Posting on LinkedIn - Some Basics (Free LinkedIn Guide inside)
Mandy Brown, EMBA
Sr Learning Solutions & Instructional Designer | Neurodivergent & Trauma-informed Career Mentor | Newsletter & Blog Writer
Posting on LinkedIn should 100% be a part of your strategy on the platform. The more you post, the more you build up your reputation, network with others, and strengthen your profile's SEO.
But in order to post effectively, there are a few things you need to know:
Post(s) Reach
As of 2024, LinkedIn does not show all your Followers/Connections your posts, at least not at first. When you post, a portion of your Followers/Connections get to see what you wrote. Let's say that you have 100 connections and 100 followers. LinkedIn might show your first post to a collection of 20 of those individuals. If the post has engagement within the first couple of hours of being posted, then the rest of your Followers/Connections get to see the post too.
If you post again in the same day, the cycle starts all over again, but now the 20 is spread out between two posts instead of one. (In my example, Post 1 gets 10 people and Post 2 gets 10 people). This means that posting more than once a day can actually can diminish your reach.
This is LinkedIn's attempt to make sure content is valuable to others. and why you should prioritize providing value in your posts.
Post Engagement
I know it's a lovely dopamine hit when you get reactions to your posts. And that will extend your reach some. (What I react to, some of my followers and connections will see too). But what you want to prioritize are comments.
If someone comments on your post, especially within the first two hours of the post, you want to respond. Do not post and ghost. Reply back. This will increase engagement and increase the likelihood that the algorithm will send your post to more of your audience.
Reshares, especially reshares with their thoughts are golden! Respond to those if you can.
Be careful of tagging others and companies.
If you tag others and companies and they do not engage with your post, it will hurt your engagement, which in turn hurts your reach. Make sure you're purposeful in your tags.
When to Post
Research by Richard van der Blom has found that 8 am your time is the best time to post. And Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays tend to be when the platform has the most traffic. Schedule posts accordingly.
Hashtags
I hear this is getting phased out of the platform. Even so, I tend to limit my posts to 3-5 relevant hashtags. If you want to use them, use them at the end of your post and use CamelCase so that screen readers have an easier time pronouncing them correctly.
Also, consider who follows the hashtags you use. If you're a transitioning teacher trying to break into a new role, a hiring manager isn't likely to be following #TransitioningTeacher. They're more likely to follow industry hashtags (or maybe #HiringManager 🤷♀️). Hashtag for an audience, not just the topic in the post and your own identity.
Recommended by LinkedIn
I'll talk more about actually writing posts on LinkedIn, but for now, here's the TLDR:
- Post once a day at most (or accept diminished reach)
- Don't post and ghost. Stick around to have conversations.
- Be mindful of tagging others and companies
- Best time to post is 8 am on Tues., Thur. and Sat.
- Pick hashtags that connect to the audience you're trying to reach. Use CamelCase and put them at the end of your posts (if you choose to use hashtags at all)
Freebie Alert - LinkedIn Guide
I thought I'd share my freebie ebook, Everything's Linked(In). I remember how difficult it was for me to navigate this platform when I was first transitioning out of the classroom, so I created this to support my mentees.
Now I share it with anyone who signs up for my email newsletter.
24 pages with sections on:
Additional free resources in every section!
An essential tool for anyone navigating LinkedIn land! Mandy does a phenomenal job of explaining and bringing purpose to all she constructs. Great work here! Thank you for sharing! I think many will find the resource a huge help. - Lacy Prescott, 2023 mentee
Sign up using any of the links in this newsletter or the link below:
That's my sentiment exactly knowing how to effectively use LinkedIn can significantly boost your professional visibility and engagement. Here are a few basic tips to keep in mind: - Start with a compelling headline that grabs attention. - Use a mix of text, images, and videos to make your posts more engaging. - Incorporate relevant hashtags to increase reach and discoverability. By following these simple guidelines, you can enhance your LinkedIn presence and connect with a broader network.
Community Education and Engagement Specialist | Connecting, Collaborating, Creating
3moSome very interesting points here, specifically the point about being careful who you tag. It’s a bit mind blowing to me that it can inhibit your reach if those tags don’t interact with the post. Thank you for sharing!
Instructional Designer | Educator | eLearning Content Creator | Curriculum Developer | Engaging Trainer
3moVery helpful!