How to Create Engaging Content on LinkedIn

The need to remain connected, entertained and informed during the pandemic resulted in a massive increase in the use of social media. LinkedIn turned out to be one such platform that experienced a surge in its activities. In the last 12 months, more than a billion people interacted with each other’s content on LinkedIn.

Content creation on LinkedIn allows individuals to portray their work, ability to add value, and knowledge about their domain. This helps job seekers as the majority of recruiters use LinkedIn to identify and vet potential candidates. Creating content may sound challenging and effort-intensive at first, but it is a great way to establish your personal brand. In this article, we will discuss some ways to create effective and engaging content for your target audience.

1) Find your niche

Having a niche allows you to stand out from your competition and become a thought leader in your domain. It helps you create relevant, actionable, and targeted content. Combining your areas of expertise and interests can help you identify your niche. Addressing gaps in your industry using data and new ideas would also help you create unique content for your audience.

2) Explore what your audience wants to read

With the advancement in technology, it has become easier to make decisions that are backed by data and science. Before you start creating your content, you can check some resources online to help you understand the demand for your target content. We recommend you aim for high-demand topics that have a low supply of quality content.

You can use tools like Ubersuggest, GoogleTrends, and Keyword Planner to identify your target keywords. You may also perform quick competitor research on LinkedIn, exploring what your competitors are writing about. The level of engagement on their posts can help you determine if you want to use similar ideas for your own content.

3) Develop a content strategy

Designing a content strategy will help you stay on track with your goals. We suggest creating a content plan listing potential topics, dates, and the type of media. Candidates are usually confused about how often they should post on LinkedIn. Experts suggest posting relevant content once per weekday on LinkedIn. At the least, we recommend posting four times a week.

With respect to the type of content, we advise you to experiment with your initial posts and try different mediums, such as short posts, articles, videos, or infographics. Within a month of starting content creation, you will have a better idea of your preference of the media type and your target audience’s interests. Irrespective of the media type you choose for the majority of your content, keep a mix to avoid repetition and boredom for your target audience.

4) Engage with other posts

While creating content is helpful, we also suggest engaging with other posts on LinkedIn. These posts could be from other key players in your domain, recruiters, professionals working in your target industries, or career strategists. Once you have liked, shared, or commented on their content, you may also send them a connection request. Make sure to add a personal note, like the one below.

Hi <first name>,

I have been following your work for a few months and find it very interesting and insightful. It would be great if we could connect and have a chat about some common interests sometimes.

Thanks,

<Your name>

This will allow you to form winning relationships with your potential employers and colleagues. It will also impact your content by increasing its reach to other LinkedIn users. Generally, LinkedIn users engage with the content posted by professionals who engage with their work and interests.

5) Use data analytics

After establishing a regular flow of content creation and posting, you can assess what is working for you and what isn’t. LinkedIn allows its users to view and analyze their content views to enhance the quality and scope. You have the option to view the location, titles, and organizations of viewers along with the exact number of views. This will help you answer some key questions such as:

• Is your content reaching the right audience?
• Is your content reaching professionals in your target location?
• What content theme and topics does your target audience prefer?

 To check the analytics for each post, follow these steps:

1. Click on the ‘ME’ icon at the top of your LinkedIn page.
2. Go to ‘Posts & Activity’ under Manage.
3. Click on ‘Posts’ and identify the specific post.
4. Click on the Analytics option below the post (‘X’ views of your post in the feed)

Key Tips for Content Creation

Some tips for creating and publishing effective content on LinkedIn are:

• The best times to post and engage on LinkedIn are 10-2 pm and 5-6 pm on weekdays.
• Use three relevant hashtags. Don’t stuff your posts with tags such as comment, share, and like.
• Shorter posts have been found to have higher engagement. Avoid writing long posts.
• Do not tag people who you think won’t respond or engage with the post.
• If you are writing an article, use the right structure i.e. Introduction, Body, Conclusion.
• Keep a check on what you share from your LinkedIn profile. Ensure it is a reliable and authentic source.
• Don’t use outbound links in your post. Instead, add them in the comments section.
• Add questions to spark engagement.
• Some post ideas could be:

• • A challenging personal experience
  • Motivational/ inspirational stories from your life
  • Industry-related concepts and theories that you think can add value to your target audience
  • Tips and tricks; action-oriented suggestions on a relevant topic
  • Excerpts from your career

Content creation on LinkedIn is a great way to establish a personal brand in the long run. It will not only attract recruiters and headhunters to your profile but also give you an opportunity to emerge as an expert in your domain. This will open up public speaking and networking opportunities for you as well. We will close by saying that it may be difficult to see immediate results, so have patience, keep posting, and you will experience the benefits imminently.