LinkedIn articles have become an extremely popular way for professionals to establish thought leadership, build their personal brand, and attract new connections and opportunities. But just how effective are LinkedIn articles? And how important are they in the grand scheme of things for career development and growth? Let’s take a closer look.
Do LinkedIn articles really help build your brand?
Yes, absolutely. Publishing thoughtful content on LinkedIn on a consistent basis is one of the most powerful ways to build your personal brand and establish yourself as an industry expert. LinkedIn articles allow you to:
– Demonstrate your knowledge and expertise on topics that matter to your target audience. This helps position you as a thought leader.
– Increase your visibility and discovery by LinkedIn’s over 850 million members. Articles boost your profile’s search ranking.
– Showcase your skills as a writer and communicator. Quality writing reflects well on you.
– Enable your content to be shared widely through social networks, multiplying your reach.
– Build relationships by sparking discussion and engagement with your posts.
– Establish credibility by highlighting insights, data, examples and credentials.
In essence, LinkedIn articles provide social proof of your expertise to a massive, targeted audience. The more insightful content you publish, the stronger your reputation and credibility become over time.
How much do LinkedIn articles boost your profile views?
LinkedIn articles can dramatically increase profile views and engagement when done consistently. According to LinkedIn, members who publish one article per month get on average:
– 5x more profile views
– 10x more connection requests
Compared to members who don’t publish on LinkedIn at all. The more articles you publish, the greater the boost. Frequent contributors see even more profile traffic.
This exposure is invaluable. The more people visiting your profile, the more who can discover and connect with you professionally through LinkedIn.
| Articles per month | Average profile views increase |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1x |
| 1 | 5x |
| 4+ | 10x-15x |
Do you need a large network to benefit?
No, you can benefit even if you currently have a small network. In fact, publishing articles is one of the best ways to rapidly expand your network.
LinkedIn’s algorithm broadly distributes articles in feeds based on relevance, not just the author’s immediate connections. Well-written articles can gain significant reach.
For example, a piece on an industry trend or niche professional topic can spread widely among the people interested in that subject matter. You can attract many new connections this way.
How can articles lead to career opportunities?
Thought leadership articles can directly help your career by showcasing your expertise to:
– Recruiters and hiring managers looking for talent. Articles let them discover and evaluate you.
– Leaders at your dream companies. By sharing their content and starting discussions, you can get on their radar.
– Peers and senior professionals in your field. You can impress them and expand your network.
– Prospects, partners and customers. Content marketing builds relationships and trust.
Overall, articles boost your discoverability and help convert passive profile visitors into active connections and opportunities. They lay the foundation for word-of-mouth referrals too.
What topics should you write about?
To maximize impact, choose topics that:
– You have expertise, experience and credentials in. Don’t pretend to know what you don’t.
– Relate to your target audience’s interests, needs and pain points. Offer actionable insights.
– Are timely and relevant to current industry trends and events. Tie into what’s happening now.
– Educate readers on best practices, case studies, Data and advice. Provide unique value.
– Align to your professional brand. Reinforce what you want to be known for.
– Spark discussion and engagement. Ask questions, share insights, provide resources.
The best articles solve real problems for readers rather than promote the author. Focus on contributing value vs. self-promotion.
How long should your articles be?
Aim for your posts to be about 700-1,000 words on average. This provides enough depth to explore a topic meaningfully while keeping reader attention. Breaking articles into scannable sections with subheads also improves readability.
Very short posts under 300 words often lack substance, while lengthier posts over 1,500 words require more time and commitment from readers. Find a balance that works for your audience and goals.
How often should you publish articles?
Experts recommend publishing one to two articles per month for maximum impact. This balances providing frequent, fresh content with the time needed to create quality articles.
One high-value piece a month is better than publishing weekly low-quality articles. Consistency and sustainability should be your goals rather than a high quantity of posts.
What’s the best time/day to publish?
The middle of the workweek tends to see higher LinkedIn traffic and engagement. Publish articles on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays to take advantage of this.
Mornings tend to perform slightly better than afternoons and evenings. Post your content between 8-10am if possible.
Also consider when your particular audience is most active on LinkedIn. Does your industry have peak days or times? Align your publishing to when your readers are most likely to see and interact with your posts.
How can you amplify your article reach?
To extend your article views and engagement beyond your own connections, utilize LinkedIn’s built-in amplification tools:
– Hashtags – Include relevant hashtags so your post appears in those feeds. Do keyword research to determine popular hashtags to tap into.
– @Mention influencers – Proactively @mention thought leaders and experts to notify them. They may share your article if it’s valuable.
– Share in relevant LinkedIn groups – Join and post your article in LinkedIn Groups related to your industry and topics. Engage group members in discussions.
– Send to your email list – Import contacts to notify them of your article via LinkedIn messages.
– Share on additional platforms – Post your article link on Twitter, Facebook, etc. to maximize visibility.
– Follow up with your network – Personally message connections asking them to share your article if they found it interesting.
How do you optimize articles for discoverability?
Keyword optimization is key for getting your articles found in LinkedIn search. Research target keywords and organically work them into your post content and especially the headline and description.
Use keywords that are highly relevant to your article’s focus topic and themes. Avoid over-optimizing though, as overly repetitive keywords can get your post flagged. Quality content first, then optimize.
Craft a compelling headline that sparks interest. Use questions, data, lists, how-to’s, or named concepts that signal value. Headlines make the first impression.
Write a strong article description summarizing the key takeaways. This snippet appears in content feeds and search previews. Make readers want to click to continue reading your full post.
What types of articles get the best response?
Certain styles of articles tend to attract high engagement on LinkedIn:
– Advice columns with practical tips and how-to’s readers can immediately use. Offer strategic guidance.
– Curated content summarizing key insights from your favorite books, podcasts, and other sources. Share what you’re learning.
– Data-driven articles with stats, trends, and survey results. Back up points with hard data.
– Case studies exploring real customer examples and success stories. Make it relatable.
– Industry report-style analysis of developments, forecasts, and expert projections. Demonstrate market awareness.
– Thought-provoking think pieces with a unique spin. Present an insightful viewpoint.
– Behind-the-scenes perspectives from your own experience. Provide insider access.
– Q&A’s and interviews with influencers. Draw on other experts too.
How do you write compelling articles?
Here are tips for writing LinkedIn articles that deliver maximum value and engagement:
– Provide practical takeaways readers can use rather than just concepts. Offer action steps.
– Open with a hook to grab attention right away – stats, quotes, anecdotes, questions.
– Use an informal conversational voice to make it relatable and readable. Avoid jargon.
– Structure posts with headings and short paragraphs for easy skimming. Use bullet points and numbered lists.
– Share real stories, case studies and examples to illustrate points. Get specific.
– Include expert opinions, quotes and data from research to provide validity. Quote your sources.
– Use visuals like images, charts, and videos to add engagement. Break up blocks of text.
– Add relevant links to support details, guide deeper dives, and credit sources.
– Close with a summary of key points and a call to action to spark engagement. Circle back.
– Edit rigorously for tight writing. Cut fluff. Ensure logical flow. Refine phrasing. Check grammar.
Following an outline with these elements will help you develop powerful articles worth reading and sharing.
What types of visuals boost engagement?
Including visual elements can greatly improve the effectiveness of your articles. Always use images, but also consider:
– Data charts and graphs to visualize stats, trends, and insights. Tables work too.
– Quote graphics sharing key lines pulled from your content. Create these using visual tools.
– Idea frameworks like matrices, 2×2’s, and concept diagrams. Visualize complex topics.
– Flowcharts and process maps to demonstrate workflows, step-by-steps, and decision journeys.
– Photos, illustrations, icons, and emoji to add color, personality, and relatability.
– Branded designs, color palettes, and stylized templates that reinforce your professional brand.
– Screenshots and product photos to illustrate features, apps, and technology referenced.
– Infographics that combine data, visuals, and text concisely. Tell a quick visual story.
– Video explainers to bring your article to life. Short animated clips work well.
Experiment to see which visual formats resonate best with your particular audience. Measure the response compared to text-only articles.
How do you promote your articles organically?
Once you’ve published your article, promote it to amplify readership:
– Share it on your LinkedIn profile and encourage your network to engage.
– Personally message close connections asking them to like and share your article if relevant.
– Join LinkedIn Groups related to the article topic to share it. Engage the community.
– Share it on Twitter and retweet it periodically. Leverage relevant hashtags.
– Share snippets and quotes on Instagram. Use eyecatching designs.
– Share the link in relevant Facebook Groups you’re a member of.
– Mention it in the bio of your other social media accounts to extend reach.
– Include the link in your email signature for a period of time.
– Repurpose the content into a long-form blog post or video to maximize its use.
– Consider paid LinkedIn Sponsored Content ads to boost visibility.
Promote patiently and persistently. It takes time for content to catch on.
How can you measure your article’s impact?
LinkedIn provides robust analytics to assess how your articles are performing:
– Views – The number of people who viewed your post. Aim for 100+ views per article.
– Reactions – Likes, comments, shares. Higher engagement signals an appealing article.
– Followers – Did you gain new profile followers from the post? Content drives followers.
– Profile visits – Did the article increase inbound visits to your profile? This is key.
– Audience – Who viewed your article? Their titles, locations, companies. Assess relevance.
– Shares – Track which connections shared your article. Thank them personally.
– Search traffic – How many visits came from LinkedIn search vs. social shares? Optimize for search.
– Hashtag data – Which hashtags drove the most views? Adapt your hashtags over time based on performance.
Analyze this data to continuously refine your content strategy and optimize your future articles for maximum impact.
Conclusion
Publishing thoughtful LinkedIn articles on a consistent basis provides enormous value for your personal brand, visibility, and career advancement. To maximize your impact:
– Establish yourself as an industry thought leader by sharing unique insights and expertise.
– Attract new connections and opportunities by increasing your discoverability through content.
– Engage your target audience by creating posts that address their interests and needs.
– Promote your articles through all available channels to multiply their readership.
– Continuously analyze your article data to inform content optimization.
Committing to regularly creating high-quality LinkedIn articles can pay dividends for years to come in the form of new connections, career options, and professional success. The more value you provide through your writing, the more you will gain in return.
