In our last blog post, we gave you an overview of the different types of LinkedIn content. If you’re looking to generate more revenue and supercharge your LinkedIn growth, you need a good understanding of the types of content. A winning content strategy makes effective use of all of them. CEOs, founders, & executives need to be familiar with all content types in order to grow their LinkedIn presence.
That’s why in the coming weeks we’ll be exploring each content type in depth. We’ll give you tips and tools you need to maximize your LinkedIn results.
This week we’ll be exploring where it all began: The LinkedIn text post.
The text post is where it all began for LinkedIn. What started as a humble status update has morphed into a vital tool for personal branding. If you as a CEO are looking to establish thought leadership in your industry, you need to know the ins and outs of all 1,300 characters. An optimized profile is not enough.
So what do you put in a text post?
Exactly that: just text.
A text post is your opportunity to share something of value with your network. Once you have that valuable insight, there are a number of ways that you can present it:
1. Share an anecdote anchored to a LinkedIn-initiated hashtag.
People don’t buy products or services. People buy people. If you’re looking to form a connection with a prospect, show them that you’re a real person. Storytelling is your greatest ally when it comes to forming genuine connections with your network. Share your story and let them see that you’re a real person. Once you’ve done that, tie it back to a trending LinkedIn hashtag.
2. Craft an all-text version (quick summary or a snippet) of your article.
To be seen as a thought leader in an industry or field, you need to build credibility. One of the best ways to do this is to share longer form articles with your network. Once you are doing this, you can repurpose that content into text posts, providing a 1300 character summary of the salient points.
Using this method, your network gets to know your viewpoints about issues that matter to them, and they’ll be redirected to your longer articles.
3. Share some quick tips targeted at your intended audience.
Quick actionable tips are a great way to build a relationship with your network. Giving them solutions to a common problem that they can easily implement in their own life is a powerful way to form genuine relationships on LinkedIn, as opposed to just surface level connections. It shows your audience that you know what you’re talking about whilst giving you more credibility. Simple.
4. Share your opinion on topics that your network cares about.
Everyone has an opinion about something. Find out what your networks opinion is on an issue which is relevant to them, then share yours. This will allow your prospects to get to know you better, and figure out if you’ll be a good fit for them. It will also allow you to figure out if they’re a good fit for you. Sharing opinions is a great way to stimulate discussion, and discussion is a powerful way to build relationships, and find common ground.
5. Give something of value for FREE.
The expression goes “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” This is terrible advice for LinkedIn. Giving something away for free let’s your prospects test your ideas, products or services ahead of time. If they like what they’re using, they’ll be more likely to come to you in the future. It also shows that you have confidence in your products as well.
Making the most of the 1,300 characters available in a text post is a excellent way for founders, CEOs, & executives to connect with more prospects on LinkedIn. It shows your network that you’re a real person who cares about the same things that they do. This builds trust, and trust is the foundation of all relationships. Text posts, however, form only 1 part of a LinkedIn content strategy which will supercharge your results. If you’d like to discuss how we can help you come up with such a strategy, and find out how to generate more business with LinkedIn, schedule a free consultation today!
