Posting Best Practices
Yasmina Akni Ebourki
Last updated: Oct 7, 2024
LinkedIn posts aren’t about dense blocks of text, like those in old university textbooks.
They're about making an immediate impact with visual appeal and delivering concise, engaging information that captivates the reader.
If your posts aren't dynamic or intriguing, people simply won’t read them.
To give your LinkedIn content that extra spark, start by understanding the different formats available based on what you want to share.
One effective way to achieve this is by using different text formats that move away from traditional paragraph structures.
Let me guide you through the optimal sizes and formats for LinkedIn posts so you can experiment with each format and find what works best for your content.
TL;DR: The ideal LinkedIn post length is 1,500 to 2,000 characters. For documents, the recommended length is 8 to 25 pages, with a file size limit of 100 MB. For visual formats: image posts should be 1200 x 627 px, carousels work best at 1080 x 1080 px or 1920 x 1080 px, and videos can range from 256 x 144 px to 4096 x 2304 px.
Optimal Text Length and Character Limits
Let's begin with what LinkedIn was originally designed for: text posts.
There are different styles and lengths depending on how creators express themselves and the message they want to convey to their audience.
First, it's important to know that LinkedIn posts have a character limit of 3,000.
While this may seem like a lot, it challenges you to carefully shape your words to deliver a clear, impactful message.
If you're new to LinkedIn, start by following top creators on the platform and analyzing how they craft their posts, using short, dynamic sentences.
You'll notice that they avoid long, dense paragraphs, making their content easier to read and more engaging.
The key is to keep your post as concise as possible, making it both engaging and easy to digest. Here are a few tips to help:
Avoid the traditional long-paragraph format. Instead, break the text into short, digestible chunks, bullet points, or story-like formats that keep the reader hooked.
While the character limit is 3,000, most creators stick to around 1,500 to 2,000 characters, depending on the type of post.
Posts that include videos or images tend to be even shorter, usually between 200 and 500 characters, allowing the media to do more of the talking.
If we look at some of the top LinkedIn content creators, like Lara Acosta or Justin Welsh, we see that their posts generally fall within the 1,500 to 2,000 character range.
The length often depends on the message and whether it includes additional media.
For instance, storytelling posts that share personal experiences tend to be slightly longer.
Additionally, if you're experimenting with different post formats, you can use a post preview generator to see how your content will appear before publishing it.
This helps ensure your post looks exactly how you want it to.
In summary, the optimal length for a LinkedIn post is typically between 1,500 and 2,000 characters.
This gives you enough space to communicate your message effectively without overwhelming your audience.
How to Format Text for Readability
Writing a great post is just the first step—making sure it's easy to read is equally important.
According to a Harvard study, the most readable texts use both visual and semantic spacing, which means leaving adequate space between lines to create clarity and enhance the message.
While most documents handle spacing automatically, on LinkedIn, you can manually add line breaks, which is a simple yet effective way to improve the readability of your content.
Another crucial tip: avoid using all caps.
The readability of words in all caps decreases because they form uniform rectangular shapes, making it harder for readers to process the text quickly.
Also, refrain from underlining text, as it is typically associated with hyperlinks and can confuse the reader.
How does all this apply to LinkedIn?
To improve readability, start by breaking up long paragraphs into shorter, more digestible sentences, leaving space between them.
You can also use lists, bullet points, or even tables to structure your information clearly.
For added emphasis, consider using formatting tools like LinkedIn Post Formatter or MagicPost, which allow you to apply bold, italics, and other text styles.
This helps highlight keywords or key phrases, making your post more engaging and visually appealing.
Lastly, you can use the Hemingway app to assess the readability of your post.
While the tool is designed primarily for articles, it can give you useful insights into whether your text is easy to read or requires further simplification.
Crafting Posts for Maximum Engagement
In the end, these small details will come naturally as you continue writing and refining the readability of your posts.
Creating content that adds value and is well-written will naturally help you generate engagement.
By this, I mean encouraging your audience to share, comment, and genuinely feel like they are receiving helpful and valuable insights from your posts.
The format you choose plays a crucial role because it directly influences whether your audience will read and interact with your content.
Even if your post is well-written, perfectly structured, and includes a strong hook, if it doesn’t address a real problem or provide tangible value, it won’t generate the impact you're aiming for.
The posts that achieve the highest engagement are those that strike the right balance between clear formatting, delivering value, and understanding the needs of your niche.
While this is a vital aspect, many other factors come into play to ensure your post reaches its full potential.
Image and Video Size Guidelines
Now that we’ve explored text formats in detail, let's shift our focus to the guidelines for visual content.
Incorporating images and videos can significantly boost the visibility and engagement of your posts by adding tone, rhythm, and eye-catching elements.
Visual content plays a crucial role in capturing attention and keeping your audience engaged.
Speaking of trends, LinkedIn has also embraced the reel-style format, similar to Instagram, with short videos gaining popularity in the feed.
This format allows for dynamic storytelling and quick, impactful messaging, making it an effective tool for enhancing your content.
Best Dimensions and Formats for LinkedIn
Just like text, visuals also have their own dimensions and sizes.
Visual content draws a lot of attention, so knowing the optimal sizes will help you maximize the space allowed on LinkedIn, boosting your visibility even further.
Here are the optimal dimensions for different types of posts:
Image posts: The recommended size is 1200 x 627 px.
Carousels (PDF format): Ideal sizes are 1080 x 1080 px or 1920 x 1080 px.
These carousels visually summarize key points over multiple slides and are uploaded in PDF format. This allows users to download the file and view the carousel step by step.
Video posts: The minimum resolution for videos is 256 x 144 px, and the maximum is 4096 x 2304 px.
The maximum video duration is 10 minutes, with a minimum of 3 seconds. Videos that perform best are typically between 30 seconds and 1 minute, depending on the content.
If your message is brief, aim for around 30 seconds, but if it requires more depth, extend it up to 90 seconds.
Using the correct formats and dimensions will ensure your content looks professional and is optimized for maximum engagement on LinkedIn.
Keep in mind that it’s not about choosing one format over another—you can combine different types of content.
For example, an image often works well when accompanied by text.
Document Post Sizes for Maximum Impact
To wrap things up, let’s talk about another highly effective format on LinkedIn: document posts.
In addition to visually engaging content, you can also share documents directly in your posts.
The recommended size for these documents is 816 x 1056 px, which corresponds to the dimensions of a standard letter-sized page (8.5 x 11 inches).
You can upload documents in various formats, including PDF, PowerPoint, and Word.
Just remember, the file size must be under 100 MB, and LinkedIn supports documents of up to 300 pages, which are typically more than sufficient for most needs.
Best Practices for Uploading Documents on LinkedIn
When sharing documents on LinkedIn, it’s essential to pay attention to key details to ensure a smooth upload.
One common issue users face is uploading files in the wrong format or exceeding the 100 MB size limit.
Always double-check the format and compress the file if necessary to stay within LinkedIn’s size guidelines.
Additionally, give your document a clear and relevant title before publishing it. A strong title will boost its visibility and encourage more engagement from your audience.
How to Share PDFs and Presentations Effectively
This brings us to the final point.
Sharing documents on LinkedIn is a powerful way to showcase your expertise and engage with your industry.
It helps generate meaningful interactions and build valuable connections with professionals who share similar interests.
Documents allow you to explore topics in greater depth—topics that may not fit in a simple post or video—encouraging more interaction and discussion among professionals.
Some effective document ideas include case studies, white papers, research papers, infographics, course materials, tutorials, or company reports.
However, there’s a strategy to ensure your document stands out and receives the attention it deserves.
Just like with posts, you need to optimize your documents to maximize their impact.
First, although you can upload documents in various formats, it’s best to use PDF to ensure that the content retains its intended layout and integrity across devices.
Second, focus on creating a compelling title that stays within 58 characters.
This detail is often overlooked, but it’s the first thing people notice when deciding whether to download your document.
Use this opportunity to craft a concise, attention-grabbing title that makes your document more appealing and shareable.
Additionally, make sure your LinkedIn profile is linked to the document, so people who find it relevant can easily connect with you.
Your document doesn’t need to follow traditional, rigid formats.
Like with regular text posts, avoid using overly formal language. Instead, aim for a professional yet approachable tone that’s easy to read and engaging.
Incorporate high-quality, relevant images to break up large chunks of text and highlight key points, making the document more visually appealing and digestible.
This strategy will help you foster stronger connections, as people engage with your content and associate it with your professional profile.
Finally, while LinkedIn allows documents of up to 300 pages, you don’t need to go overboard.
A well-crafted document of around 25 pages is often enough to provide depth without overwhelming your audience.
