When it comes to sharing content on LinkedIn, you have two options: sharing or reposting. But which is better for your personal brand and reaching your target audience? Here we’ll compare sharing vs. reposting on LinkedIn and look at the pros and cons of each.
What’s the Difference Between Sharing and Reposting?
First, let’s clarify what we mean by sharing and reposting.
Sharing: When you share someone else’s content, you are generating a new post that includes a link to the original content. The original post remains intact. Your connections will see that you shared the content in their feeds.
Reposting: Reposting is resharing someone else’s exact post as-is so it appears verbatim in your feed. You are rebroadcasting the original post and content to your own connections. The original author will be tagged and notified.
So in summary:
- Sharing = Generating a new post with a link to original content
- Reposting = Resharing the original post verbatim
Benefits of Sharing on LinkedIn
Here are some of the advantages of sharing content rather than reposting:
1. Share Your Perspective
When you share an article, you have the opportunity to add your own commentary, insights, and perspective in the share text. This allows you to put your unique spin on the content and highlight the parts you find most relevant for your audience.
2. Increased Visibility
Your shared post will appear prominently in your connections’ feeds as its own new update. So you have greater visibility than just passively reposting something. You can catch more eyes this way.
3. Drive More Traffic
By sharing content to your network, you expose the original piece to new audiences that may not have seen it otherwise. This can help the original author gain more readership. It’s a win-win.
4. Showcase Thought Leadership
Commentary you add when sharing shows your expertise and perspective. It’s a subtle way to position yourself as a thought leader without overt self-promotion.
5. Grow Your Network
When you share valuable, relevant content, you attract new connections who appreciate what you curate. Sharing can expand your network organically.
Benefits of Reposting on LinkedIn
Here are some upsides to reposting instead of standard sharing:
1. Endorse the Original Author
Reposting gives the original author full credit and exposure. It’s a way to validate them and endorse their work to your entire network.
2. Lighten Your Workload
Reposting takes minimal effort. You don’t have to create any new text or commentary. It’s fast and easy.
3. Tap Into Existing Engagement
If the original post already has a lot of likes, comments, and shares, reposting keeps that engagement intact. You don’t have to build it back up from scratch.
4. Provide Ongoing Value
You can resurrect older content that may still be relevant but slipped through the cracks the first time. Reposting gives it new life.
5. Show Alignment
Reposting demonstrates alignment and validation of the original piece. You give it your stamp of approval among your connections.
Best Practices for Sharing on LinkedIn
To get the most mileage out of sharing content on LinkedIn, keep these best practices in mind:
- Add value with your own commentary -Give your take on why the content is worth reading.
- Tag any mentions – Connect with others by tagging their LinkedIn profiles.
- Use multimedia – Include images, videos, SlideShare decks, etc. to make your post more engaging.
- Optimize text – Use keywords and phrases your audience responds to.
- Credit the author – Include their name and a link back to the original piece.
- Post consistently – Share content steadily to stay top of mind, not just sporadically.
- Balance curation and creation – Mix in some of your own original posts instead of just curating others’ content.
- Monitor performance – Watch your post analytics to see what resonates best with your audience.
Best Practices for Reposting on LinkedIn
To ensure your reposts make a positive impact, follow these tips:
- Ask permission – If reposting directly from someone’s profile, request their permission first.
- Reinforce key points – Highlight parts of the post that you find particularly insightful or timely.
- Comment thoughtfully – If adding commentary, provide additional value for your connections.
- Credit the author – Make sure the original poster gets full acknowledgement.
- Complement don’t copy – Avoid reposting verbatim too frequently, mix in your own content.
- Reshare strategically – Repost when alignment peaks, like when authors release new content.
- Update outdated posts – If reposting old content, ensure information is still current and relevant.
Potential Drawbacks of Sharing and Reposting
While both sharing and reposting have their advantages, they also come with some potential downsides to be aware of.
Downsides of sharing:
- Takes more time to craft commentary and new posts
- Your voice can get lost if you over-curate others’ content
- Important context can be lost if you don’t summarize well
Downsides of reposting:
- Can come across as lazy if done without additional comment
- Over-reposting the same sources looks like you lack originality
- Need permission to repost directly from someone’s profile
Tips for Deciding Between Sharing and Reposting
So when should you share versus repost? Here are a few tips:
- Share content that’s new and timely to give your perspective
- Repost evergreen content that bears repeating
- Repost directly from profiles when highlighting influencers
- Repost your own content to give it renewed traction
- Strike a balance between sharing and authoring original posts
- Use shares more for timely news, reposts for evergreen perspectives
- Ask permission before reposting directly from a profile
- Monitor engagement levels to see what resonates most
LinkedIn Posting Frequency Best Practices
In addition to choosing between shares and reposts, pay attention to your overall posting frequency on LinkedIn. Here are some best practices:
- 1-2 posts per day for most professionals
- 3-5 posts per day maximum for thought leaders and content creators
- 7+ posts per week minimum for sales professionals
- 20-25 posts per week max to avoid overwhelming followers
- 4-6 posts per week sweet spot for most users
- 2-3 hours spacing between posts
- Monitor engagement analytics to optimize frequency
Tools to Make Sharing and Reposting Easier
Manually sharing and reposting content on LinkedIn can be time consuming. Try these apps and tools to streamline the process:
Social Media Management Tools
Tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Buffer allow you to schedule shares and reposts in advance and analyze performance.
Content Curation Tools
Curated.co and Feedly help discover content and send it directly to your LinkedIn queue to share.
LinkedIn Automation Tools
Driftrock, LinkedPilot, and Ringblaze offer specific automation for LinkedIn activity like posting and engagement.
LinkedIn Browser Extensions
Browser plugins like Link CLIQ and Shareist make it easy to share or repost with one click when browsing content.
Key Takeaways
Sharing and reposting both have benefits on LinkedIn. Keep these tips in mind when deciding between the two tactics:
- Share to add your own perspective, increase visibility, drive traffic, and showcase thought leadership
- Repost to fully endorse the author, minimize effort, leverage existing engagement, and demonstrate alignment
- Balance sharing and authoring original content
- Ask permission before reposting directly from someone’s profile
- Monitor analytics to see what types of posts perform best
- Use tools to simplify and automate posting
- Maintain a regular posting cadence for maximum impact
Analyze your audience, continue testing content, and find the right mix of sharing vs. reposting that generates the most value for your followers and supports your goals on LinkedIn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to share or repost on LinkedIn?
There is no definitive answer, as both sharing and reposting have benefits. Sharing allows you to add commentary and increase visibility. Reposting endorses the author and leverages existing engagement. Evaluate your goals, audience, and content to determine the best mix of sharing vs. reposting.
How often should you post on LinkedIn?
The ideal LinkedIn posting frequency is 1-2 times per day or 4-6 times per week for most users. Up to 5 posts daily or 25 weekly is acceptable for thought leaders. Sales professionals should post a minimum of 7 times per week. Monitor engagement analytics to optimize.
What are the benefits of sharing on LinkedIn versus Facebook or Twitter?
The professional nature of LinkedIn makes sharing more beneficial for thought leadership, directing traffic, lead generation, and connecting with industry influencers. Twitter is better for real-time news and engagement. Facebook is more personal.
What are best practices for LinkedIn post length?
On LinkedIn, optimal post length is around 1300-2000 characters. Posts with 80-100 words or less have the highest engagement. But longer posts of 1300+ characters allow you to share more in-depth analysis and insights.
How do you share a post on LinkedIn?
On LinkedIn’s desktop site, hover over any post and click the share icon. On mobile, tap the three dots in the upper right corner of a post and select share. Customize your message and click “Share” to post it to your profile and connections.
How do you repost on LinkedIn?
On desktop and mobile, you can repost by hovering/tapping the three dots icon in the upper right corner of any post and selecting “repost.” This will instantly re-share the original post to your own profile.
Conclusion
LinkedIn is a powerful platform for sharing ideas and content with your professional network. Make the most of it by using a strategic mix of sharing and reposting. Add your own commentary when sharing to demonstrate thought leadership. Repost to validate influencers. Stay active consistently, but avoid overwhelming your audience. With the right balance, you can achieve your LinkedIn goals.
