Successful content marketing is about more than simply putting together incredible, engaging content in the first place. Where you publish it is just as important when it comes to reaching your target audience.
If connecting with other professionals, brands, and businesses is your ultimate goal, then you don’t want to sleep on LinkedIn as a potential content marketing platform. Around 97 percent of B2B marketers use LinkedIn as part of their strategy with 82 percent citing it as the best social media tool for achieving their unique goals.
Let’s dive into what you need to know to build a commanding LinkedIn presence of your own and successfully integrate it into your content marketing efforts.
Understanding LinkedIn’s Unique Content Ecosystem
LinkedIn may be a social media platform, but it brings a unique environment to the table that’s very different from Facebook’s, X’s, or Instagram’s. Some key characteristics include the following.
Target audience
LinkedIn is a place for professionals to network and connect, which makes it especially valuable for B2B marketers. It’s possible to target audiences based on factors like job title or industry in addition to interests, demographics, location, etc.
Focus
LinkedIn users aren’t generally there for personal reasons the way they might be on other platforms. They’re looking for important professional opportunities and high-value content that can really teach them something.
Community
People on LinkedIn tend to be open, encouraging, and eager to interact with other professionals. Target audiences may be especially open to consuming the right content, so a solid content creator can easily win trust and build authority.
Marketers should tailor their content with these key factors in mind. LinkedIn content types that work especially well on the platform include video, infographics, and native documents.
Setting Clear Objectives for Your LinkedIn Content Strategy
As is the case on any other platform, successful marketing on LinkedIn doesn’t just happen. You need a clear idea of where you’re going and how you plan on getting there – a roadmap you can methodically follow all the way to your goals.
- Start your LinkedIn journey by clearly defining what you hope to achieve there. Are you hoping to raise brand awareness, boost your thought leadership cred, or something else entirely?
- Refer to your long-term business goals when putting together your LinkedIn content strategy. Everything you do on the platform should ultimately serve what you’re working toward as a brand.
Choosing the right key performance indicators (KPIs) is also crucial. Select options that gel with your marketing goals, consult them regularly to assess your progress, and pivot accordingly. Some KPIs to potentially focus on include page views, click-through rate, unique visitors, conversion rate, and visitor demographics.
Developing a Targeted LinkedIn Content Plan
Once you know where you’re hoping to go with the LinkedIn presence you’re building, it’s time to start crafting a content plan that’s sure to get you there. Here are some tips on how to create a LinkedIn content strategy that really cooks.
Identify your target audience
Before you can get to work creating amazing LinkedIn content, you need to fully understand the people who’ll be consuming it. Start by analyzing current data from your website and other social media platforms. Then compare it to any data you may already have about your growing audience on LinkedIn.
What demographics stand out most? What topics, content types, and messaging is your audience most interested in? Plan your content accordingly. Pay attention to any feedback you receive, as well.
Put together a LinkedIn-specific content calendar
Content calendars are among the best ways to stay organized, on-target, and consistent when it comes to content marketing. Consider creating one specially tailored to optimize LinkedIn content marketing efforts.
Plan and schedule content well in advance, and aim to create a natural flow from one set of posts to the next – something your audience can look forward to seeing in their feeds. Leave yourself some wiggle room for chiming in on industry trends, relevant hot topics, etc. here and there. Review and optimize your calendar regularly, as well.
Follow the 4-1-1 rule
When planning future content, adhere to the 4-1-1 rule to keep your posts balanced, interesting, and engaging. For every six posts you plan:
- Four should be shared or otherwise curated from an outside authority source.
- One should be in-depth original content you produce yourself.
- One should be a sales-forward post complete with a strong call to action. (CTA).
Crafting Engaging Content That Builds Authority and Influence
Even on LinkedIn, knowing how to stand out in a crowd and hold an audience’s attention is essential for long-term success. Here are some must-know tips for creating amazing content your audience will love.
Alternate long-form and short-form posts
“You don’t require all the frills and fancy visuals. What you need is a compelling message, an ‘aha moment,’ if you will.”
– Matt Cordas, senior marketing manager, on making successful LinkedIn posts
Although complex, in-depth posts definitely have their place on LinkedIn, so do simpler posts. A well-planned text-only post, a quick status update, or a powerful infographic accompanied by the right caption can be a terrific way to share an idea or inspiring insight. These posts also help add variety to your feed.
Pay attention to structure
Best practices for creating readable, top-tier content definitely apply on LinkedIn, especially when creating long-form articles and in-depth content. Ensure your content is organized and easy to skim by using descriptive headings and subheadings.
Use smart storytelling to make your content more relatable and help you make a connection with your audience. Keep language choices conversational, accessible, and easy to follow. LinkedIn may be a place for professionals, but your posts should still feel conversational and friendly.
Pay attention to LinkedIn SEO
Always consider LinkedIn SEO when planning and creating your posts. In addition to adhering to universal best practices, think about how you can kick things up a notch and gain more visibility on the platform.
Share content that’s timely and relevant, in addition to evergreen content. Start conversations, and engage with the folks who take the time to comment on your posts. Use hashtags wisely. Close key posts with clear calls to action, as well, so readers know what you want them to do next.
Explore and master on-site features
A great way to succeed on any social media platform is to become familiar with its different content features and learn to use them. LinkedIn gives users the ability to create and post documents, videos, polls, in-depth authority articles, and more. Experiment with each, and reinvest in especially successful options.
Showcase your unique voice
There’s really only one way to be truly unique on social media these days, and that’s to share your one-of-a-kind perspective and point of view in a way that resonates with others. Let your brand’s unique take on your industry shine through in creative ways.
Share the story behind what you do, and offer your personal perspective on topics that matter to your audience. Authenticity and realness go a very long way on social media these days, and they’re wonderful ways to stand out on LinkedIn.
Measuring and Optimizing Your LinkedIn Content Strategy
Keeping track of your content marketing progress on LinkedIn and adjusting accordingly helps you make steady progress toward your goals. It’s also the best way to recover quickly from shifts like LinkedIn algorithm changes. Here are some tips for staying on point.
Analyze content performance and engagement
Performance and engagement are everything when it comes to social media, LinkedIn included. Meeting audience expectations and needs is crucial if you’re serious about building a strong following.
Get into the habit of checking and comparing performance stats for your posts, especially when you’ve just started experimenting with a new feature or approach. Note what does and doesn’t resonate with your audience, and plan future posts accordingly.
Explore A/B testing
A/B testing is another effective way to get a good read on what works best for your LinkedIn content strategy. Also sometimes called split testing, A/B testing involves publishing two slightly different versions of an advertisement, article, or other.
Marketers then compare performance results between the two to see which version did better. You can do A/B testing with various types of content, as well as topics, approaches, graphics, language choices, etc.
Always leverage research, performance testing, and analytics to make each LinkedIn content marketing approach better and stronger than the one before. Take suggestions and feedback from your audience into consideration, as well, when considering what they’d love to see next.
Ready to take your existing LinkedIn content marketing campaign to the next level or launch a new one with a bang? Consider assembling a team of expert professional content creators to help with the job.
You can connect with some of the best and most experienced for free when you sign up for your 14-day WriterAccess trial and give one of today’s most trusted content creation platforms a try today! You’ll love what the right expertise brings to your strategies.
