How to Write Engaging LinkedIn Posts
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform so it’s a great place to build meaningful connections with your professional community. Your content plays a huge part in these connections. But it can be a challenge writing engaging LinkedIn posts. So, to help you, I’ve put together a few great tips based on my live interview with Nick Bendel of Hunter & Scribe.
Create LinkedIn Content for Your Audience
The first golden rule for LinkedIn content creation is to write for your audience. Don’t just make it about you. Apply the following great practices to your content and you’ll will find that more people will read, like, comment, and share it:
- Interesting (to your audience not just to you)
- Relevant (to your industry and your audience)
- Helpful (solve a problem or offer a helpful perspective)
Avoid ‘Corporate Propaganda’ Content on LinkedIn
This is essentially advertising and PR of your company – telling your audience about your ‘game-changing products’, ‘world-class service’, ‘company announcements’ etc. No one cares! Instead create content that your audience finds interesting, relevant, and helpful to them.
Type of LinkedIn Content to Create
The following are generally different types of content you can create for your audience that will help establish your authority and brand.
Solve Problems
Provide answers and solutions to your customer’s problems.
Answer Questions
Customers are confused and have questions. Provide the answers for them.
Bust Myths
Every industry has its myths, bust them by educating your customers.
Share news
This is news relevant to your industry and is relevant, helpful, and interesting to your audience not just to you.
Analyse Trends
As an expert provide intelligent thoughtful content on your industry.
Choose an Image that Grabs People’s Attention
Humans are visual creatures so naturally we are drawn to images. Your LinkedIn posts will get more engagement by adding an image. However, the wrong image or just a bad image will lower engagement. So, choose wisely! Pick not just an enticing image but one which communicates what your post is about.
Write a Headline that Evokes Curiosity and Makes People Want to Click
Headlines are your hook and give people a reason to want to read your content. Give them an incentive like ‘opening a loop’ in which you create some sort of doubt or situation. The only way to solve it is by reading your content. An example: “You’ll never believe what Scott Morrison said this morning…”
Use Simple Language in Your LinkedIn Posts
Avoid jargon, acronyms, and complex language. Make your posts so clear that they can be understood by a 10-year-old. Use short sentences and paragraphs. These are a sign of good communication. If you can’t communicate properly, it gives the audience a bad impression.
Bonus Tips for Writing Engaging LinkedIn Posts
Apply the following extra tips for writing engaging LinkedIn posts.
Say Something Different
Not just to create attention but to create intelligent conversation – say something different. But be prepared for negative reactions (you might upset some people).
Back up Your Opinions
There is nothing wrong with giving your opinion about a topic but make sure you back it up with facts, statistics etc. or else the audience will think you just made it up.
Use Questions
Posing questions at the start of your posts can be a great way of drawing people into your content.
Use Emotions
Humans are emotional so appeal to their emotions by adding emotionally charged words like succeed, triumph, love, destroy, crush. These are powerful verbs. Verbs stir emotions.
Apply these great tips to your LinkedIn posts and you’ll start seeing an increase in engagement.
You can use similar principles when you are incorporating Video Content on Linkedin.