You're not alone if you need help to get your content seen on LinkedIn. Despite having a large audience, the social platform has a reputation for being a tough nut to crack. Not to mention, LinkedIn's algorithm changes regularly, making it difficult to understand what type of content gets the most engagement.
A solid LinkedIn content strategy can help you understand it all to boost your content performance and achieve your goals. This guide will help you unlock the secrets of the LinkedIn algorithm and show you how to increase your next post for maximum visibility and engagement.
One way to enhance your LinkedIn content strategy is to use Megaphone's viral on-demand platform. This powerful tool boosts your content performance and helps you go viral by generating engagement quickly to give your posts the best chance of success.
What Goes Viral on LinkedIn?
1. Text Posts: Your Ticket to LinkedIn Engagement
If you're new to LinkedIn, you need to be aware of the different variations in content type. Your best starting point is text-only posts. They are what they say on the tin - only text. Within these posts, you have a max of 1300 characters to engage and hook your audience through information, quotations, questions, and hashtags. Using a LinkedIn analytics tool can help you determine which types of text posts resonate best with your audience, allowing you to refine and improve your content strategy.
But there are different variations that you can use: Short one-liner Listicles Long form text posts. Let's explore all three content types and see some good examples of LinkedIn posts.
a. Short one-liner
There’s no better example of this simple and elegant LinkedIn post type than the king, Gary Vaynerchuk. His posts are all three below:
Engaging
Easy to read
Hooks the audience.
As you can see, writing a text post that works can sometimes mean writing a long post and keeping it short and straightforward works!
b. Listicle
When we scroll through LinkedIn, we often see a lot of long text posts written without formatting or spacing. That's why lists are a good way to switch things up and grab your audience's attention. Lists are great because they break the pattern of a text wall. When we put items on a list, they become easy to read. Use lists when you want your audience to go through multiple points in a flow. We can write them in a few different ways: Using numbered lists, bullets or dashes, and emojis.
c. Long-form text posts
Justin Welsh is the perfect example of an in-depth, engaging post. Justin lays his text out in an easily read format. He bundles different sections together and creates spacing for readability so the audience is hooked to keep reading.
2. Polls: Get The People Talking
If you spend time on other social media platforms, such as Twitter, the ability to post polls will be familiar to you. Polls are an exciting content type on LinkedIn as well. This is because they allow users to crowdsource information from their audiences. Let's consider you were a UX designer. You could directly ask your audience what they prefer. Do they prefer a particular product, such as a T-shirt or a hoodie? Or do they prefer the color red or blue in a design? Polls can be used to ask your audience specific questions.
In 2021, on LinkedIn, we've seen an enormous focus drawn to polls, maybe too much. Nonetheless, they are the best way to extract insights directly from your audience. Whether you're brand new to LinkedIn or a seasoned veteran, there's a lot of opportunity in polls for everyone. A well-structured poll post has the potential to deliver high engagement and be seen by thousands of people. As a result, polls can act as a catalyst for growing your LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn state
"Polls help you understand trends and opinions and can be a great conversation starter." Therefore, it makes sense that you can spark conversation if polls are used correctly. LinkedIn polls allow LinkedIn users to weigh in on what's happening worldwide. For example, in the LinkedIn news section, there may be a macro discussion regarding whether we should transition to a 4-day work week. Users can then utilize LinkedIn polls to give their opinion on the micro-level.
3. Carousels: Grab Attention with a Unique Format
If you've been on LinkedIn, you may have come across the term "carousel." You may have also heard this term used on Facebook and Instagram. A "carousel" is a multiple-image document(or post). It is a file that a user uploads and includes a UX that allows the user to scroll through different pages to reveal content. Carousels are very similar to PowerPoints and slide decks. Each image (or slide) will reveal new information to the user scrolling. This might be text or an image. Carousels are powerful for screen real estate, whether mobile, tablet, or desktop.
These post types stand out because you need to swipe (or scroll) through the content. This can make content more fun and engaging as it requires more interaction than other post types. This is down to there being more user touchpoints on the post. LinkedIn loves dwell time. If you need to familiarize yourself with how LinkedIn uses dwell time, they measure a post's quality by how long users stay on it. Higher dwell time = higher-quality post.
It will take longer for someone to swipe through a carousel and consume your content than quickly scanning a text post. This can help you with overall dwell time and boost your post engagement. We will now show you examples of three kinds of carousels you could create to get your audience's attention while they scroll through LinkedIn. Carousel with images that tell a story Carousel with a list Single page carousels
4. Videos: Leverage the Potential of Sight and Sound
Video content on LinkedIn is a great way to establish trust with your audience. It's always refreshing to see someone's face and hear their voice. Another point to note is videos still need to be used more widely than text posts. This helps your content stand out from the others—videos on LinkedIn work just like many other social media platforms. However, there are some essential points to remember when creating a video for LinkedIn.
Post Native videos on LinkedIn instead of linking a video from YouTube. On LinkedIn, you can post native videos. "native" means uploading a video file to be played inside LinkedIn. Users can watch a video right on the LinkedIn feed. This differs from linking to a YouTube video that will be hosted and played through YouTube, taking you outside LinkedIn. Look at this excellent example of how to make videos on LinkedIn natively. Here, Shay Rowbottom talks about how to make your LinkedIn video more engaging. Give her a follow for more LinkedIn video tips!
Always add subtitles to your LinkedIn videos. Plan for no audio. This is one of George Pfeiffer's top tips for creating video content on LinkedIn. Many people scrolling the feed will have their audio turned off. They may be at work, in a library, or just being polite. Whatever the case, you must ensure your content can still be consumed effectively regardless of the audio situation. One of the most essential things to do is to add subtitles or captions easily. We suggest adding captions to your video content to ensure your users get a smooth experience no matter how they consume it.
Keep the video short to maximize your LinkedIn audience's attention. Regardless of the platform, you should consider video length. When someone goes to consume content on YouTube, they often expect a lengthy video explaining something in detail. On the other hand, think of the audience for TikTok; they usually browse, expecting short, entertaining, value-added, or funny videos.
In the same way, the audience on LinkedIn has a confident expectation of how much time they should be willing to invest in a video. Short to medium-length videos are an excellent fit for LinkedIn. People scrolling through the feed will only invest 5 to 10 minutes into a clip. Keep it short and sweet! You may have a bank of long-format content. Chop it up into bite-sized clips and post different snippets as new content. You will see an increase in engagement! So why should you add videos to your LinkedIn content strategy? Gianluca Bazzon has a great article on various stats for using videos on LinkedIn.
And are you getting fewer views on your videos than on other posts? This might be the reason... You will receive a video view on your video post when viewed (played) for over 3 seconds. If a user scrolls past your video and it only plays for 1 or 2 seconds, you will not receive a view. Therefore, your views are typically fewer. This does not mean videos don't get viewed. It is counted differently than a text post, for example. That's why I always focus on video comments and generate meaningful conversations.
Do you want to know how well your videos are doing? Then, you need to work out your engagement rate. Calculating your LinkedIn engagement rate is easy. Simply add your likes, comments, shares, etc. Divide by the total views of your video and multiply by 100. For example, if you had 52 likes, 21 comments, and 10 shares, you would add these all together = 83. Then divide by your views (e.g., 340). 83/340 = 0.244. Then multiply this number by 100 = 24.41. This number is a percentage, so your engagement metric is 24.41%.
5. Question Posts: Get the People Talking
Generating comments on LinkedIn is essential. Not only does it help boost your engagement rate, but it also evokes discussion, which can help extend your organic reach. If you're new to creating content on LinkedIn, promoting debate and getting people to talk about your post is essential. As discussed earlier, this is what LinkedIn is interested in. We know a great, tried, and tested way to do this. Ask your audience questions. A question-based post is a text post focusing on a particular question.
You’ll want to do several experiments to see how your audience reacts to question posts. Do they get more engagement, views, and comments? Or does crafting your questions into polls generate more interaction? Testing this and seeing what works for your audience is essential. Why is generating comments through question posts important? When a user comments on your post, it deploys your post to their network. This helps extend the organic reach of your post and helps grow your profile. This is because their followers are seeing your post and may interact with it.
Bonus tip
Employer advocacy software can increase engagement by encouraging team members to share and interact with your posts, boosting reach and visibility.
6. Articles: Establish Your Expertise
LinkedIn is constantly in the lab looking for more ways for its users to show off their expertise and share their interests. One way users can do this is through articles. An article on LinkedIn is similar to a blog post. It is a longer-form piece of content that can include other media such as images, videos, slides, and even content from different social media channels. LinkedIn users often use articles that need room to explore a topic in depth.
With an article, you can structure your content with headings and supplement sections with relevant media. Articles are a great way to show off your expertise and build trust with your audience. Your audience will also be able to engage with your article in a way that is similar to your posts. They can leave reactions or even comment and share. This sparks discussion, leading to more organic reach and account growth in the long run.
In the past, LinkedIn heavily pushed articles. When you post a new article, all your followers will get notified. However, articles are a little more hidden than they used to be. LinkedIn has decided to prioritize status updates instead. This doesn't mean that articles are pointless. Signposting a cornerstone article on your profile highlighting your expertise in an area can be a great way to convince visitors to hit that follow button.
You could show off your knowledge in the SEO industry, and a budding SEO user would read your post and see how much you know. They may click follow to wait for more SEO insights from you. To increase the engagement of your articles, maximize media. With articles, LinkedIn gives us more freedom than other content types. Include infographics, videos, screenshots, and more to make your content easily digestible.
Articles on LinkedIn can also appear on Google. If written correctly, your article can appear on the search engine results page when a user searches for something related to the topic of your article. This helps further extend your article's reach and solidifies you as a topic expert. Articles can reach a vast extent and be seen by thousands of people. Take this one, for example, which talks about LinkedIn hashtags. It's had nearly 40,000 views, is on the first page of Google, and is still getting engagement after a year of posting. Now that's reach!
Megaphone is a viral on-demand platform designed to boost your online presence authentically and organically. Our software connects you with influential creators in your niche to help you grow impressions, followers, and leads without relying on paid ads. Key features include:
A sophisticated engagement network,
A private engagement pod service (coming soon),
Diverse creator partnerships for sponsored posts, X spaces, and newsletter ads (coming soon).
Megaphone caters to startup founders, marketers, emerging creators, and ghostwriting agencies seeking to amplify their digital footprint and social proof. Our complex matching algorithm ensures you partner with your field's most suitable and valuable creators. Go viral today with our viral on-demand platform.
2. Optimize Your Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is your online resume and is often the first impression you make on potential connections. To optimize your profile for engagement, ensure your headline and summary are compelling and concise and highlight your unique value proposition. Include relevant keywords and showcase your expertise through a well-written and professional profile summary. For example, instead of a generic headline like "Marketing Professional," opt for something like "Digital Marketing Specialist | Helping Businesses Drive Revenue through Strategic Online Campaigns."
3. Offer Some Sort Of Intellectual Property
I’ve found that many of my best-performing LinkedIn posts included a free worksheet, template, or standard operating procedure that connections could access and use in their business. When I’d give IP away, I’d typically get responses from first-, second-, and third-level connections, and many times, my post would trend. So, it’s a great way to improve engagement. - Allan Dib, Successwise
4. Incorporate Videos
You can easily upload videos and even host live LinkedIn events from your LinkedIn page, and the results are well worth it. Video posts get 5x as much engagement on LinkedIn as conventional posts, and Live Video posts get 24x more engagement.
To make the most of your videos, keep these tips and best practices in mind:
Plan for mobile viewing
Up to 91% of LinkedIn members watch videos on their mobile devices. If your video doesn’t require a landscape format, consider shooting it vertically.
Always include subtitles
LinkedIn research shows that only around a third of people watching videos on mobile have the sound on at the time.
Show what you want to show in the first ten seconds
You only have around that long to grab your audience’s attention.
Optimize video length to match your goal.
LinkedIn studies show that less than 30 seconds is ideal for brand awareness and consideration goals, whereas demand-gen videos can be slightly longer and tell a more complex story.
Use an informative and engaging thumbnail.
This will help your viewers see what your video is about at a glance.
5. Participate in Groups
LinkedIn Groups allow you to connect with like-minded professionals and engage in meaningful discussions within your niche. Join relevant groups and actively contribute by sharing valuable content, asking thoughtful questions, and providing insights. Group discussions allow you to showcase your expertise, establish credibility, and expand your network. For example, a web developer could join groups like "Front-End Web Development" or "User Experience (UX) Design" to share industry best practices and contribute to discussions.
6. Write And Post Consistently
Be consistent with posting and writing articles. You must have a solid presence and post regularly to engage followers on any platform. Your posts should share your work and serve as information for your followers. In addition to sharing your work, show your knowledge and expertise by engaging with others and commenting thoughtfully on their posts. - Dr. Sharon H. Porter, Perfect Time SHP LLC, Coaching, Consulting and Book Publishing Firm
7. Keep your updates short, sweet, and spicy
You only have a few seconds to entice your followers to click on an update. Don’t be coy: tell your audience exactly what’s in it for them in as few characters as possible. We recommend 150 characters or fewer.
Use those characters to add spice to the update. Ask a thought-provoking question, point out a feature of the content you’re linking to, or even stir up a little controversy. Make it personal and call out your audience, i.e., “57% of marketers are using Generative AI to create more content in less time. How is the technology most helpful (and least helpful) for you and your team?”
8. Engage with Others
Building meaningful connections on LinkedIn involves actively engaging with others' content. Like, comment, and share posts from your network to show support and foster conversations. When leaving comments, provide thoughtful insights or ask follow-up questions to encourage further discussion. Engaging with others strengthens your relationships, increases the likelihood of reciprocation, and expands your reach for content.
9. Use the 4-1-1 Rule
Most marketers know the 4-1-1 rule
If you grew up in the ‘90s, you must ask, “What’s the 4-1-1?” when seeking information.
Okay, the 4-1-1 rule says that for every piece of content you share about yourself (or your organization), you should share an update from another source and, most importantly, four pieces of content written by others.
This rule helps keep your feed centered on your audience’s needs rather than making it a place for your organization to talk about itself solely. For every post that centers on your brand, share multiple helpful, valuable posts from other LinkedIn members and brands.
Of course, just because you’re sharing other content doesn’t mean you can’t comment on it. For every piece of content you share, add your organization’s takeaway or thoughts in your post sharing it. Take this opportunity to demonstrate your company’s expertise or start a conversation.
The 4-1-1 rule says that for every piece of content you share about myself (or my organization), you should share an update from another source and, most importantly, four pieces of content written by others.
10. Build Relationships Beyond Likes
Develop relationships with your followers beyond the likes and comments. Email them and chat with them offline. When people see you take an interest in them beyond their likes or comments, they feel personally attached to you. They will then share your content with others, and you will naturally broaden my reach. - Lisa Rangel, Chameleon Resumes LLC
11. Use tracking links
As I mentioned in the introduction, your LinkedIn Page is a marketing tool in its own right. It comes equipped with analytics tools to measure each post’s popularity and level of interaction. However, you don’t have to stop analyzing the activity your updates generate on LinkedIn.
Insert a tracking code onto the end of your links. That way, you can correctly attribute traffic to my site that originates from each update. You may find that your LinkedIn page has become a substantial source of inbound traffic. You can also add the LinkedIn Insight tag to your website to track conversions, retarget website visitors, and learn more about the categories of LinkedIn members interacting with your content.
12. Be Interested In Others First
As the saying goes, if you want to be interesting to people, you first need to be interested in them. Start by commenting and engaging with other people’s content. This builds awareness and trust in the long term and will come back tenfold. Of course, ensuring that your content is engaging and invites an ongoing conversation is a must. So start the dialogue and scratch the monologue. - Petra Zink, impact
13. Utilize LinkedIn Polls
LinkedIn Polls are a valuable feature for engaging your network and gathering insights. Craft polls related to your industry, ask thought-provoking questions and encourage your connections to participate. Polls create a sense of inclusiveness, invite discussions, and provide you with valuable data and feedback. For example, a human resources professional could make a poll asking about the most critical skill for career advancement and engage with respondents in the comments section.
14. Don’t use links (sometimes!)
Posts that feature thought-provoking or inspirational content tend to get high engagement, even without a link. You could try using a linkless post to ask the kind of question you’re sure will prompt a thoughtful discussion. In a case like that, the fact that the post doesn’t have a link may make the question — and the resulting discussion — stand out even more.
15. Identify What Sets You Apart
LinkedIn is a powerful marketing tool that connects former, current, and prospective customers. The key to success on LinkedIn is standing out from other businesses. Identify and own what sets you apart from different companies, then honestly and authentically share it. Equip the power of stories to connect with and engage your followers; do not be afraid to be vulnerable with your stories. - Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES, CaffeinatedKyle.com
16. Use Showcase Pages to highlight your brands, business units, or initiatives
We recommend creating Showcase Pages whenever you have a brand, business unit, or initiative that offers unique value to specific segments of your audience. This way, you give followers the option to follow the aspect(s) of your company they’re most interested in.
Showcase Pages allow you to target each update to the most relevant audience to create a customized feed for each segment. To help you monitor and grow your unique audiences, Showcase Pages have the same posting options and analytics as your LinkedIn page.
For example, LinkedIn Collective is a Showcase Page specifically focused on exploring the evolving world of work in B2B marketing from an expert perspective. The content we create and share on this showcase page is meant for B2B marketers who follow the latest insights and thought leadership from experts in their profession.
17. Collaborate with Influencers
Partnering with influencers in your industry can significantly boost your LinkedIn engagement. Identify influencers who align with your niche and have a substantial following. Collaborate on joint content, such as interviews, guest articles, or webinars, to leverage their reach and expertise. By associating yourself with influencers, you enhance your credibility and attract a broader audience to your profile and content.
18. Be Curious And Seek Feedback
Practice curiosity. Contribute relevant content. Determine who you’d like a response from; explore their background, experience, and points of view. Reach out and ask what relevance, if any, they’ve found in a post. Ask what matters most to them. Ask what issues would be valuable to explore. Think of your audience as your customers. Serve them. Invite richer conversations. - Jay Steven Levin, WinThinking
19. Take advantage of the Content Suggestions tool
The Content Suggestions tool lets you quickly discover the topics and articles your target audience cares about. The tool bases these suggestions on location, industry, job function, and seniority.
Comment Suggestions are helpful when planning content, particularly when deciding which conversations to start or contribute to. When reviewing the suggestions, consider questions you could ask to advance the discussion surrounding a specific topic.
20. Add hashtags to associate your content with ongoing conversations and existing communities
Part of the magic of social media is the potential for any post to be found and further amplified. Using hashtags doesn’t just increase the findability of your content; it also shows your audience which topics my post will address.
If you want to add followers from existing communities, using the same hashtags those communities use is a good way to go about it. You should also consider using hashtags for themed content initiatives to give followers an easy way to locate everything you’ve published related to that initiative.
Consider using hashtags for themed content initiatives to give followers an easy way to locate everything you’ve published related to that initiative.
10 Famous LinkedIn Influencers For Inspiration
1. Simon Sinek: A Voice for Conscientious Leadership
Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why, uses LinkedIn to share motivational insights about leadership and how to inspire teams. His thought-provoking posts encourage leaders to create environments where people feel valued.
2. Melinda Emerson ("SmallBizLady"): Your Go-To for Small Business Growth
Melinda is a champion for small businesses, offering practical tips for growth, marketing, and resilience. Her LinkedIn is packed with advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
3. Adam Grant: The Psychologist Who Understands Work
Adam, a renowned psychologist and author, shares research-backed advice on creativity, success, and work-life balance, making him a must-follow for professionals seeking personal growth.
4. Hootsuite (Darryl Praill): Social Selling & Marketing Insights
As Hootsuite’s voice on LinkedIn, Darryl Praill provides valuable content for social media marketers and salespeople looking to refine their strategies.
5. Arianna Huffington: Prioritizing Well-Being at Work
Founder of Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington, inspires professionals to prioritize mental health and work-life harmony through her insightful and empathetic posts.
6. Richard Branson: Lessons on Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Virgin Group founder frequently posts about risk-taking, business culture, and his entrepreneurial journey, inspiring millions to dream big and pursue unconventional paths.
7. Brene Brown: Vulnerability and Leadership
Brene's work on vulnerability, courage, and empathy shines through in her LinkedIn updates, making her a favorite among leaders seeking meaningful change.
8. Neil Patel: Digital Marketing & SEO Strategies
Neil Patel shares bite-sized tips on how businesses can use digital marketing to grow their online presence effectively.
9. Satya Nadella: Technology and Leadership
The CEO of Microsoft often posts about the intersection of technology and humanity, inspiring innovation in the workplace.
10. Sahil Bloom: Business Strategy and Personal Growth
Sahil’s easy-to-digest frameworks on productivity, investing, and entrepreneurship have earned him a growing and engaged following.
A small LinkedIn network may not directly correlate with a post's reach but contributes to low visibility. When you publish a post on LinkedIn, it goes first to your 1st-degree connections. From there, it works its way into their network, which is your 2nd-degree connections. A small network means less opportunity for the post to reach beyond your 1st-degree connections. And if your 1st-degree connections are not interacting with your content, then this will only compound the issue of low engagement.
Tagging People or Companies Who Don’t Engage
Tagging a high-profile person or company in a LinkedIn post won’t necessarily work to your advantage. If a tagged person does not engage with your post, the algorithm won’t promote it, compounding the low engagement issue. LinkedIn is concerned about maintaining a certain level of quality. So, it hinders users who are spamming others by tagging them into posts.
Hashtags: Too Little and Too Much
Yes, you should be using hashtags in your LinkedIn posts! However, you only need three hashtags per post. Yes, I said only three! The LinkedIn algorithm will only index the first three hashtags mentioned in your post. The best way to explain hashtags on LinkedIn is to think of them as labels on a conversation. Which conversations do you want to be a part of? The conversations that your ideal client and competitors are having.
Each hashtag has its conversation feed on LinkedIn. People follow these conversation feeds and often use them for research purposes. So, pick the hashtags that position you well on LinkedIn so the right people can see you. Avoid putting in multiple hashtags on LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, this has the perception of you being desperate for engagement and undermines your credibility.
Overusing One Type of Post
There are many types of posts on LinkedIn... text-only, pictures & text, poll, article, video, PDF, etc... But if you select only one, say pictures & text, and that’s all you post, then the algorithm will not favor you, and your audience will get bored of your posts. LinkedIn’s algorithm favors certain content types over others, so having different content on LinkedIn is vital. LinkedIn polls and video content generally receive better engagement, but I can’t just post them types all the time. So, mix it up a little and keep your audience engaged in your content.
Be Careful Using External Links in Posts
Always remember that LinkedIn wants to keep people on the platform for as long as possible. So, if you have external links in your posts, the algorithm will hinder your engagement on LinkedIn. However, there are exceptions to this general rule... if you post links to globally recognized websites such as BBC News, CNN, Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, etc, then the algorithm tends to favor them. Why? The algorithm identifies the URL from a trusted source, and the content has a higher value on the platform. If you post links to your website pages, you’ll see that the algorithm will limit your reach.
Go Viral Today with Our Viral on Demand Platform
Traditional SEO techniques help you get found on search engines. But what happens once you get found? You will be one of many results that pop up. For example, if you were to search for "LinkedIn ghostwriter," there would be many results, including profiles, businesses, and websites of individuals who create content for LinkedIn and social media posts on the topic.
While a good ranking can help you get noticed, the goal is to attract the right audience, and that often means figuring out how to boost LinkedIn posts and other content so that your target audience finds your work instead of someone else's. Megaphone helps you do precisely that. Their viral on-demand platform connects you with influencers and creators in your niche. By helping you get featured in their posts, newsletters, and podcasts, you can amplify your reach and attract the right audience to grow your business, not just your online presence.
How to Boost LinkedIn Posts: Start With Engaging Content
Before getting attention from the right people, you must create an engaging post that will capture their interest. The better your content is, the more likely it will attract attention and go viral, even before you promote it. Avoid overly promotional content and instead focus on writing about topics that interest your target audience.
You can use tools like Ubersuggest to identify popular keywords and find related topics that will help you get discovered. Then, create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure your piece is coherent. Next, write a strong hook to capture readers' attention right away. This could be a startling statistic, an interesting quote, or a great story. Finally, optimize your post for SEO (search engine optimization) to help it get found on search engines.
Megaphone caters to startup founders, marketers, emerging creators, and ghostwriting agencies seeking to amplify their digital footprint and social proof. Our complex matching algorithm ensures you partner with your field's most suitable and valuable creators. Go viral today with our viral on-demand platform.