Ways to Create a LinkedIn Content Strategy that Works

Does your social media strategy include LinkedIn?

If not, then you’re missing out on one of the world’s largest business-oriented social networks, with more than 810 million registered users worldwide.

If you’re still trying to figure out LinkedIn and how it can benefit your business, we’ve put together this brief guide to take you through everything there is to know about running an effective content marketing campaign on this platform. 

So, let’s get started!

A Brief Overview of LinkedIn Content World

LinkedIn is best known as a business-to-business networking platform, where users can create profiles for their companies and focus on building relationships with other businesses. It also doubles as an effective content marketing platform.

LinkedIn has three primary audiences:

• Job seekers looking for work or companies to hire them
• Business professionals looking to connect with other business professionals
• Marketers looking to promote new content

Studies show that more than 50% of B2B social traffic comes from LinkedIn, with 94% of marketers saying it’s their best content distribution channel. 

Marketing professionals think LinkedIn is the best information and material hub — with over 91% of marketing executives rating the platform as the best place to look for high-quality content. 

What’s the Purpose of the Content, though?

LinkedIn accounts for about 80% of all B2B leads. That’s because it’s the central hub for high-quality B2B content. 

When using this platform, it’s important to make sure your content is targeted at other professionals, not just random users. 

There are three main types of LinkedIn content:

1. Member-generated content that brings value to the community
2. Company-generated content that helps drive traffic to your LinkedIn page
3. Sponsored updates that promote content or help attract new followers

So, Why is LinkedIn Worth Your Time and Effort?

Why would anyone want to put in the time and effort to create a LinkedIn content strategy?

• Having a LinkedIn profile puts you out there to be found by the right person.
• Sixty-one million LinkedIn users are senior-level marketing executives, while another 40 million consists of people with the power to influence company decisions. Suffice it to say that the platform heaves the type of people who can open new doors for your company.
• LinkedIn is the second-most favourable channel for sharing business-related content, the first one being emailed.
• It’s Proven to work. About 50% of social traffic B2B sites get comes from LinkedIn.
• Suitable for Building Your Brand: A company’s LinkedIn page can serve as a hub for all things related to its brand. That includes content that reflects the company’s values, mission, and vision.
• B2B Customers: The professionals you’re networking with on LinkedIn are likely the same folks you’re selling to. As a B2B marketer, you can tap into a world-class database of career-focused professionals and cleverly position your products and services in a way that appeals to them.

Still, to successfully adopt LinkedIn as part of your content marketing strategy, you must first understand your target audience and what gets their attention.

More importantly, you need to understand how they consume content. What makes them tick? What type of content do they find valuable enough to click on or share with their LinkedIn connections? 

What are the Stats for B2B Markers on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn was launched in 2002. The idea was to help business professionals connect and network.

Since then, the platform has grown to be an internet hub for companies, brands, and professionals of all stripes to connect, share ideas, and find talent. 

Here are a few stats you want to keep in mind while working on your LinkedIn content strategy: 

• LinkedIn has more than 810 registered users in more than 200 countries worldwide. 
• The platform has more than 303 million active monthly users
• 9% of its US users visit the platform multiple times a day
• 12% of users from the US visit it at least once a day
• Over 30 million companies have a LinkedIn profile
• Over 20 million companies list their jobs on LinkedIn
• More than two new members join the platform every second
• Over 154 million Americans have a LinkedIn profile

It would also help to note how LinkedIn users access the site. 

As it turns out, 57% of its users access the site via a mobile device. While this number is relatively low compared to users accessing it via Facebook (88%) and YouTube (70%), It’s still important to ensure every piece of content you publish on the platform (videos, forms, and links) is optimized for mobile. 

LinkedIn Age Demographic

Given the nature of LinkedIn, most of its users are in their working years. 

• 20.3% of LinkedIn users are aged 18 to 24
• 59.2% are between 25 and 34 years old
• 17.6% are between 35 and 54 years old 
• The 55 plus age demographic accounts for only 2.9% of LinkedIn users

As you can see, a significant chunk of LinkedIn users is between 25 and 34. They account for nearly 60% of LinkedIn users. 

The second popular group consists of those between 18 and 34, taking about 20% of LinkedIn’s total membership.

The third-largest group comprises those between 35 and 54, with a measly 17.6% to their name. 

Source

In the early days of LinkedIn, the platform was dominated by the older generation. But millennials would soon take over, becoming the most dominant age group.

Gen Z might be a few years out, but you can still target them. 

LinkedIn Usage

With the digital world moving towards mobile-first technology, it’s no surprise that over 57% of the traffic that LinkedIn gets is from mobile devices. 

You have to note that this figure hasn’t changed a bit since 2018. But if the current projection is anything to go by, the number might increase five-fold by 2024. 

The same report also shows that 80% of LinkedIn’s content engagement comes from mobile. So, when optimizing your content for LinkedIn, you should primarily focus on optimizing it for mobile.

Also, according to Smilarweb, LinkedIn members browse an average of six pages with every visit they make, spending about 7 minutes on the platform before hitting the exit button. 

Linkedin Gender

LinkedIn is more popular among the male gender compared to the female one. 

• 57% of LinkedIn’s users are male
• Only 43% are female

Each of the two genders is characterized by specific engagement habits on the platform:  

• Females tend to be very selective with who they connect with. They’re more cautious and concerned about the quality of their network, so much that only a tiny section is likely to accept invitations sent by folks they don’t know personally or professionally.
• On the other hand, males tend to be less selective, accepting nearly all invitations sent their way, regardless of who the sender is.
• Females are also selective about their job applications. They tend to apply for just a few jobs at any time, while males are more aggressive, applying to multiple jobs at a time across different industries.

On the other hand, Males will not hesitate to apply for the job provided they meet part of the requirements. 

LinkedIn Content Statistics

94% of B2B marketers say Their Content Marketing Strategy Has Benefited from LinkedIn

94% of marketers agree LinkedIn is one of the best content marketing platforms. That’s because, compared to other social media networks, LinkedIn content tends to be three times more trustworthy. 

It’s one of the best platforms for gaining attention for your content and targeting a specific group of audience. 

Only 1 Million Users Have Published an Article on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has close to 1 billion users. Yet only one million users had published an article on the platform by 2015. That’s less than 0.2% of the users on the platform. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. You can republish the same content you post on your blog on the platform. 

And thanks to the LinkedIn algorithm, the native posts you publish on the platform will get more exposure than those you publish elsewhere.

45% of LinkedIn Article Readers Hold Senior-positions 

The good thing about LinkedIn articles is that it attracts high-level decision-makers. LinkedIn will not only give the piece a boost, but it will also make sure it’s reaching the right people. 

What’s more, the LinkedIn algorithm will ensure that only relevant content is shown to your audience. So you can be sure of getting quality and targeted prospects. 

Much of LinkedIn Traffic Comes from the US

LinkedIn gets most of its traffic from the United States, about 31.98%. 

• US users make up 31.98% of all LinkedIn members, which accounts for nearly half of the traffic on the platform.
• The United Kingdom comes second, accounting for 6.65% of the traffic, with India coming third to account for 6.42% of the traffic. 

LinkedIn Traffic Sources

• 71.33% of LinkedIn traffic is direct, via the app, or by directly entering the LinkedIn URL in the browser. 
• 23.49% of the traffic comes from search engines, of which 99.45% are from organic search or SEO.

Only 0.87% of the Traffic Comes from Social Media Platforms

• Social media platforms account for less than 1% of the traffic that LinkedIn gets
• YouTube leads, accounting for about 33.33% of the traffic. 
• Facebook follows, accounting for about 27.89% of the traffic.
• Other social networks directing the traffic to LinkedIn include Facebook (27.89%), Twitter (13.58%), and WhatsApp (6.62%).

88% of LinkedIn Users Have a Facebook account

• Most people have multiple social media accounts.  
• Only 0.3% of LinkedIn users have the platform as their only social media network. About 88% of LinkedIn users also have a Facebook account, making it the most popular social media platform that people use together with LinkedIn.
• 78.3% of LinkedIn Users Also Have YouTube Accounts 
• About 82.5% have an Instagram account.

LinkedIn Content Marketing Statistics

• 60 out of 10 users are actively looking for industry insights on LinkedIn
• LinkedIn accounts for 50% of all the social media traffic to B2B sites and blogs
• 1 million LinkedIn members publish new content weekly
• In 2020, LinkedIn live streams increased by 437%
• LinkedIn has more than 2 million active publishers
• Longform content (1900 plus words) tend to perform better on LinkedIn
• In 2020, content creation increased by 60% on LinkedIn
• LinkedIn users are 20 times more likely to re-share your content if it’s video
• A LinkedIn post is likely to generate two times more engagement if it has an image
• 45% of LinkedIn readers hold senior roles in companies
• How-to posts and listicles perform the best on LinkedIn
• Posts with 5 to 9 headings tend to perform the best
• Article Titles with 40 to 49 characters (10 to 15 words) perform the best on LinkedIn
• Articles without videos perform the best on LinkedIn. And if you have to upload a video on the platform, then you better do it natively
• 97% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to market their business

LinkedIn Usage Statistics

• 40 million people search for jobs on Linkedin every week
• At least three people are hired on LinkedIn every minute
• In 2020, there was a 55% increase in conversion on LinkedIn
• 57% of the total LinkedIn traffic is mobile
• 80% of LinkedIn engagement on content comes from a mobile device

What to Post on LinkedIn

While LinkedIn isn’t primarily about creating new content, you can get more attention to your posts through the platform. Remember that it’s primarily a business-focused social media site.

That said, here are the types of content you can post on LinkedIn:

• Articles and commentary that exemplify your industry knowledge and expertise
• How-to guides and advice that help your audience solve problems
• Links to other online content that adds value to your LinkedIn connections
• Posts that portray your human side, providing an insight into how you operate and what you care about
• Highlights of the lessons you’ve picked along the way that you think might also be informative to your target audience
• Special occasions that your connections can pick up on and join in, such as birthdays and anniversaries
• Ideas that will inspire, motivate or thought-provoke your audience

What Not to Post on LinkedIn

It seems like you can post pretty much anything on LinkedIn, but that’s not true. 

Here are just some of the things you shouldn’t post on LinkedIn:

• Anything that makes your audience feel uncomfortable in any way.
• Sales pitches about your products or services, especially if it doesn’t provide value to your connections in terms of insight. It’s OK to have a page on your site that focuses on selling, but don’t post links to it or try to sell directly on LinkedIn.
• Overly promotional material such as announcements about events and contests
• Spammy content: If it doesn’t add any value to the reader’s life, don’t post it. Good content creation is about giving back to your followers, not expecting something.  
• Links: Don’t post links to your site or other sites unless you’re making a recommendation. And if you have to post a link to your blog post or something, post it in the comment section, not the actual article. 

What to Post on LinkedIn Company Page

The same principle applies to LinkedIn company pages: don’t post anything that makes your audience feel uncomfortable or is overly promotional.

Instead, try to focus on providing value to your followers.

Here are the types of content you can post on LinkedIn company page:

• Focus on offering  thoughtful advice, insights, or industry commentary
• As far as voice and tone go, treat your company page as you would a website or blog: use the same voice and style you’d use for professional writing.
• Remember that when posting content to a LinkedIn company page, rare will the post get the same level of engagement as it would have had you published it on an individual page due to how the LinkedIn algorithm is set.
• If you’re in charge of your organization’s page, then it would help to encourage your staff or company team to be active on their individual account, as their content will dramatically elevate your company profile, besides giving you great ideas for the posts you share on your company page.

Now that we’ve laid the foundation, we can get started with the meat of this article: What you should post on LinkedIn and how to go about posting it.

34 LinkedIn Post Ideas You Can Use For Your Business

1. “Tip of the day” posts: These can be anything from productivity tips to advice on dealing with difficult people and even suggestions for staying in shape while traveling (this is especially good if you’re in the travel industry).
2. Industry commentary: Share your insights or opinions about relevant trends that affect your industry. These posts are likely to attract new connections, including people who work in the same industry.
3. Shout out a Successful Project: Don’t be afraid to share the news with the world when you do a good job, and the client likes it. If you don’t brag about it, who will? It’s also a great way to attract future clients. Use this opportunity to showcase your expertise and get feedback from your connection.

4. Share Insights from a Previous Job/Industry Experience: People are always interested in learning about the “real” you, not just the online face they see on LinkedIn. You can use this opportunity to talk about your work experience and share valuable lessons learned. Ever worked as a waiter? What was your experience?

5. Give readers a behind-the-scenes look at your company/workplace: This works best if you’re in a unique industry or work for an interesting company. Even sharing photos of your office can be fascinating (just make sure it’s not too personal).
6. Start a Content Series: Getting people to follow you on LinkedIn is only the first step. You must get them to engage with your posts to be truly successful. One way of doing this is by running a series, which allows you to build up an audience over time and gives readers a chance to learn more about your business/industry. 
7. Highlight Your Achievements: You may think that your achievements aren’t interesting to anyone else, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. People like to read about other people’s success stories because it gives them hope and makes them feel better about their own failures (and no one likes feeling bad).
8. Post About Your Work-Life Balance: Work-life balance is a hot topic in the business world. Posting about it provides an opportunity to talk about your personal experience and connect with your audience on a deeper level while offering advice at the same time.
9. Share Interesting Photos/Videos: People love to see images of things they wouldn’t usually experience first-hand. Visiting your factory during the day is one thing, but showing what it’s like at night is another.
10. Repurpose Company Material: If you have a lot of material that isn’t being seen, consider sharing it on LinkedIn. No matter how boring it might seem to you, other people will probably find value in the information. You can break down your marketing strategy, work process, important company data, user manual, etc. 

11. Share the Opportunities at Your Company: If you’re hiring, want to promote an open position, or give interns a chance to gain practical experience (i.e., complete an internship), this is the perfect way of promoting it without making anyone feel like they’re under pressure.
12. Post Interesting Statistics: People love interesting statistics about their industry, and there’s no shortage of material out there.
13. Admit When You’re Wrong: Not only is this an excellent way for your clients and connections to see that you’re human, but it’s also a great way to build trust and create a connection with the right people.
14. Predict the Future: What’s your opinion on the future of your industry? What will it look like in five years, ten years, and beyond? It’s a great topic to discuss and makes for an exciting read.
15. Share Inspiring Quotes: People love to be inspired, so why not share some quotes that you’ve heard or read? People will appreciate your thoughtfulness and will want to connect with you more because of it.
16. Share a LinkedIn Essay: If your industry is important enough to you, then feel free to share some blogging-like material on LinkedIn. It might seem odd at first, but people will get used to it and return for more.
17. Answer Common Clients’ Questions: Sometimes, the best way to help your clients is to answer some of their commonly asked questions based on your experiences and expertise. 
18. Create a Top-10 Listicle: The reason why BuzzFeed has been so successful is that people love lists. If you can make a list of 10 things related to your industry, don’t be surprised if it goes viral.
19. Discuss Your Company’s Policy: If your company has an interesting internal policy, then share it on LinkedIn and let other people discuss it with you. Check quora for inspiration. 
20. Tell a Story: People love stories, and it’s a great way to connect with your audience on an emotional level. If you have a tragic or exciting story from your time at the company, share it.
21. Discuss Your Company Culture: People are interested in what it is like to work for your company. So, if you have developed a strong company culture, write something about it.
22. Share Testimonials: If you have positive feedback from your clients, share it. It’s a great way to show potential new customers that they are in good hands.
23. Create and Share an Infographic: Infographics are a great way to convey information quickly and easily. If you have some interesting data, then make an infographic.
24. Promote Yourself: Sometimes, it makes sense to promote your brand on your company’s LinkedIn page. That is particularly useful if you are well-known in the industry or trying to land a new job.
25. Share Your Story: Share the story of how you got to where you are today and what you’ve learned on the way. That is a great topic to discuss with existing and potential new clients.

26. Welcome New Users: If you see a lot of new traffic, thank them for visiting your page, and let them know they are welcome there.
27. Create an “I’m looking for…” Listicle: People are always on the lookout for great resources, so if you can create a list of what you need, people will be more than happy to help you find some of the items on the list.
28. Share Useful Tips, Tools, and Resources: If you have some valuable tips or helpful resources that people will appreciate, your connection will appreciate you even more when you share them with them.
29. Spotlight How a Customers Uses One of Your Products or Services: If you have a fascinating customer who has been very successful with your product or service, put them in the spotlight. Let the world see them using the product in real-time. It is a great way to humanize your company and make it seem less like “The Man” or “Big Business.”
30. Record a self: If you’re comfortable on camera (particularly video), record a short video and share it on LinkedIn.
31. Ask for Advice: People love to give advice, and they will be happy to share their thoughts with you.
32. Thank Your Mentors: If you’re finding success in your career, then show some gratitude by thanking those who have helped you get there.
33. Share a meme: All work with no play makes Jack a dull boy. Sometimes, it’s good to have some fun on the internet. Take a break from business and share a funny meme.
34. Write About Your Work: Some people love to read descriptions of what you do at work, so give them a sneak peek into your day-to-day routine.

How to Use LinkedIn to Promote Your Content and Business

Step 1: Create an Individual LinkedIn account if You Don’t Have One Already

You need a LinkedIn individual account to access LinkedIn, let alone set up a company page. It’s a step you can’t avoid. 

The individual account you open will operate as the page’s administrator. So, we suggest you use your company’s official email to open the account.

Follow this link to sign up for an individual account. 

Step 2: Create Your Company Page

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to create your company page. You can begin by logging into your LinkedIn account, and on the top-right corner of the screen, click on “Work.” 

Next, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click on “Create a Company Page.” 

You’ll be asked to choose between the three available options: 

• Company
• Showcase a Page
• Educational Institution

All these options are self-explanatory, except for “Showcase Pages.” 

This option is for companies that want to separate their company or business into divisions and still link it to their main corporate page. 

In other words, the page will appear in your “main corporate page,’ as an affiliated page.

Fill in the rest of the details and ta-da! You’d have created your company page. 

Step 3: Optimize Your Page

We’re done with the basics. Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of how to optimize your page for maximum effectiveness. 

Of course, you want the page to get noticed. There are things you want to do to ensure your company page gets the attention it deserves.

You can start by opening the company page and hitting the blue “Edit Page” button. 

Proceed to fill out all the fields in the additional informational area. Focus on making things clear for your users, and most importantly, integrate some of the keywords people use to find your products or company. 

Studies show companies with complete profiles get 30 percent more views than those without.

Keywords are an important part of SEO, so integrate them well. We’ll discuss keywords in the next step.

Step 4: LinkedIn Optimization Tips You Should Observe

Use Translations

You might not speak every language known to man, but LinkedIn does! 

So if one of your target audiences is Spanish-speaking, make sure your page is available in Spanish. Make it easy for people to read about you in whatever language they speak. 

With LinkedIn, it’s as simple as adding a Translation to your account. 

Naturally Include Relevant Keywords into Your Description

Google indexes LinkedIn, so remember to include keywords you think people might use in their searches when describing your products or services.

Don’t write a super-long company description. 3 to 4 paragraphs talking about your vision, values, and products and services should be enough, integrated with a maximum of three natural-sounding keywords. 

Add Hashtags

LinkedIn allows users to add hashtags.

For example, if your company deals with shoes and clothing, you could create a hashtag like “#shoelover.” 

If any of your customers or business associates search the hashtag, they will see all content related to that keyword. However, we don’t recommend adding too many hashtags. Just three hashtags should be more than enough.

Here’re the hashtags you want to create: 

• A company-specific hashtag: The hashtag should be specific to you.
• Industry-specific hashtag: This hashtag should be related to your industry as a whole. You can research this and find what other companies within your industry are using.
• Product-specific hashtag: It should be related to your product or service. 

Add a Branded Cover Image

You can take advantage of this space by bringing attention to your latest offering or a special offer for LinkedIn users. 

Remember, the cover photo is just that—a cover. It should have a descriptive quality to be effective.

Add a Custom Button

This button will be located next to the “Follow” button on your page. 

You can link it to your website’s homepage, contact page, sign-up form, etc. 

Here are your options:

• Contact Us
• Visit Website
• Register
• Learn More
• Register

“Visit Website” is the default. 

You can always go back and change this option, so don’t sweat it if you don’t know which one to choose.

Step 5: Build Your Page Follow

People aren’t going to discover your page out of nowhere. You have to tell them about it.

So, how do you spread the word?

You can start by publishing content on LinkedIn that will pique the interest of your target audience. Write about what interests them, giving them more reasons to start following you. 

Here are a few ways to get your page some love:

Click the share button in your status box and post a message about your page. 

This will incentivize people to follow you on LinkedIn, where it all begins. 

Put a link back to your page on your contact us, about us, and linked in footers. 

This will help drive traffic from the website onto LinkedIn and vice versa. 

Anyone who follows you will see your LinkedIn company page in their newsfeed. So if they click “Follow,” that’s one more follower for you! 

Share it Via Email

This is another easy way to grow your following on LinkedIn. Simply send out an email blast about your company page to all the contacts in your email address book.