LinkedIn Content Guide: How, What, Why

Only 1% of active LinkedIn users create content, and they get 9 billion impressions a week.

LinkedIn has over 760 million users, 310 million are active at least once a month, but only 3 million of those are posting content. On other social platforms, you post pictures of your family and family, updates about your life, or the great new movie you saw. That’s why a much higher percentage of users on other platforms, with 60% of users on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posting content. LinkedIn, however, is a different kind of content. You’re not going to post that cute picture of your dog and baby covered in mud from the backyard for your professional network. That’s why, even though there are 9 billion impressions on LinkedIn every week, only 1% of active users are posting. The rest are missing out.

Why does posting content matter? 

So what, only 1% of users are creating content? Why does that matter? The simple answer is that since more people are consuming content on LinkedIn than posting content, your content can go farther. LinkedIn, like any social platform, wants users to be engaged. They rely on users generating engaging content to keep people on their site. Because fewer people are creating content, LinkedIn will put that content in front of more people. 

Whatever your goal is on LinkedIn creating content can help you. Whether you are building your professional brand, you’re a sales rep trying to connect with customers, or a job seeker trying to get employers’ attention, being the person generating content will get more eyes on your profile. 

What is LinkedIn content? 

Content is one of those fun marketing terms that means different things depending on the context. On LinkedIn, content is simply anything you post. That might mean an original article, a picture with an inspiring quote, or sharing an upcoming event. Even something as simple as posting a link to an industry news article is content.

While writing articles or creating branded videos is terrific, it’s also not required. You are likely already engaging in professional content. Start sharing it. 

What should you post on LinkedIn? 

The easiest way to get started is to think about what content you enjoy engaging in professionally. Maybe you read articles in an industry publication every week, pull the most interesting article, and share that. If you love inspirational posts, share one of those. Does your company share blogs or events? Post links to the website and tag your company (the marketing team will love you). Whatever you engage in already, add your take and start posting. 

If you have the time and want to write articles or create videos, that great. Find a topic you are an expert in, something interesting to your industry, or a professional topic you are passionate about. You don’t have to write anything long or overly researched. It’s great to have a few facts or statistics to back up any point you’re making, but you can write a quick listicle (5 Thing You Need to Know About Data) or trends you’ve noticed (More People Are Investing in Plants in 2021).

Don’t get hung up on making sure that you have the best quote or the hottest take. If it’s something you enjoy engaging with professionally, you probably aren’t the only one. You can add value and share almost anything. 

How do you add value when you share content? 

Once you know what kind of content you want to share, that’s great. Make sure you’re also adding value for your network. Enjoyed an article on an upcoming trend in 2021? Great, make sure to add your thoughts or pull a quote you found interesting when you share it. Attending an upcoming event? Fantastic, post the registration link as well as a little bit about why you are attending. Maybe there is a great speaker, or you had fun last year. Did your company post a great resource that you think some of your customers would like? Excellent, what makes the resource helpful? Do you want to thank someone on your team for taking the time to create it? 

Whatever you’re posting, add some context or why you find it interesting. In the same way, you wouldn’t send an email with just a link to your co-worker, you should always add something before sharing something on LinkedIn.

What mistakes could you make posting on LinkedIn? 

The reason I hear most often when I talk about why people don’t post on LinkedIn is not knowing what to post. When I give people suggestions, the most significant barrier I hear is not wanting to make a mistake. Of course, I’ve heard of and see people making embarrassing makes on LinkedIn, but there are some simple ways to think about what you are sharing to avoid obvious and damaging errors. 

While social media, in general, is talking loudly talking with friends in public, LinkedIn is talking loudly in the office. On Facebook or Twitter, anyone you know could hear you, so you want to make sure you don’t post anything terrible, but you can represent your personal views and hobbies more. On LinkedIn, the intention is to build your professional brand. You want people from your office to see. You’re hoping your boss or the CEO will engage. Even if you are close with the people you work with, you should only post things on LinkedIn that you would say in the office. 

Additionally, there is a difference between authenticity and oversharing. Being true to who you are and why you are passionate about your work is excellent. Even being honest about professional hurtles or struggling with work-life balances can be useful. Posting a picture of your food every time you have lunch or a detailed description of your last doctor’s appointment is probably too much. I could write a whole article about balancing these ideas, but the simplest way to think about it is to post for someone at work you like but maybe don’t know that well. You aren’t trying to please everyone, but we don’t need to know everything. 

The reward of posting far outways the risk. 

We could all make a list of good reasons not to post on LinkedIn but at the end of the day the reward for posting far outways the risk. Posting can help more people find you, engage your network, and establish you as an expert. It’s doesn’t have to be difficult, we’ve already gone over easy ways to share content. The truth is, like any time you put yourself out there, it can be nerve-racking to post on LinkedIn. Take the leap, the truth is the biggest mistake I see people make on LinkedIn is missing out on an opportunity because they didn’t want to make a mistake.

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