Posting Best Practices
Yasmina Akni Ebourki
Last updated: Jan 15, 2025
We all know that LinkedIn is the perfect place to showcase your expertise and establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.
There are two main ways to do this: by posting consistently with value-packed updates, or by writing a detailed and comprehensive LinkedIn article.
Let me walk you through the benefits of LinkedIn articles and share some tips on how to make the most of them.
TL;DR: LinkedIn articles let you showcase expertise and reach a wider audience with in-depth content. Choose relevant topics, craft engaging headlines, and use visuals for readability. Publish via LinkedIn's editor, track engagement metrics to refine strategy, and optimize for SEO with keywords and niche phrases to boost visibility and authority.
What Are LinkedIn Articles?
LinkedIn articles are long-form content pieces, similar to blog posts, that are published directly on LinkedIn and credited to you as the author.
Once you’ve published a few articles, they’ll show up in the "Activity" section of your profile.
You can also feature them in the "Featured" section, especially if your article includes a call to action or a lead magnet that can help generate leads.
Difference between LinkedIn posts and LinkedIn articles
LinkedIn posts and articles serve different purposes and have distinct formats.
The first key difference is their length. A post is concise and straight to the point, designed for quick consumption.
On the other hand, an article gives you more space to dive deeper into the "how" and "why," allowing you to provide detailed and precise information.
In terms of visibility, posts appear directly in the feed, giving them a higher chance of generating more engagement.
Articles, however, have less immediate visibility. But you can always link to your article from a post, directing your audience to a more in-depth read or repost it to further expand its reach.
Lastly, because articles are longer, the interaction rate tends to be lower, as they require more time to read and analyze.
Not everyone will read through the entire article, but scanning through it still provides valuable insights.
In the long run, articles help you position yourself as an expert and create a trail of content that showcases your knowledge and authority on specific subjects.
Additionally, LinkedIn articles are indexed by search engines like Google, which means they can generate external traffic and attract potential clients through organic search.
How to Write a LinkedIn Article
Now, let’s dive into the details.
What do you need to keep in mind to write a compelling LinkedIn article that provides complete information and engages the reader? Let’s break it down.
Choosing the right topic for your audience
The first thing to keep in mind before starting any article is to choose a topic you are knowledgeable about.
If you’re clear about what you want to talk about, that’s great! If not, focus on a subject you’re an expert in and can speak about with confidence.
You can also draw inspiration from the questions your audience is asking.
This way, you’ll be directly addressing common challenges, questions, and trends in your industry, ensuring your topic remains relevant.
To make the topic accessible and valuable, try to strike a balance between niche, detailed themes and providing a general explanation at the beginning.
This approach ensures that anyone reading can connect with your article and view it as a valuable resource that offers insights at different levels of understanding.
Lastly, another technique is to study articles written by other content creators in your industry.
Analyze their structure, topics, level of detail, and figure out how you can approach similar themes from your own perspective.
Tips for adding engaging headlines and visuals
Once the topic is clear and well-structured, it’s time to focus on headlines and visuals.
Both play a crucial role in the article.
First, they help structure the content for both you and the reader. Second, they can be used to generate curiosity by creating a hook that makes the reader want to dive into the article.
The main issue we often see with headlines is a lack of clarity and directness.
Knowing that your LinkedIn article is indexed by Google, take advantage of this by including relevant keywords to improve your article’s searchability.
Next, let’s talk about visuals. On one hand, they help break up large chunks of text, giving the article space to breathe.
On the other hand, it’s important not to insert random images.
Choose visuals that are directly related to the content and add value to the text, such as examples, models, illustrations, or explanations.
Ensure your images and graphics are high-quality and appropriately sized for LinkedIn’s platform.
Structuring your article for maximum readability
Another fundamental aspect that ties everything together is the structure of your article.
While you can provide much more detail than in a simple post, readability is crucial if you want people to read your article from start to finish.
Here are some techniques you should consider applying to your article:
Break content into sections: Use headers and subheaders to divide your article into digestible sections, making it easier for readers to follow.
Keep paragraphs short: Aim for 3-4 sentences per paragraph to make your content easier to scan and understand.
Use bullet points and lists: Present key information in bullet points to enhance readability and highlight important details.
Avoid long blocks of text: Use white space effectively to prevent the content from becoming overwhelming.
Write in a conversational tone: Engage your readers by adopting a conversational style. Keep it professional but approachable to make the content more relatable.
How to Publish and Share LinkedIn Articles
Publishing and sharing your LinkedIn articles effectively is crucial to ensuring they reach the right audience and have the desired impact.
Steps to publish an article on LinkedIn
Publishing an article on LinkedIn is straightforward and user-friendly. The key is to pay attention to the details to ensure the final format is polished and easy to read. Here's how:
Go to Your LinkedIn Homepage: Start as if you’re about to create a regular post.
Click "Write an Article": Below the “Start a Post” button, you’ll find the option to write an article. Click it to open the LinkedIn article editor.
Write Your Article: Begin drafting your content directly in the editor. You can format text, add visuals, and structure your article with headers to make it engaging and professional.
Preview Before Publishing: Use the preview feature to see how your article will appear to readers. Check for any formatting issues, typos, or areas that need improvement.
Publish Your Article: Once you’re satisfied with your article, click the "Publish" button. LinkedIn will prompt you to confirm, and your article will be shared with your network.
Details to Consider Before Publishing a LinkedIn Article
The writing phase is often the most time-consuming, but also the most crucial, to ensure your article is well-structured and impactful. Here's what to keep in mind:
Craft an engaging headline and well-organized content: Use formatting tools like headings, subheadings, and bullet points to enhance readability and make your article easy to navigate.
Add images, videos, or documents that complement your text and engage readers. Make sure that the visuals are relevant, high-quality, and support the message you're conveying.
Use LinkedIn's preview feature to double-check the layout, content flow, and overall appearance. Look for formatting errors or areas that need adjustments before hitting publish.
End your article with a clear CTA: Encourage readers to comment, share, or follow your profile for more updates.
Mention individuals or entities who might find your article useful or who might want to engage with the content.
After publishing, increase your article’s visibility by sharing it in your LinkedIn posts or groups and encouraging your network to engage with it.
Using analytics to track article performance
Once your article is live, one critical step for future success is analyzing its performance.
By tracking key metrics, you can refine your content strategy and ensure each new article resonates more effectively with your audience.
Here’s what to focus on:
Measure how long readers are spending on your article: This helps you gauge whether the content is engaging enough to hold their attention.
Track the total number of likes, comments, and shares: This gives you insight into the article’s overall impact and how it resonates with your audience.
Monitor CTA performance: If you included a call-to-action (CTA) with an external link, track how many people clicked on it. This will help you assess how persuasive and actionable your content is.
LinkedIn analytics provide valuable data on who is engaging with your article, including job titles, industries, and locations. Use this information to determine whether you’re reaching your target audience.
Understand where your readers are coming from—whether it’s LinkedIn directly, external shares, or search engines—to optimize how you distribute future articles.
By consistently reviewing and acting on these analytics, you’ll not only improve the performance of future articles but also strengthen your overall LinkedIn presence.
