Stuck for ideas as to what content to post on Linkedin? Here are some suggestions for posts that will help you connect with others and make you appealing to employers.
Linkedin is the world’s largest professional network with more than 600 million members and 303 million active monthly users, 40% of whom visit the site daily.
With all those users, Linkedin is a great platform for posting content that will be seen by a lot of people. And only 3 million of those 600 million share content every week, so there’s plenty of room. Research suggests that a vast majority of employers look to LinkedIn for new hires, and 91% of executives say LinkedIn is their top choice for professionally relevant content. Also, 47% of employers have said they wouldn’t call a person for an interview if they can’t find them online.
When it comes to what content to post on Linkedin, you probably already know this, but it’s not the venue for silly memes, long rants, or cat pics. The type of content you put on LinkedIn should be professional and serve the purpose of making you look interesting and hireable.
It can be difficult to come up with ideas for this type of content, so here are some suggestions for what content to post on LinkedIn that will help you expand your network and appeal to employers.
What to post on LinkedIn:
Industry-related news and views
If you’re an investment advisor, LinkedIn is the space to post news about the Dow and the Nasdaq and insights from people in the sector. If you’re a real estate agent, a graphic designer, an HR specialist, or an interior designer, post links to articles and commentary on those topics. These are items others in your industry will be interested in and will engage with, and it’s a great way to get your name noticed by those with whom you want to connect because everyone has an opinion, so you can encourage (civil) conversation. Anything that is going on in your sector is a good topic for discussion.
Articles by you
The “write an article” option on LinkedIn is one of your greatest opportunities for getting noticed. Unlike any of the other popular social platforms, LinkedIn offers a CMS (content management system) where your articles look like actual articles rather than just posts, pictures, or snippets of text, through which to share your brilliant insight and knowledge. It’s a smart way to add weight to your words in a way that looks professional. People in your network can also comment on and share these pieces, which allows you to reach a broader audience. Keep your articles professional and focus on topics related to your industry and career.
Infographics
Infographics are very shareable which makes them excellent LinkedIn posts. They’re eye-catching and they usually contain useful information and data. You can find existing ones or even create your own with a variety of available online tools that make it relatively easy, like Canva, with numbers and information from reports and studies or surveys. If you do make your own, keep it light on text and heavy on useful numbers. People love numbers. They enjoy sharing them because it’s a bit of information that makes them look smart, and everyone wants to look smart.
Comments on other people’s posts
If you want to expand your network and get noticed, be sure to react to other people’s posts and comment on them, even if it’s just to say “Interesting. Thank you for sharing.” It’s OK to get into discussions also, but not OK to berate or condescend to people; or to dig your heels and double down or get into heated arguments. This makes you look like a jerk and is actually not acceptable behaviour on any social platform, though that doesn’t stop many people. It’s even worse to do this on LinkedIn because you may be alienating the people who can lead you to jobs that will put food on the table and pay your bills. Be a professional and be nice.
Pictures of you and colleagues doing work- or- industry-related things.
We’re currently in the middle of a pandemic and many people are working from home, so office, workplace, or team event pictures are on hold, but there’s still the opportunity to be creative and find ways to post pics of how you’re working now. That being said, I think everyone has seen enough screenshots of Zoom meetings to last a lifetime. When we are back in our workplaces, team and workplace pictures are a good option. It’s also nice to say something complimentary about your workplace and colleagues with these images. Good employers want to hire people who are likeable and say nice things about others.
Video content
According to Hootsuite, LinkedIn video posts earn an average of three times the engagement of text posts. People love videos. And LinkedIn has a native video option that allows you to post directly to the platform, just like Facebook does. Create videos of you talking about industry-related topics or showcasing an accomplishment. Keep it relatively short and to the point. It’s not TikTok, so keep the dancing to a minimum.