.
Final thoughts
LinkedIn is not like the other social media platforms. That’s why the process of creating content and reaping results is a lot different here. Once people know who you are, what you bring to the platform, and trust your input, you will start gaining traction in no time.
Trust comes with time.
Have you ever wondered what the root cause behind people’s distrust towards online businesses is? Human beings rely on physical interactions. As this was absent on social media platforms for a long time, it was a much-needed change.
From a business perspective, what you need to do is be as engaging and as real as possible. If someone leaves a comment on your post, interact with them. Try to understand their point of view, and you might even learn something new yourself. In the long run, when you interact with your target audience as humans, they will start trusting you and what you stand for, and acknowledge your worth.
Other ways we can help you
P.S. Here are 5 ways we can help you accelerate your Lead Generation results:
1. Grab our free 4-Week LinkedIn Profile Optimisation Course
It’s the road map to positioning your profile in the top 5% of the 700 million LinkedIn users
currently active – Click Here
2. Join our FREE LinkedIn Group and connect with entrepreneurs who are scaling too
It’s our Facebook community where smart entrepreneurs learn to get more leads and smart
ways to scale using LinkedIn — Click Here
3. Register for our FREE LinkedIn update webinar
Every 12-Weeks you can join us for a free update on all the latest news, ninja tips and outline of new features released by LinkedIn – Click Here
4. Join our LinkedIn Inner Circle Solo Program on our Free Trial Click Here for more details
5. Work with our team privately
If you’d like to work directly with us to create new marketing opportunities send us a quick message Click here … tell us a little about your business and we’ll organise a time for a deeper chat