Content marketing on linkedin is a great way to build your audience and get noticed. Check out the rest of this article to learn how you can get started with content marketing on linkedin.
Set your profile visibility to “preferred” to get the visibility boost
Depending on your job title, you may already be visible to people who are looking for your type of work. However, you can take control of how your profile shows up in searches by setting your profile visibility to “preferred” on LinkedIn. This will let people who are looking for you to see your profile even before they take a look at the other results returned by the search.
When you set your visibility to “preferred,” you are allowing people in your Network to view your profile and have the option to connect with you
The visibility of your Page is directly linked to the amount of connections you have. The more connections you have, the higher visibility you will have on LinkedIn. If you want to increase your visibility and make it easier for people to find you, make sure you connect with everyone you have a connection with on LinkedIn. If you don’t know how to do this, use the search box in the top right corner of LinkedIn to find people you know.
This visibility boost can help you get more views to your profile and get more people to choose to connect with you
While LinkedIn is typically used for business-related connections, this setting can also help you get more visibility in the context of content marketing. If you write or contribute to a blog or create a YouTube channel, your profile is likely to appear in the search results for your content. However, if your profile is set to private, you won’t be able to highlight your profile to help it rank higher in search results.
Set your visibility to “preferred” by going to your Network settings and clicking on “preferred visibility” for the Network you’re in
This will make your profile visible to all connections who have the setting activated, and it will show up in search results for that Network. However, when the Network is searched on, your profile will still be visible to everyone who isn’t a connection of the Network, so you’ll want to ensure your profile is also shared with your connections and any other groups you want to target. (See below for more on targeting groups.)
You can also set your visibility to “preferred” by going to the Network settings for the Network you’re in and clicking on “edit visibility” next to the Network name
Make sure to only select “preferred” for the Visibility option. You don’t want to change the visibility for any other types of content you’ve published on your LinkedIn page. The default setting for LinkedIn’s visibility preferences is set to “unlisted” for all users, so you’ll need to change it to “preferred” to be visible to recruiters and brands.
Create and promote content that educates and inspires
When you create content, you build a connection with your audience and help them solve a problem. If you don’t provide helpful information, you may not connect with them. However, if you create content that your audience needs, they will start to follow you.
Develop your editorial calendar
Creating a content calendar is one of the most important things you can do to grow your audience. If you’re not already doing this, now is the time to start. Creating your content calendar will allow you to plan your content creation and schedule your social media posts in advance, keeping you from having to rush and miss your marketing goals.
Understand the buyer’s journey
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Look at your own buying journey when you need to make decisions, and think of what questions you ask before you make a purchase. For example, if you’re looking to get a new car, you’ll want to consider how many miles you plan to drive it, what kind of fuel mileage it gets, and whether or not it has safety features. When you’re trying to make a purchase online, you’ll want to consider how long it takes to order, whether or not there are any shipping restrictions, and whether or not the seller has a return or replacement policy. The more you know about your buyer, the more you can cater to their specific needs and help them make a well-informed decision.
Create a content plan
It’s easier to create content on a consistent basis when you have a plan for what you want to write about. Decide on a topic that you know your audience is interested in and what you want to learn about it. Then, write a list of potential ideas for creating content on that topic. You may want to refer back to your brainstorming sessions to find ideas you’ve forgotten about.
Create your content strategy
Put all your ideas for content into one place. You can use a content management system like WordPress or even a simple spreadsheet. Whatever works best for you is fine. The important thing is to have a centralized location where you can keep your content ideas organized. This will make it easier to plan and create new content. You don’t want to create a new article every time an opportunity arises, especially if it’s a topic you’ve already written about before.
Be generous with your content
When you create a post on LinkedIn, you have the ability to add up to ten images. Not only do images increase the readability of your post, but they also show your audience that you’re a real person. This makes you more approachable.
Providing quality content is the cornerstone of any successful marketing strategy
For B2B marketers, content is still king, no matter the channel. Even if you’re a social media influencer, you still need to create and share valuable content to build and engage your audience. And while the content you share may vary based on the channel you’re using, one thing remains the same: you need to create high-quality content to get results. The fact is, nobody likes reading a blog post that sounds like a sales pitch. If you want to build a loyal audience, you need to create content that is informative, helpful, and interesting. When you create original, high-quality content that solves your audience’s problems, they’re more likely to share it, grow your reach, and eventually become a customer.
A content marketing strategy should be able to support your business goals
If you’re writing content just because you think you should, you’re not going to get a lot of value out of it. A content marketing strategy should be able to support your business goals, whether that’s helping you acquire new customers, increase brand awareness, or drive up web traffic.
Your content should help with the following:
When you publish content, you are providing your audience with information. Sometimes, what you’re providing is an answer to a question that your audience just asked in the previous month or so. Other times, you can provide information that your audience didn’t even know they needed until you provided it. For example, if your audience is struggling to create an action-based sales process in the same way that you did, you can create a case study that shows them how you did it.
Building your reputation and trust
The cornerstone of effective content marketing on LinkedIn is building your credibility and trustworthiness. If an influencer you’ve worked with in the past refers clients your way, or if your former boss shares your content—that can definitely help establish you as a trusted expert. But beyond word-of-mouth recommendations, you can also work to establish trust by providing regular, helpful content. If you offer advice on a common issue, answer questions frequently asked by people in your industry. The more helpful you are, the more you’ll be seen as a go-to person in your niche.
Ask for recommendations
Depending on your industry, asking for recommendations on LinkedIn can be a great way to boost your credibility and attract new clients. So when people you know and trust refer you to a client or a project, it can be incredibly helpful to ask them for a recommendation. You can even ask for recommendations in the context of a LinkedIn profile update, or even on your profile page itself. LinkedIn also includes a feature called Mentions, which allows you to ask any LinkedIn member to mention you in a post. This is a great way to get exposure to potential customers you haven’t worked with yet.
When you ask for recommendations, you’re offering to help out and let others know you value their input
The next step is to ask for recommendations, but do so in the context of your content marketing or your business. Your recommendations should add value to someone else’s experience with you and not just ask for free advertising. For example, if they just purchased a new car, asking for a recommendation for a car dealership would make little sense. Instead, you could share the best car-buying advice you’ve ever received or an article that helped them make an educated decision. The key here is to make the ask for a recommendation relevant to the person you’re looking to connect with.
Recommendations are more than suggestions
Recommendations are more than just a “like” or a recommendation. In fact, recommendations on LinkedIn can help build credibility and drive traffic to your website and LinkedIn profile. They can also help you get noticed more in searches. For instance, if you find a profile with great recommendations from coworkers, clients, or past colleagues, you can see how they describe the person and learn more about them. When you view a LinkedIn profile, the recommendations you see are shown based on when the person was added to your connections. So, the more connections you have, the more recommendations you’ll see.
Ask when you need recommendations
It’s important to ask for recommendations when you’re looking to break into a new vertical or even a new job, as your recommendations can speak to your expertise and be especially helpful if you’re applying for a position in that particular field. It’s also important to ask for recommendations when you’ve hit a big milestone like earning your certification or completing a project as this is a great way to show off your work and help you get noticed.
Ask for recommendations from people you trust
People like to feel heard. When you ask for recommendations, you show your colleagues that you value their opinions. This can help increase the amount of recommendations you receive, since people are more likely to share a connection with someone who’s asked for a recommendation.
Respond to comments and messages
When you leave a comment or message on someone else’s post, it appears in the comments section beneath that post. It’s easy to think that this comment will be forgotten or ignored if you don’t respond right away. But you can’t underestimate the value of responding to every single comment and message you receive. Responding shows other people that you care about your connections, that you’re a helpful and engaged member of the community. Plus, when you respond, people will be more likely to return the favor and comment on your posts in the future.
Respond quickly
One of the simplest ways to build your audience on LinkedIn is by responding to questions and comments. People like to feel like they are getting a personalized response, and when they see a response within a few hours, they feel valued. You can also respond to comments on your posts, providing additional value to your audience. When you respond to comments, make sure you do so in a thoughtful manner and always provide more value than what was asked for. This can help build your audience over time.
Respond thoughtfully
When someone comments on your post, it’s easy to respond with a short “thank you” or “I agree.” But people like to know that you put some effort into your response. If someone commented on your post and asked a question, be sure to answer that question. And always respond to everyone who comments on your post, even if you didn’t answer the original question. That way, everyone knows you care about the conversation and want to engage with them.
Respond professionally
First and foremost, make sure your response is grammatically correct. When replying to a comment, you should use the same tone you would use if you were writing an article or a cover letter for a job. Never respond to a comment with snarky or condescending language. Always respond in a professional tone. People on LinkedIn are interested in the information you share, so keep your answers helpful and informative.
In conclusion, if you want to get noticed and grow your audience on LinkedIn, content marketing is the way to go. But don’t just take our word for it – try it out for yourself and see the results for yourself.
