The LinkedIn publishing platform allows members to share content on LinkedIn in the form of long-form posts. It serves as a blogging platform integrated directly into the LinkedIn ecosystem. Members can publish articles and posts to build their brand, showcase expertise, and gain more exposure.
What can be published on the LinkedIn publishing platform?
LinkedIn members can publish a variety of content on the LinkedIn publishing platform, including:
- Industry news and analysis
- Expert advice and how-to guides
- Thought leadership content and commentary
- Professional tips and career advice
- Company and product updates
- Research studies and survey results
- Slideshares and other presentations
Essentially any professional, industry-related content can be published as a long-form post on LinkedIn. The focus should be on providing valuable insights to your target audience.
What are the benefits of publishing on LinkedIn?
There are several key benefits to publishing content directly on LinkedIn:
- Reach a targeted audience – By publishing on LinkedIn, you can reach your existing connections as well as professionals in your industry or niche.
- Increase visibility & build thought leadership – Frequent publishing helps build your brand and authority in your field.
- Get discovered in search – Posts have high potential to rank well in LinkedIn’s built-in search results.
- Promote your LinkedIn profile – Publishing helps drive more profile views and connections.
- Generate leads & new business – Your posts showcase your expertise to attract new opportunities.
Overall, the LinkedIn publishing platform allows you to organically expand your reach, establish thought leadership, and position yourself as an industry expert.
Who can publish content on LinkedIn?
Publishing on LinkedIn is open to most members, with a few exceptions:
- You must have a complete LinkedIn profile to publish.
- Your account must be in good standing and not restricted.
- You must have at least 10 connections in your network.
- Students, business plus, recruiter, and sales navigator accounts cannot publish.
- Restricted regions & languages may not have access to publishing.
As long as you meet LinkedIn’s basic publishing requirements, you can start sharing your content. Some membership types have limits on the number of posts per month.
How to publish on LinkedIn
Publishing content on LinkedIn is easy – simply follow these steps:
- Click “Write an article” on your LinkedIn feed.
- Draft your post in the LinkedIn publishing editor.
- Format your post using options for media, text styling, headers, etc.
- Add relevant hashtags and mentions.
- Select appropriate tags or categories for your post.
- Choose your post’s cover image.
- Preview and adjust post as needed.
- Click “Publish” to share your post.
Your published post will then appear in the LinkedIn feeds of your connections as well as in LinkedIn search results.
LinkedIn publishing format & guidelines
To maximize the impact of your posts, follow these recommended best practices:
- Write catchy headlines to draw readers in.
- Use relevant hashtags so your content is discoverable.
- Include high quality images and graphics.
- Write in a conversational, easy-to-read style.
- Structure your posts with headers and sections.
- Publish posts that are at least 300 words in length.
- Share your expertise and unique perspectives.
- Publish consistently to grow your audience.
Additionally, LinkedIn has editorial guidelines all publishers should adhere to covering topics like plagiarism, promotions, and hate speech. Adhering to these best practices will increase the likelihood your posts get traction.
Types of LinkedIn posts & articles
LinkedIn supports several formats and post types for publishing. The main types include:
- Long-form articles – In-depth posts with detailed advice or analysis.
- LinkedIn news posts – Quick blurbs or updates in a newsfeed format.
- SlideShare presentations – Upload PowerPoint decks and PDFs as shareable posts.
- Links – Share links to off-site content with commentary.
- Photos – Post visual content with captions and hashtags.
- Videos – Add videos up to 10 minutes to educate or engage your audience.
Experiment with different formats and cadences to see what resonates best with your audience. Aim for a mix of short updates and long-form content.
LinkedIn post analytics
LinkedIn provides publishing analytics so you can see how your posts are performing. Key metrics include:
- Post views – Total number of post opens and reads.
- Reactions – Likes, comments, and shares.
- Followers – People who subscribe to your posts.
- Profile visits – Clicks to your LinkedIn profile.
- Shares – How many people reshared your post.
- Top categories – Best performing themes and topics.
Analyzing these metrics helps you refine your content and publishing strategy for optimal results.
Promoting LinkedIn articles
To maximize your LinkedIn post reach, incorporate promotion into your approach using tactics like:
- Share your post URL to other social media accounts.
- Email your post to colleagues or email lists.
- Promote your post in your company newsletter.
- Mention your post on other channels like podcasts or live videos.
- Run LinkedIn Sponsored Content ads.
- Pitch your post to relevant media outlets.
- Repurpose evergreen content into new formats.
Promoting your content both on and off of LinkedIn will widen your audience and help content gain more traction.
LinkedIn Publisher & Partner Programs
LinkedIn offers publishing programs that provide additional capabilities and reach:
- LinkedIn Publisher Program – For individuals who hit certain publishing thresholds to unlock benefits like improved distribution.
- LinkedIn Partner Program – For publishers, creators, and brands to publish sponsored content to LinkedIn audiences.
These programs add credibility and give you access to tools to increase content visibility and performance.
Conclusion
In summary, the LinkedIn publishing platform provides a valuable channel for sharing professional expertise. By consistently publishing engaging, valuable content, you can establish thought leadership, expand your network, drive more profile views, and potentially generate new business. With LinkedIn’s massive audience and built-in distribution capabilities, it has become a top platform for B2B content marketing and elevating your brand through content creation.
Post Type | Use Cases | Examples |
---|---|---|
Long-form articles | In-depth advice, analysis | Guides, case studies, thought leadership |
LinkedIn news posts | Quick updates, announcements | Industry news, product launches, events |
SlideShare presentations | Share decks, PDFs, infographics | Slide decks, research reports, infographics |
Benefits of Publishing on LinkedIn
- Reach a relevant audience
- Increase visibility & thought leadership
- Get discovered in search
- Promote your LinkedIn profile
- Generate leads & opportunities
LinkedIn Post Analytics
- Post views
- Reactions
- Followers
- Profile visits
- Shares
- Top performing categories
Promoting LinkedIn Posts
- Share on social media
- Email marketing
- Company newsletters
- Mention on other channels
- LinkedIn Sponsored Content
- Media outreach
- Repurpose evergreen content