LinkedIn Content Strategy 101: What to Post and How

LinkedIn Content Strategy 101: What to Post and How

LinkedIn is a pretty underrated social network, often not getting the credit it deserves. And it can be a really effective tool for brand building and customer engagement (and acquisition – something I can personally attest to). 

So, who is it really for, and what do you do for it to work for your business? Let’s take a look.

Manage multiple LinkedIn accounts from one place

Manage multiple LinkedIn accounts from one place

Manage all your LinkedIn comments and conversations from one view. Schedule LinkedIn posts and get in-depth analytics to improve your strategy. Try NapoleonCat for free:

Try NapoleonCat free for 14 days. No credit card required.

Why promote your brand on LinkedIn

I personally know many marketers and business owners who shy away from promoting their brands on LinkedIn because they figured out it’s just a job searching site. Which is not entirely true.

Yes, LinkedIn is the place to find new employees (and employers.) But it offers so much more than that. Apart from finding new hires, LinkedIn can be used for things like:

  • Thought leadership – building a reputation of an expert in your field with consistent, relevant content that’s valuable to the readers.
  • Brand building and brand awareness, bringing and keeping your brand in front of your target audience and leading to higher customer engagement.
  • Employer branding (of course), showing people what it’s like to work for you.
  • Lead generation and customer acquisition, especially in B2B. For me personally, LinkedIn is the top place to get new clients. And I don’t mean sending cold emails or posting ads (though they’re just as good tactics as any if you do them right), but rather consistently posting thought leadership content that makes you – and your brand – known as an expert in a specific field.

There are multiple business solutions on LinkedIn to do it all, including ads, direct messages, and job postings. When it comes to your LinkedIn content marketing strategy, you can use your LinkedIn company page and also support it using the personal accounts of your employees and/or your CEO. I’ll show you an example in a moment.

Why it’s so effective is that LinkedIn has a community of engaged users who go there to read other people’s (and brands’) content. 

In fact, there are 15x more content impressions on LinkedIn than job postings. And a whopping 97% of B2B marketers use it for their content marketing efforts. 

So yes, LinkedIn is great for content marketing and building industry expertise (which usually translates into sales sooner or later.) Let’s take a look at how to define your LinkedIn strategy and how to create LinkedIn content.

How to create a LinkedIn content strategy for business

1. Start with your goals

Decide what you want from LinkedIn. Is it brand recognition? Do you want to build your employer brand? Or do you want to build your expertise in your field and become the go-to brand when it comes to your specialty? (The definition of thought-leadership, btw.)

One of the reasons why so many brands fail in engaging their audience on LinkedIn is because they don’t really have specific goals. They’re just there because everyone else is. And that’s definitely not a good marketing goal.

2. Define the type of content you want to post

What are you going to share with your audience? Will it be longer posts, quick tips, or video content series? 

Or are you going to strictly focus on your company and brand? 

Map your content categories and types first to have a clear view of what you’ll be posting for your audience. (Of course, consider your audience’s needs first, before doing that. They should really be guiding your LinkedIn content strategy.)

Bonus tip: Posting only company-focused content like awards, updates, etc., is not a great way to build engagement. There has to be value in your content for the reader. Otherwise, you’ll end up with likes from your employees, and that’ll be pretty much it. (And then you’ll be able to say that “you knew LinkedIn didn’t work.”)

3. Create a consistent LinkedIn content calendar

One of the secrets to nailing down LinkedIn’s algorithm is being consistent. The best way to find your sweet spot is to test posting frequency, though you’ll probably find some basic tips in Google on how often and when to post on LinkedIn, like posting 2-3 times a week, for starters.

One thing’s for sure – if you only post once or twice a month (and only company updates), you can’t really expect great engagement. So aim for finding regular time slots in your content calendar to publish content on your LinkedIn profile.

4. Involve your employees in the conversation

And I don’t just mean getting them to share the content from your LinkedIn page. LinkedIn is really focused on people, so get them talking about your industry and share their opinions and expertise. That can really help get your content and your brand out there to a much wider audience. 

Here’s an example of a CEO who keeps sharing thought-provoking content related to remote work while also promoting his platform.

LinkedIn Content Strategy - chris herd linkedin post
One of Chris Herd’s LinkedIn posts on remote work

5. Get ready to get engaged

Getting engagement on social media requires putting in engagement – it’s a simple equation. If you neglect your LinkedIn profile, don’t treat it seriously, or are like, “meh, it’s not going to work anyway” (yes, I’m talking to YOU), don’t expect it to bring results.

Instead, get ready to have conversations with people. And get some LinkedIn management tools for business that can help. This is especially important if you manage multiple LinkedIn accounts and have engaged audiences. 

Getting a platform like NapoleonCat will help you handle the conversations in one Social Inbox while also letting you schedule LinkedIn content in your calendar along with all your social media accounts like Facebook or Instagram. 

Social media inbox - NapoleonCat
Social Inbox – all your social media interactions in one view.

And you can work with other team members to assign LinkedIn content creation and comment moderation under your posts.

how to manage multiple linkedin profiles
LinkedIn tickets inside NapoleonCat’s Social Inbox – comments from personal LinkedIn profiles.
Manage multiple LinkedIn accounts from one place

Manage multiple LinkedIn accounts from one place

Manage all your LinkedIn comments and conversations from one view. Schedule LinkedIn posts and get in-depth analytics to improve your strategy. Try NapoleonCat for free:

Try NapoleonCat free for 14 days. No credit card required.

6. Check if your strategy works

And do it regularly. That’s the only way you’ll know posting on LinkedIn the way you do actually makes sense.

So, check your engagement rate, but also track the business value of your content. Do people talk about your brand more? Is it working for lead generation, or does it bring in actual customers? 

And if things don’t work the way you expected, look for what you can change to improve your results. 

Again, you can use NapoleonCat to get in-depth analytics for your LinkedIn Company Page:

linkedin analytics basic metrics
LinkedIn Company Page analytics – summary.
best times to post on linkedin
Figuring out the best days to post on LinkedIn.

10+1 LinkedIn content ideas for your brand

1. Thought leadership content

This is how you and your brand become seen as experts in your field. And how exactly do you do it? Talk about it a lot. 🙂 Include research findings but also your own experience. And add your own opinions, too. 

Data and statistics are everywhere. Your unique point of view, especially if you’re saying something that’s maybe against the grain or simply not many people know it, is invaluable. And it’s what can prevent your content from being bland and the same as everything else out there. (And remember, there are thousands of other posts on LinkedIn you’re competing against. So find ways to stand out, not blend in.)

Here’s an example from a translation and localization company that I follow who brings a lot of awareness to the topic on LinkedIn – a topic that’s pretty niche but with so much potential when you look at market globalization. Giving them an edge when more people start talking about it.

LinkedIn Content Strategy - Loc At Heart’s post on LinkedIn
Loc At Heart’s post on LinkedIn

Bonus tip: One good way to stand out is definitely with visuals. So get consistent branding for your LinkedIn posts that’s easy to spot on the users’ feed. According to LinkedIn’s data, posts with images get 2x higher engagement. Just don’t treat the visuals as a replacement for valuable content and exciting opinions – you need both.

Here’s an example from Wynter, a messaging testing company, that discusses the importance of differentiation in marketing, especially in crowded markets.

LinkedIn Content Strategy - Wynter’s LinkedIn post
A piece of content on Wynter’s LinkedIn profile

2. Actionable industry tips

If you’re an expert in a field, you can accompany your thought leadership content with actionable tips for your audience. That’s how people will actually know that you know what you’re talking about. And also, you’re already giving them value, which makes it more likely for them to turn to you later if they’re looking for a product or service that your company can provide.

Here’s an example from one of my favorite people on LinkedIn, Harry Dry, founder of Marketing Examples.

LinkedIn Content Strategy - harry dry's post
An example of Harry Dry’s content on LinkedIn

And here’s Wynter again, with another post. Notice how they stick to the visual style, which makes it really easy to spot their posts among all the others on your LinkedIn feed. 

LinkedIn Content Strategy - Wynter’s 5 ways to get into buyer's consideration set
Another one of Wynter’s LinkedIn posts

3. Sharing content from other channels 

This could be your blog articles or case studies you publish on your website. (Btw, case studies are great bottom-of-the-funnel content for when someone’s been following your company for a while and considering your product – and now needs some social proof to back up their decision with some facts.)

Here’s another example from Wynter:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - Wynter’s case study
Wynter sharing a case study on their LinkedIn page

And one from Mailchimp, the email marketing platform:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - intuit mailchimp post
A case study on Mailchimp’s LinkedIn profile

Bonus tip: LinkedIn doesn’t like sharing videos from other platforms (and is known to limit the reach), so it’s best to upload the videos natively. Also, notice how you can share the link in the post or a comment – a common reach-boosting tactic. It’s best to test it for yourself to see if it indeed helps your post’s visibility.

4. Case studies or posts published directly on LinkedIn

Think of repurposing your content in a way that it’s posted directly on LinkedIn, too, instead of just shared from other platforms (and while you do that, see how it affects your reach and engagement.)

For example, you can post case studies in an image carousel that’s a shorter version of a longer write-up you have on your blog. Here’s an example from GetResponse:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - getresponse case study
GetResponse case study on their LinkedIn page

You can also directly post articles on LinkedIn – they’re bound to be more discoverable than if you just link to an external website. Here’s more about LinkedIn articles.

5. Company news and updates

Every company seems to love sharing its awards and other milestones on LinkedIn. Nothing wrong with that. But it’s easy to turn your LinkedIn page into a list of awards and posts boasting about how great your company is. Which is not what social media is all about, remember? (News flash: LinkedIn is a social media platform.)

So make sure this kind of content is not the main type on your LinkedIn page. And also, try to find value for the reader each time. What does your award mean to them?

LinkedIn Content Strategy - netflix post
A LinkedIn post by Netflix

6. Focus on your employees and behind-the-scenes

LinkedIn’s a great place to show what your company’s all about and the people who build it, especially when your main goal is employer branding.

So, shine the spotlight on your team and talk about the day-to-day of working for your company. 

Here’s an example from WeTransfer, who have a whole series dedicated to their employees:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - People of WeTransfer post
A post from the People of WeTransfer series

You can also share your employees’ posts (it doesn’t just have to work the other way round, you know.) Like in this example from Starbucks:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - starbucks post
Starbucks sharing an employee story on LinkedIn

You can also share content that lets people take a peek behind the curtain and see the life at your company, like in these two examples by Target and WeTransfer:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - target post
A post celebrating Target interns
LinkedIn Content Strategy - wetransfer post
And one talking about one of the perks of working at WeTransfer

7. Inspirational posts

LinkedIn is full of inspirational stories, some more interesting than others. But it’s the type of content that certainly gains traction with LinkedIn users, often getting a lot of engagement. You can try this approach by sharing quotes from professionals (or even your employees) to inspire conversations. Like in this example from Loom, that also includes a link to a case study:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - loom post
Loom’s post on LinkedIn

8. User-generated content

Share your customer stories, too. You can share their success stories, reviews or testimonials, like in this example, again, by Loom:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - loom post 2
A LinkedIn post sharing a tweet from a customer

Or repost your customer’s LinkedIn posts directly on your LinkedIn company page. It can be an excellent engagement-boosting tactic. Here’s an example from Loom, sharing the post by an employee who’s also using their tool in their daily work:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - loom repost
Loom resharing a post on their LinkedIn profile

9. Product updates and releases 

It might be tempting to post just about your company and products – so make sure you balance your content. But by all means, post news and updates about your products, especially when you know people on LinkedIn will be interested.

Just make sure you’re making it attractive to them, again, focusing more on the value for your customers than on your product itself. Show them, for example, what they can do with your new feature or product, and how to use it.

LinkedIn Content Strategy - notion post
A product post by Notion

10. Conversation starters

This could be a simple question (especially on a polarizing subject, if you want to get a lot of engagement) or a LinkedIn poll (who doesn’t like clicking on LinkedIn polls?). A good rule of thumb is to stick to topics that are connected either with your area of expertise or work in general (since LinkedIn is a social network for professionals, work is what most people expect to be talking about.)

 Like in the two examples below:

LinkedIn Content Strategy - squiz post
A LinkedIn poll posted by Squiz
LinkedIn Content Strategy - monday.com post
A simple question posted by Monday.com

11. Some lighter content as a bonus

If it’s in line with what your audience expects and your brand personality, you can also balance off the serious, professional content with some more lighthearted posts and even memes (😱). Just make sure you’re not crossing any lines. 

LinkedIn Content Strategy - Wynter’s meme post
A Wynter post on LinkedIn

Give LinkedIn content the place in your social media marketing strategy it deserves

So, as you can see, LinkedIn is not the “boring and uptight social media platform.” It’s actually full of engaged communities of professionals – and these professionals are people, too, you know. Treat them like people, and you can even start having fun posting on LinkedIn while also seeing results for your business (like I did a while ago.) 

Which is probably the best conclusion to this article. 🙂

Manage multiple LinkedIn accounts with one tool

Manage multiple LinkedIn accounts with one tool

Improve your social customer service on LinkedIn, auto-publish posts, and get in-depth post analytics. Try NapoleonCat for free:

Try NapoleonCat free for 14 days. No credit card required.

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Try NapoleonCat free for 14 days. No credit card required.