When working with clients, one of their questions is often, “What should I post on LinkedIn?” Perhaps, people feel stuck when it comes to sharing content on LinkedIn because we know that LinkedIn is different from Facebook and Twitter, where almost anything goes.
LinkedIn is a professional networking site, so your content should be of the professional nature. However, your content should not be dominated by sales focused material. The content you post on LinkedIn should allow your network to better understand the work you do, how you interact with people, and ultimately get to know you better.
It’s the old Know + Like + Trust equation.
Your connections need a chance to get to know you and see that you have something to offer that they like. From that, trust will form and at that point, sales will enter the picture.
With all that said, it doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun. The content that you share on LinkedIn should reflect your personality and be authentic to you and your brand. Consider how you can implement some of these content suggestions into your LinkedIn strategy.
9 types of content to share on LinkedIn
- Inspiration/Motivation/Advice/Humor: Often in the form of quotes from famous business leaders. These can be done as text or in graphic form.
- Industry related article: Don’t just post the link to the article. Add your commentary and suggest why others should read it.
- Business related announcement: Let your network know what’s happening at your company. Do you have a new product that is launching? Has your company won an award? Share the news with your network.
- Job opportunity: Is your company hiring? LinkedIn is the place to attract qualified candidates. Ask your network for candidate referrals.
- Business related photos: Has your company just spent a day at a conference? Did you have a team spend a day volunteering in the community? Share photos from these events to give your network an idea of the events and organizations that you are involved with.
- Behind the scenes insight: What do your offices look like? How about the manufacturing plant? Take a few photos to highlight a part of your business that customers don’t normally see.
- Ask for help: Are you looking for a new vendor? Do you want feedback on a new product? The sky’s the limit when it comes to asking for help from your network. People love to give advice and refer people they do business with.
- Offer a resource: Put together a call to action to encourage your connections to download a new whitepaper or check out a new blog post.
- Run a contest: Is your company running a contest as part of a larger promotion? Be sure to share the details on LinkedIn.