Information from this blog was obtained from Canva, Social Media Today, and Sprout Social.
Recently, I focused on 3 specific ways to grow your LinkedIn audience through strategy, good content, and engaging with your network. In this blog post, I want to dig a little further into some of these steps to help you succeed on LinkedIn. There is a wealth of information out there and sometimes it’s hard to sift through all of the knowledge. The secret to all of this information is focusing on what impacts you specifically. Most information from social media leaders is specific to business-to-business marketing but I encourage you to read these articles out there because these ideas can be tailored to you personally also.
You might ask yourself why do I need to stand out on LinkedIn? There are a number of reasons. First, you might be leaving the university soon and looking to start your career. Or maybe you’re still a student and building your experience through an internship and could benefit from sharing what you have learned so far on LinkedIn. You might be someone who already has a career and just needs to be recognized as a thought leader in your industry. I want to implore you and excite you with defined ways to post to your LinkedIn.
Decide What Content to Share
After you have decided what your strategy is on LinkedIn through planning your content calendar and SMART goals, such as how many times you’ll post and what you expect to gain from your content, you’ll need to focus on your what.
Sifting through content, you will need to decide if your idea adds value. This is the basis of everything in social media. If it is not valuable to your reader, then it might not be something you want to share. Jacqueline Zote, from Sprout Social, indicates that content marketers who choose their reader’s information needs first over sales, make up 88% of the top performers. While this specific data is focused on B2B marketing, it can still apply to personal posting by helping you become a recognized leader in your social media posts. Figure out what your purpose is in posting this particular item. Is it to attract potential employers? What about educating your colleagues? Defining a purpose is essential. Zote quotes that “This improves the chances of getting your audience to engage with your content and building a connection with you or your company.”
Do you already have something available? Do a quick content audit, Ronnie Gomez from Sprout Social suggests. This builds your toolkit of repurposed content which will save you time in the long run.
Make Content Eye-Catching
The top way to stand out on social media is through eye-catching graphics. Not a graphic designer? No worries! I can help with that.
Social Media Today shares that some trends for 2022 include graphics inspired by UI design. Explore the 2022 trend of User Interface (UI) digitalism. Canva, in a recent article, says that it’s inspired by using search bars, text message boxes, or social media-designed posts like a cutout of a recent post. This can look like a recent Tweet shared that you can screenshot and use as a sticker with a background. See the example below.
This can look like a reminder you set on your phone that you can screenshot and use as a sticker with a background. See the example below. These work great on Instagram but they can work on LinkedIn because reminders connect to professionalism and if it’s a professional or inspiring quote that follows your personal brand and what you want to portray, then it works.
Canva notes that "Trendy Gradient" is a good style as well. It’s versatile but fun enough to not seem unprofessional. You can use it to post a simple quote to your profile.
Ready to branch out with your newfound knowledge with recent research? One option is to select an infographic. This can be something that a colleague in your industry has already created that can be shared on LinkedIn. Resharing a post typically shows the person’s original post, giving that individual credit for the work they created. If it’s not a reshare, then make sure you are giving the creator their due by tagging them in the post.
You can easily create an infographic with Canva and post it to your LinkedIn. Below is an example of one I created based on a recent report from the National Women's Business Council 2021 annual report.
Personally, I am starting to become a fan of video on LinkedIn. I have seen contacts use the platform to post an update or behind-the-scenes video of their work. Possibly related to the pandemic and the changes in the workforce due to more use of remote capabilities and digital products, more individuals are expecting to see video in everyday social media. I absolutely love this video post from Renée Lindo, personal stylist, on a refreshing professional style that she connects to the workforce and remote work through her hashtags, #skilledworkforce, and #remotework.
Social Media Today (SMT) reports that LinkedIn is seeing steady user engagement and the platform is working to offer more creator tools. LinkedIn encourages creators to grow through LinkedIn for Creators platform.
Don’t Forget to Optimize
Be sure to take the time to add keywords to your content that are industry-specific. This is important. It will help your content be recognized at a higher capacity by expanding your reach. It is encouraged to include a hashtag as well. One single word that is all-encompassing such as #socialmedia or #socialmediamarketing can move this post to hashtag searches your industry leaders are looking for and a better chance of finding you.
Resources
Canva. (Date Unknown) 7 Social Media Graphic Design Trends to Build Your Brand in 2022. Canva Blog. https://www.canva.com/learn/social-media-design-trends-2022/
Gomez, R. (2021, May 26). How to use LinkedIn for business beyond marketing. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/linkedin-for-business/
Hutchinson, A. (2021, October 18) Social Media Today. 26 Predictions for Social Media Marketing in 2022. Social Media Today blog. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/26-predictions-for-social-media-marketing-in-2022/608443/
Hutchinson, A. (2022, April 10). Graphic Design Trends for 2022. Social Media Today. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/graphic-design-trends-for-2022-infographic/621851/
Hutchinson, A. (2022, April 11) Social Media Today. 5 Essential Ingredients to Create a Perfect LinkedIn post [infographic]. Social Media Today blog. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/5-essential-ingredients-to-create-a-perfect-linkedin-post-infographic/621856/
LinkedIn. (Date Unknown) Linkedin for Creators. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/li4c
Lindo, Renée. (2022, April 14) Let's Get Dressed Now: Spring Style. Renée Lindo LinkedIn page. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/reneelindo_springstyle-springrefresh-remotework-activity-6920020424076468224-r5vT?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=ios_app
Zote, J. (2020, March 16). 7 tips to rev up your LinkedIn marketing game. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/linkedin-marketing/
National Women's Business Council. (2021) 2021 Annual Report. National Women's Business Council, advisors to the President, Congress, and the SBA. https://www.nwbc.gov/annual-reports/2021/
The Social Media Marketing University. (2021, April 4) 3 ways to grow your connections on LinkedIn tweet. The SMMU Twitter page. https://twitter.com/TheSMMU/status/1510993090567413760
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