While there is no shortage of ways to get content on the Internet, one of the most effective places to do so is on LinkedIn. Millions of users read through LinkedIn’s publishing platform Pulse consistently all day and are comfortable commenting, sharing and engaging with content because the nature of the LinkedIn platform encourages it. If you publish unclear, poorly written, typo-laden articles, you will undercut your reputation, rather than enhance it. No matter how you manage to create new articles, get involved. The faster you start to build your list of followers, the better prepared you will be as LinkedIn grows and becomes an even better source of new business and career opportunities.
Here are a few reasons why you should be publishing:
Your audience is already there
The hardest part about blogging and becoming a thought leader is getting together a following. LinkedIn has already done that for you in the form of your connections. Like an update, any posts you write get onto your connection’s news feeds and, if they like or comment, they will get sent out to their connections, and so on.
Your insights are included in your LinkedIn profile
Your insights will also appear front and centre on your own profile and have its own section. This is yet another way for you to have a portfolio, in a sense, on your LinkedIn profile. Share your experience, skills, samples of work, recommendations from others – and now your professional insights into your area of expertise. The posts themselves will also link back to your profile, and they will be searchable.
LinkedIn might promote your content
Aside from your network seeking your content, sometimes you may get featured on LinkedIn if your articles are significant related to one of LinkedIn’s channels. With over 400 million users, that’s a lot of potential attention for your content.
You will get great reader engagement
You will be thanked, challenged, applauded, and questioned. It can be a gratifying experience to continue sharing your expertise through comments, but be ready to defend your opinion. Putting your thoughts and insights out there into the world of the internet isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’ve decided to take the plunge, LinkedIn certainly is a compelling option for those seeking a wide audience, personal branding, and reader engagement.
A good starting point would be to publish two articles on LinkedIn per week about things that aren’t necessarily related to the goods or services you are promoting. In doing so, you can connect with people on a level that encourages interest in your content more naturally. If you are constantly producing the same kind of content, you run the risk of having a spam-like image. But by participating in news-worthy discussions and weighing in on the topics that are getting the most attention, you can assert yourself as an authority of quality content.
For more information, contact Karlien Theart at karlien@succeedgroup.co.za
This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein.