LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 850 million members. It is a powerful platform for establishing thought leadership and driving traffic to your website. One way to leverage LinkedIn is through guest posting – publishing content on the LinkedIn pages of others.
What is Guest Posting?
Guest posting refers to the practice of publishing content on someone else’s blog, newsletter or social media platform. As a guest poster, you create high-quality content aligned with the host site’s audience and niche. The host shares your article with their followers to provide value. In return, you receive exposure, backlinks and potential new readers.
LinkedIn’s long-form posts and robust platform make it ideal for guest posting. When done right, it can expand your reach, generate leads and position you as an industry expert. Here are some of the benefits of guest posting on LinkedIn:
- Gain access to new audiences – Leverage your host’s existing following.
- Improve authority and trust – Publish on reputable, high-domain authority sites.
- Diversify your backlink profile – Earn high-quality backlinks from .edu, .gov and .org sites.
- Increase content visibility – LinkedIn prioritizes content from established profiles.
- Develop relationships – Connect with thought leaders in your field.
Where to Guest Post on LinkedIn
With nearly 55 million registered companies, LinkedIn offers numerous possibilities for guest posting. But where should you start? Here are some of the best places to guest post on LinkedIn:
- LinkedIn Company Pages – Connect with brands in your industry to contribute to their Showcase Pages.
- LinkedIn Group Pages – Join relevant groups and offer to create content for their discussions.
- LinkedIn Influencer Profiles – Reach out to LinkedIn influencers and provide value to their highly-visible feeds.
- LinkedIn Employee Profiles – Publish posts on the profiles of employees at target companies.
- LinkedIn Publisher Pages – Pitch your articles to official LinkedIn publishers like Salesforce, Adobe, etc.
Conduct research to identify sites that align with your brand and niche. Make a list of profiles that attract your target audience. Then reach out to ask about submitting a post.
How to Get Started Guest Posting on LinkedIn
Follow these steps to start guest posting on LinkedIn:
- Set your goals – What do you hope to achieve? More traffic, leads, brand awareness? Define your objectives upfront.
- Research target sites – Search profiles and groups relevant to your industry. Review their content strategy and followers.
- Craft your pitch – Explain who you are, your expertise and value you can provide.
- Write compelling content – Offer posts tailored to the host’s audience and brand guidelines.
- Promote your post – Share the article on your own channels when published.
- Follow up – Discuss results and possibilities for future collaborations.
Personalize your outreach and provide real value through your posts. With persistence and high-quality content, you can secure recurring guest posting opportunities.
Best Practices for Guest Posting on LinkedIn
Follow these best practices to maximize the impact of your LinkedIn guest posting:
- Research the target site’s audience, voice and past popular posts.
- Align your article with themes and topics their audience cares about.
- Adhere to their editorial guidelines and content style.
- Write compelling headlines that will capture attention.
- Include multimedia like images, infographics and videos.
- Promote the content on your own channels when it’s live.
- Link back to the host profile from your website if possible.
- Thank the site owner and ask about future collaborations.
With valuable, relevant content and professionalism, you can build an ongoing relationship with the site and expand your guest posting opportunities over time.
LinkedIn Guest Posting Tips and Ideas
Here are some additional tips to maximize your success guest posting on LinkedIn:
- Comment on the site’s posts to start building a relationship before pitching.
- When pitching, briefly explain who you are and why you’d be a good fit to guest post.
- Offer guest posts when site owners promote their content – it shows you’re engaged.
- Complement but don’t duplicate their existing content.
- Use stats, expert opinions, case studies and real-world examples in your posts.
- Insert relevant keywords naturally to boost search visibility.
- Include a strong call-to-action to guide readers.
- Follow up with a thank you and metrics like pageviews and engagement.
Brainstorm creative ideas that provide real value, like:
- Industry trend forecasts or insights
- List or comparison posts
- Interviews with industry thought leaders
- Guides and how-tos
- Product or service reviews
- Expert Q&As
- Case studies and success stories
Pitch relevant, creative ideas tailored to each site’s audience. With persistence and high-quality, value-driven content, you can become a sought-after LinkedIn guest poster.
Example LinkedIn Guest Post Outreach
Here’s an example outreach template for guest posting on LinkedIn:
Subject: Guest Post Inquiry for [Company Name]
Dear [Name],
I came across your [Company Name] LinkedIn Showcase Page while researching [industry/topic].
I write for [your website/company] where I regularly cover [relevant industry topics, your expertise]. I’ve been following your page and am impressed with the quality articles you publish for your followers.
I would love to contribute an original, expert guest post to help provide additional value to your audience.
Some topics I could cover include:
- Topic idea 1
- Topic idea 2
- Topic idea 3
I can put together a draft post on a topic that would best fit your audience’s interests. Please let me know if you are open to guest contributors, I’d be happy to provide more details.
Best,
[Your Name]
This demonstrates your familiarity with their content, shows you have ideas tailored to their audience, and positions you as an expert who can provide value through an original post.
Conclusion
Guest posting allows you to tap into LinkedIn’s large professional audience and connect with influential profiles in your industry. By providing value through relevant, high-quality content and pitching strategically, you can increase brand awareness, generate traffic and leads, and establish yourself as a thought leader.
Conduct research to identify your best guest posting targets, craft personalized pitches, follow best practices, and develop creative ideas that help position you as a subject matter expert. With persistence and delivering consistent value, you can develop ongoing partnerships with LinkedIn brands and profiles in your niche.