Posting Best Practices
Alice Malby
Last updated: Jul 1, 2024
Struggling to make your LinkedIn posts stand out? Feeling stuck for content ideas? We’re here to help.
As an entrepreneur, you know by now that LinkedIn is a powerful platform when used right. Posting on LinkedIn regularly can be an amazing way to boost your brand, nurture connections, and, ultimately, drive business growth.
But the pressure to constantly churn out fresh, engaging content can be a little stifling. With a few simple ideas and by properly understanding your audience, you can make posting on LinkedIn a breeze. And that’s exactly where this article comes in.
TL;DR: Be sure to properly understand your audience. Post regularly and share diverse content like industry insights, case studies, and personal stories. Maintain a disciplined posting schedule using tools and content calendars.
Understanding And Engaging Your Audience
You may be tempted to dive right in and start posting immediately on whatever topics come to mind. While it’s important to start posting quickly and not wait for the perfect idea (spoiler alert: the perfect idea doesn't exist), you must first consider this: who are you trying to reach?
Knowing who your target audience is will help you know what to write about. Content that speaks directly to the needs and interests of your audience will always perform better. It’s about creating a connection and showing that you understand their challenges and aspirations.
So, how do you define your target audience?
Identify your ideal customer: This is your buyer persona – the person you're building your business around. Consider demographics like age, location, and job title, but also delve deeper. What are their challenges? What are their goals?
Think industry-specific: Are you in the tech space? Marketing? Understanding the specific lingo and interests of your industry helps you connect on a deeper level.
Look at your current audience: Analyze your existing connections and identify any patterns. This can be a goldmine of insights for refining your target audience.
Your audience on LinkedIn isn’t just a faceless crowd—they're professionals with specific goals, pain points, and interests. When your posts reflect an understanding of your audience's world, they’re more likely to engage, share, and act on your content.
7 Content Ideas To Drive Growth On Linkedin As An Entrepreneur
1. Industry Insights & Predictions
Position yourself as a thought leader by sharing your expertise on upcoming trends, challenges, or innovations within your industry.
Content: Craft a post analyzing your industry. Back up your claims with data or statistics to add credibility. Consider including visuals like infographics or charts to make the information engaging.
💡 Bonus tip: Pose a thought-provoking question to spark discussion and engagement with your audience.
2. Case Studies
Social proof is powerful. Showcase successful projects or client experiences to demonstrate your expertise and build trust. It's the power of case studies.
Content: Choose a client success story that resonates with your target audience. Highlight the challenges they faced, the solution you provided, and the positive results achieved. Include testimonials or quotes from the client for added impact.
3. How-to Guides
Things that may seem obvious to you are likely a challenge for your prospective clients. Providing "how-to" guides on topics related to your business offers valuable knowledge to your audience.
Content: Develop a detailed guide on a specific topic within your industry. Break down the information into clear steps, provide actionable advice, and include relevant visuals like screenshots, carousels or explainer videos.
💡 Bonus tip: Offer a downloadable PDF version of the guide. If you require an email to be provided before sending the PDF, this will also allow you to collect leads.
4. Share Lessons Learnt
Connect with your audience on a deeper level by sharing your entrepreneurial journey. Lessons learned from successes or failures can be incredibly valuable for others.
Content: Write about a personal experience that shaped your business journey. Describe the challenge you faced, the actions you took, and the key takeaways for your audience.
5. Pain Point & Solution
You’ve likely found that your clients face some recurring pain points that you routinely have to help them fix. Explain how you solve these common pain points.
Content: Choose a common pain point your ideal client faces. Describe the problem in detail, then explain how your product or service provided a solution. Include concrete examples and results to illustrate the impact.
6. Mistakes to avoid
Everyone makes mistakes, but learning from them is the key. Share your entrepreneurial missteps to help others avoid the same pitfalls.
Content: Create a list of mistakes you've made along your entrepreneurial journey. For each mistake, explain what went wrong, its impact, and what you learned from the experience.
💡 Bonus tip: Invite your audience to share their own mistakes and lessons learned in the comments.
7. Analyze and Comment on Industry Practices
Offering insights and recommendations on what other businesses are doing showcases your expertise and provides value to your audience.
Content: Identify a company to analyze. This can be a successful or controversial company. Break down their approach to whatever your specialty is (for example, their use of AI if you’re an AI consultant, their sustainability practices if you’re a Sustainability consultant, etc.). Highlight their strengths and areas for improvement. Offer your professional insights and recommendations.
Content planning and scheduling
Another aspect you must keep in mind with your LinkedIn content is planning and scheduling. This is essential for building an engaged audience and maintaining brand visibility.
Why Regularity Matters
Posting on LinkedIn regularly increases your visibility, as frequent updates keep your profile active in your network’s feed. Consistent posting also builds your credibility, establishing you as a reliable source of information and thought leadership in your industry.
How to Maintain Posting Discipline
Here’s a quick guide to ensuring you post regularly:
Develop a Content Calendar: Plan posts in advance to stay organized and ensure a steady flow of content. Balance different types of content to keep your feed diverse.
Use Scheduling Tools: Tools like MagicPost help maintain consistency by allowing you to batch-create and schedule posts.
Batch Content Creation: Dedicate specific days to creating content in bulk, minimizing daily stress and ensuring quality.
Repurpose Content: Transform existing content into different formats and schedule evergreen posts to keep your feed active.
Monitor and Adjust: Regularly review LinkedIn Analytics to track performance and adjust your strategy based on feedback.
Engage Daily: Posting isn’t where your LinkedIn strategy should start and end. You should also make it a habit to engage with your network daily. Comment on posts, join discussions, and connect with new professionals to boost your visibility.