LinkedIn is a powerful platform for professionals in all industries. It can be used for networking, content marketing, and thought leadership. LinkedIn users are interested in seeing valuable content in their timelines that will help them grow their careers but not all have the same preferences. While a good digital marketing agency might be able to support you with this, not everything should be outsourced.
In this article, we will discuss what LinkedIn users want to see in their timelines, and how you can give them what they want not only to collect some likes but to nurture your community and grow together.
What do people want from LinkedIn? We did a poll to find out more
TechAcute carried out a poll to find out what kind of content people on LinkedIn are most interested in. It’s true the votes of “only” 18 people do not necessarily reflect the whole user group of LinkedIn, but it’s very interesting to find out the weighting behind each possible option offered to them. So if you are uncertain, whether as an individual user or if you’re doing digital marketing for a company profile, what kind of content you should work with on LinkedIn, this might be a slight pointer into the right direction of your social media marketing and community management strategy.
As you can see in the screenshot of the poll, the leading types of content are evenly spread between “industry news” and “interesting discussions”. Unlike several years ago, LinkedIn has grown to be more social and more casual than just putting up a digital resume. The platform itself has also grown more internationally and gained market share in regions that were previously dominated by strictly local “professional social media network” companies.
Industry news
LinkedIn users enjoy seeing industry news in their LinkedIn feed. This type of content allows them to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in their industry and learn from the successes and failures of others. By sharing industry news, you can help your LinkedIn community grow and become more knowledgeable about their field. Of course, this also entails interacting with industry news that others post and that leads us to the next point.
Interesting discussions
More and more LinkedIn members like to partake in discussions or read into the conversation between others. If you’re posting content that is all self-promotional or salesy, you’re not going to get very far on LinkedIn. Users want to see that you’re an expert in your field and that you’re providing value to the discussion. So, focus on creating quality content that will start a conversation and add value to LinkedIn users’ timelines.
Job updates from others
Job updates from LinkedIn members in your network are a great way to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your industry and with your connections. When you post updates about your current job, it not only helps keep your LinkedIn profile fresh but also provides valuable information to your LinkedIn network.
When sharing job updates, be sure to include the following:
- The company you work for
- Your position at the company
- What you do day-to-day
- A brief description of the project you’re working on
- Your location
- Tag your company and people you already met, so they can interact with the post as well
Sharing this information will help LinkedIn members better understand what you do and give them a snapshot of your current role and project. Also, make sure not to simply post a dull update as if it’s a chore. Share your story and emotion with others and maybe even post a photo of yourself in the new location. Additionally, it can help spark conversations with LinkedIn members who may have similar interests or be working on similar projects.
Other
One person stated that they enjoy seeing posts from people in their network that find creative ways of showcasing their work and the process they need to go through in order to achieve results. You don’t need to focus on this so much that you’d ignore the previous other types of content, but when you do post something on LinkedIn, why not consider that and try to find a creative way to tell your story and show your followers what’s behind the scene from time to time? They’ll surely appreciate that.
Closing thoughts
If you’re not sure what LinkedIn users want to see in their timeline, take a look at some of the top LinkedIn influencers and see what they’re posting. You can also join LinkedIn groups and participate in discussions to get a feel for the types of content that LinkedIn users are interested in. By understanding what LinkedIn users want to see, you can create content that will help you build thought leadership and grow your business on the platform.
LinkedIn users want to see content that is valuable and relevant to their careers. This could be in the form of articles, infographics, or even videos. They also want to see content from their connections, so be sure to share your latest blog post or article with them. LinkedIn is also great for networking, so don’t be afraid to reach out to other professionals in your industry and connect with them.
Finally, use LinkedIn to share your thoughts on industry trends and give your followers some insight into what you are working on. When you provide this type of valuable content, LinkedIn users will appreciate it and it will help you build a strong community on the platform.
If you’re not yet satisfied with this and want to find out more about the different types of content and posts on LinkedIn you can watch the video below by Judi Fox, who really knows her subject matter.
YouTube: LinkedIn Content Strategy – Post Ideas for Growth (Social Media Examiner)
Photo credit: The feature image has been done by LinkedIn. The screenshot in the body of the article is owned by LinkedIn / Microsoft.
