LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 740 million members. As a platform built around making professional connections and sharing insights, determining the best content formats to use is critical for engaging your audience and getting results.
Should you use long-form posts or short snippets?
Both long-form posts and short snippets have their place on LinkedIn. Long-form posts allow you to go in-depth on a topic, establish thought leadership, and provide value through comprehensive insights. However, short snippets can be easier to digest for busy professionals and serve as teasers to prompt readers to click through to your full posts.
Here are a few quick tips for determining when to use long-form vs short content:
- Use long-form for thought leadership, expertise sharing, lead generation
- Use short snippets to promote upcoming long-form content, share soundbites, inspire shares
- Balance both long and short as variety engages different users
In general, you’ll want to utilize both as part of a complete content strategy. Long-form content should make up the bulk of your posts as it allows you to provide the most value. Short snippets have their place too for timely or promotional purposes.
Should you use text, images, video, or a mix?
The most effective LinkedIn content utilizes a combination of text, images, and video. Each format has unique strengths:
- Text provides the detail, context, and substance of your content. It should make up the majority of your posts.
- Images make content more visually appealing and easier to digest. Use relevant photos, infographics, illustrations, etc.
- Video brings content to life through motion, sound, and visuals. However, it requires more production effort.
Here are some best practices for using a mix of multimedia content on LinkedIn:
- Lead with text to provide key information, support with visuals
- Break up large blocks of text with relevant images
- Use video selectively when it enhances or demonstrates your ideas
- Ensure visuals are high-quality and professional-looking
- Optimize images and video for mobile viewing
Posts with a balance of text, images, and video tend to gain the highest engagement on LinkedIn. The different formats complement each other and cater to diverse audiences.
How can you optimize content for LinkedIn’s algorithm?
LinkedIn’s algorithm determines which content users see in their feeds. Optimizing your content for the algorithm can help it reach a wider audience organically.
Here are 5 tips for optimizing LinkedIn content:
- Use relevant keywords – Include keywords your target audience searches for and responds to.
- Craft clickable headlines – Use power words, emotion, questions, etc. to entice clicks.
- Publish consistently – Posting regularly shows the algorithm you provide value.
- Encourage engagement – Prompt comments, likes, shares to signal quality content.
- Analyze data – Pay attention to top-performing content and continuously improve.
Additional best practices like posting at optimal times, using hashtags strategically, and leveraging LinkedIn tools like content suggestions also help increase your content’s visibility.
It takes consistent testing and analysis to crack LinkedIn’s algorithm. Pay close attention to the types of posts that perform best and continue honing your content strategy.
| Content Type | Best Practices |
|---|---|
| Long-form written posts | In-depth expertise sharing, use relevant keywords, promote engagement |
| Short written posts | Teasers for long-form content, quotes, shareable facts/stats |
| Images | Visually appealing, infographics, relevant to content |
| Video | Demonstrations, interviews, animations, natively uploaded |
How can you make content more shareable?
Creating shareable content should be a priority on LinkedIn. Content that gets shared expands your reach and visibility exponentially.
Here are some best practices for making LinkedIn content more shareable:
- Provide value – Content that teaches, informs, or entertains is more likely to be shared.
- Inspire emotion – Tap into emotions like motivation, surprise, pride, humor, amazement.
- Use compelling headlines – Pique curiosity with questions, numbers, strong verbs.
- Leverage multimedia – Images, video, slides make posts more engaging to share.
- Write concisely – Easy-to-digest posts are ideal for sharing.
Additionally, include relevant hashtags, mention influencers, encourage shares within your posts, analyze viral content for inspiration, and leverage LinkedIn tools like content suggestions to boost shareability.
Always keep your audience top of mind when creating LinkedIn content. Crafting posts tailored specifically to inform, inspire, entertain or motivate them to take action will naturally make your content more primed for sharing.
Conclusion
The most effective content format on LinkedIn utilizes a strategic mix of long-form and short posts, text, images, and video optimized for the platform’s algorithm. Focus on providing value, inspiration, and engagement with your content above all else. Analyze performance data continuously and double down on what resonates best with your audience. With a thoughtful LinkedIn content approach, you can educate and connect with professionals authentically at scale.
