The key to success on LinkedIn
The most important thing is that the content you share is relevant and meaningful to your followers. According to LinkedIn statistics, as many as 60% of users actively scroll through their news feeds to gain valuable insights from their industry. This highlights the critical role of creating content that perfectly aligns with the interests and requirements of your target audience.
Ensuring that your content is engaging and practical when posting online is crucial. Moreover, it should appeal to your (potential) customers or (future) employees. To achieve this, try creating content that highlights the current trends and developments in your industry, provides valuable advice and tips, or shares something enjoyable that can brighten up the daily lives of your followers. Doing so can ensure your posts are relevant and exciting and add value to your audience.
The building blocks of a successful LinkedIn content strategy
Content pillars are an essential component of your content strategy on LinkedIn. They are the core themes you will use to develop and distribute content consistently. Here are seven widely used content pillars that help create successful content strategies:
1. Personal Stories
Personal stories are a powerful tool to increase engagement on LinkedIn. They offer a unique opportunity to present your brand humanly and authentically. They’re about employees or customers, informal activities, team building, courses, etc.
These stories show your audience who you are, your values, and how you put those values into practice. They provide insight into the unique aspects of your company culture and show what it’s like to be part of your team.
Focusing on the people behind the brand creates a deeper connection with your audience. These stories can also encourage your employees to be more engaged and interact with your LinkedIn content, which can then reach their networks and increase your brand’s visibility.
2. Thought leadership
You demonstrate your expertise and knowledge in your field by sharing whitepapers, in-depth articles, research, downloadable content, and e-books. This type of content, often created by the marketing department, allows for deeper and more substantial conversations on the platform.
Thought leadership content not only encourages discussion and interaction but also enhances the credibility of your brand. It shows that you know the latest trends and developments and are willing to share this knowledge with your audience. This, in turn, can lead to higher trust and loyalty among your followers.
3. Product or Service Related Content
Sharing articles, posts, and videos about product specifications, new releases, and demos gives your followers valuable insights into what your business offers and gives them a reason to respond and interact with your posts.
When sharing product- or service-related content, it is essential to always keep in mind what your followers would find most useful or interesting. The goal is to inform and engage them, not to flood them with promotional messages.
Consider, for example, sharing a video of a new product in action, an article explaining the benefits of a recent service update, or demonstrating how a particular product or service can help solve a common problem in your industry.
4. Industry-related content
Posting industry-related content is an ideal way to inform your audience about the latest trends and developments in the industry. This strategy makes it possible to provide value without always having to create your content.
By sharing relevant articles, research, or news from third parties, you position your company as a reliable source of information within the industry. This can help to engage your followers and contribute to a broader conversation within your field. Moreover, it strengthens your reputation as a brand that is up-to-date and willing to share important insights with its audience.
5. Events
Events offer unique opportunities to present your brand interactively and create a deeper connection with your audience. Informing your audience about company events, both online and offline, can significantly improve engagement.
It is also essential to highlight the events your employees attend and their reasons for doing so. Sharing this information adds a human aspect to your brand and allows you to highlight your team’s professional development and engagement. It can also encourage employees to be more involved and interact with your LinkedIn content.
So, don’t just think of your events as promotional tools but also as platforms for dialogue and engagement. Use them to share stories, stimulate discussions, and provide value to your audience. This way, you can create a two-way conversation with your audience and build stronger relationships.
6. Employer branding
Employer branding content is stories highlighting the culture, values, and unique aspects of working at your company. Here, content from ‘personal stories’ can often be reused. But also think about information about career opportunities, open vacancies, ongoing projects, and what one can expect when working at your organization.
This way, you create an authentic and transparent image of your company. It allows potential employees to understand what makes your company unique and can encourage existing employees to interact with these posts and share their own experiences.
Moreover, showing the human side of your company can help create a deeper connection with your audience, which can lead to more engagement and interaction. It is, therefore, worth making room for Employer Branding in your content strategy and letting your employees be the stars of your story.
7. Social Responsibility
How your business deals with sustainability, circularity, and equality, and which standards and values are supported, can create a deeper connection between your business and your followers. Sharing your efforts in the field of social responsibility can initiate an authentic dialogue with your audience. It may be an opportunity to reinforce your brand values, show your commitment to social issues, and inspire your followers to act.
For instance, you can post about your sustainability initiatives, circular economy projects, or your policies on diversity and inclusion. Show how these efforts impact your business and the wider community. Ask your followers to share their thoughts and experiences and encourage an open and honest conversation.
By emphasizing your commitment to social responsibility, you can build a strong bond with your followers and encourage them to become part of the discussion and action.
Each of these content pillars can be approached differently, depending on your business, goals, and audience. The most important thing is continuously creating and sharing relevant and valuable content with your followers.
Relevant content that will captivate your followers
Now that you are familiar with these content pillars, it’s time to bring them to life with relevant, engaging content that will delight your followers. It’s important to personalize your content and target it to your followers’ specific interests and needs.
Consider what would appeal to them and how you can add value to their LinkedIn feed. From sharing in-depth insights and thought leadership to sharing personal stories and updates about your business, the possibilities to enrich your LinkedIn content strategy are endless.
Be creative and authentic, and don’t forget to engage in dialogue with your followers. This way, you build strong relationships and an active and engaged community on LinkedIn.
1. Content curation
Use content curation to select and share the best content in your field with your followers. It is essential that you always add additional information in your post. Here are some tips to effectively implement content curation:
- Do thorough research: Research and select high-quality content relevant to your audience. Think about what your followers want to learn and which insights they would find helpful.
- Provide insights: Add value to the curated content by sharing your insights and perspectives. This could be a brief introduction, a summary of the main points, or why you think the content is relevant.
- Mention your sources: It is essential always to mention your sources when curating content. This shows respect for the original writer(s) and contributes to the credibility of your post.
- Make it interactive: Encourage your followers to respond to the curated content. Ask questions, ask for opinions, or start a discussion to stimulate engagement.
- Consistency is key: Make content curation a regular part of your content strategy. This helps to keep your audience informed about the latest trends and insights in your field and to engage them with your LinkedIn page.
2. ‘Top Topicals’ of Theme days
‘Top Topicals’, or theme days, such as World Book Day, Cyber Monday, and World Health Day, can form a unique source of inspiration for your content on LinkedIn. They offer a chance to share relevant content that aligns with what is happening in the world.
For example, you could share a message that aligns with the top topical, promote a relevant article or blog post, or start a discussion around the theme to stimulate engagement. The most important thing is to ensure that the content you share is valuable and relevant to your audience.
Besides, it’s also important to be creative when using these theme days. For example, you could make a ‘behind the scenes’ post on World Book Day showing which books are popular in your team or make a special offer on Cyber Monday.
3. ‘Behind the scenes’
Sharing ‘behind the scenes’ content can be a powerful way to increase your followers’ engagement. It offers an authentic, human look at your business that your followers can’t get anywhere else. Here are some tips to effectively use ‘behind the scenes’ content:
- Share your process: Whether designing a product, planning an event, or tackling a challenging project, sharing your process can give your followers a unique insight into what it takes to run your business.
- Show your team: People buy from people, not companies. By highlighting your team and sharing their stories, you can create a personal connection with your followers.
- Give a tour: Whether you have a physical store, an office, or a production facility, a ‘tour’ can give your followers a sense of connection with your business.
- Celebrate successes and acknowledge challenges: Sharing the highs and lows of your business can help your followers feel more engaged with your business. It shows that you are open and transparent, which can build trust.
4. How-to’s and lists
How-to’s and lists are designed to provide practical value to your followers, helping them learn new skills, solve problems, or increase their knowledge about your field. We are happy to share some tips for creating inspiring how-to’s and lists:
- Focus on practical value: Ensure your tips and advice are relevant and valuable to your audience. Think about the challenges they face in their daily work and how your expertise can help them.
- Make it scannable: People often scan content on LinkedIn. So, formatting your content into an easy-to-follow list or step-by-step instructions can help grab your followers’ attention.
- Use visual elements: Images and emojis can make your post more attractive and help draw your followers’ attention. They can also help make complex information more accessible to understand.
- Encourage interaction: Encourage your followers to share their thoughts and experiences in the comments. This can help start a dialogue and increase engagement.
5. Products, Projects, and Partnerships
Promoting your products, projects, and partnerships can be an essential strategy to stimulate engagement on LinkedIn. It’s important to make these posts relevant to your followers. Make sure you explain how your products, projects, and partnerships can be of value to them. Give them a reason to respond, ask questions, or share the post with their network.
- Showcase your products: Share posts about new product launches, significant updates, or unique features of your products. Make them attractive by sharing the story behind the creation or the problems they solve for customers.
- Highlight your projects: Whether they’re internal projects or collaborations with customers, sharing your projects can give your followers a better understanding of what you do. Don’t forget to emphasize the result or benefits the project has delivered.
- Promote your partnerships: Partnerships are a great way to show that you’re active in your industry and adding value to your network. Share news about your partnerships and how they contribute to your goals.
6. Media Attention
Media attention highlights your brand and showcases your expertise through the eyes of external parties, providing an unbiased and objective perspective on your business. Sharing this external validation with your followers increases your visibility and significantly strengthens your credibility. This is crucial in a world where customer trust plays a significant role in a brand’s success. Here are some tips for using media attention effectively:
- Share the news: If your company is mentioned in the media, share this on LinkedIn. This is a great way to bring your brand to the forefront and update your followers with your latest news.
- Add value: Provide context and explanation for the media attention. Explain why it is essential and what it means for your business. This gives your followers insight and reinforces your reputation as an expert.
- Engage your followers: Encourage your followers to respond to the media report. Ask questions, ask for opinions, or invite your followers to share the media attention within their networks. This promotes interaction and extends the reach of your post.
- Acknowledge the source: Always mention the source of the media attention and provide a link to the original article or message where possible. This shows respect for the source and allows your followers to read more.
The Art of LinkedIn Engagement
Successfully using your LinkedIn business page requires careful planning and execution. It’s all about sharing relevant content your followers want to read and engage with. It’s essential to have a balanced mix of different types of content to attract and retain your followers’ interest.
By consistently sharing valuable and relevant content, you can build a strong relationship with your LinkedIn followers. This relationship can not only help to stimulate their engagement but also transform them into ambassadors for your brand, who, in turn, can contribute to the growth and success of your business.
Now that you know what content you can post on LinkedIn, it’s time to start. Start planning your content and experiment with different types of posts to see what works best for your followers. And remember: engagement is a two-way street. So, engage in conversation with your followers and respond to their comments!
Want to gain insight into the performance and impact of your LinkedIn content? Please get in touch with our team. We offer an in-depth content analysis that will give you a complete overview of your content’s performance. These insights can help shape your future content strategy, allowing your business to grow and thrive.