A little over a year ago, February of 2014, LinkedIn expanded their publishing platform to all LinkedIn members allowing them to publish long-form posts (I call them Posts). LinkedIn Posts allow you to further establish your professional identity by expressing opinions, sharing experiences, your expertise, ideas, interests and more. It’s essentially blogging on LinkedIn – a great place to get your blog posts in front on the right people.
Reasons why you should “Post”
[ba-list style=”note”]- LinkedIn Posts are tied to your Personal Profile. When someone views your profile, they can read your Post(s), share with their LinkedIn Connections and on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. This is huge!
- LinkedIn Posts are indexed by Google. Be sure to do a little keyword research for your title, H1/H2 tags and the body of your Post – who knows, your Post just might appear in Google’s search results when someone searches for the topic you have written about.
- Your Posts might get picked-up by LinkedIn Pulse. I receive the Pulse email and sometimes see some of my connections Posts. I receive a weekly email with the top Posts including Influencers.
- Your connections will see you have “Published a new post” in their Notifications.
- Posts can be shared not only by your connections, but users viewing your profile. When Posts are shared to Facebook, Twitter and Google+, you are growing an even larger audience.
- Blog posts or articles from your blog can be updated and added as a LinkedIn Post. Be sure they are relevant to you or your business and don’t forget to add some links back to your blog or website.
- The LinkedIn Post editor is simple and easy-to-use. Even if you are a “newbie” to creating blog posts. It DOES has enough functionality to format your Posts with a cover image, headings, images, block quotes, links and easily embed videos.
Whether you are a job seeker or a business, writing Posts convey who you are, what you are passionate about and your expertise. They might peak the interest of the right person, at the right company and land you that dream job or a new customer or client for your business. They are a great way to brand yourself and/or grow your business brand.
I’ve been blogging for 4 years and find that people like “How To” and “Informational” type blog posts. Create short video clips and add them to your Posts. Be creative and write as if you are speaking to someone. Tell your story – there’s so much you can write about. LinkedIn encourages writing your opinions, that’s fine if you are up for a debate. I find opinionated blog posts a “turn off”, but that’s just me… oops… I just expressed my opinion! Kidding aside – for more information checkout LinkedIn’s Introduction on Long-Form Posts.
Tip for job seekers
College students, graduates or anyone seeking a job, take a look at what your friends or connections are Posting about. Remember, people viewing your profile on LinkedIn want to know more about you and what you are good at. If you have a blog with a posts related to the type of position you are seeking, update them and add as Posts on LinkedIn. Think of how you can showcase your expertise.
Tip for businesses
Look at your competitor’s Posts to see what they are writing about. Write about your products and services – be sure to link back to your blog or website. For example if you sell products such as tires, write a Post on “How to Change a Tire”, a car repair shop “How to Change Your Oil”, a Hair Salon “How to Trim Your Own Bangs” and a Jeweler “How to Clean or Care For Your Jewelry”. We provide services, therefore our “How To” blog posts come easily. “How to Embed a Google+ Post on Your Website or Blog” and “New – Google+ Polls – How to Use Them For Your Business“.
Publish a Post – Step-by-Step Video
Here’s a step-by-step video on how to “Publish a Post” starting from your LinkedIn Home Page or Profile Page. The easy-to-use editor allows you to add a cover image, H1 and H2 tag, links, blockquotes, photos and embed videos.
Wrap-up
I hope you better understand LinkedIn Long-Form Posts and start publishing some of your own. Create Posts that people will want to share with others. Using your own voice and style will help win over new connections or followers. Once again, LinkedIn Posts are tied to your LinkedIn Profile – people can share your Posts with their LinkedIn connections and on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter increasing your online exposure.
Please let us know how you are using LinkedIn’s Posts. We look forward to any tips and techniques you have in regards to LinkedIn’s posts and blogging too!
