Posting Best Practices
Yasmina Akni Ebourki
Last updated: Dec 2, 2024
Writing on LinkedIn isn’t just about putting words on a screen—it’s about crafting a message that truly resonates.
The challenge isn’t just knowing what to write, but how to say it in a way that grabs attention and delivers your message effectively.
It’s a skill, and getting it right truly makes all the difference.
In this post, I’m going to show you why taking a few extra steps before you hit “post” is crucial for maximizing your impact and ensuring your message doesn’t just land, but sticks.
TL;DR: Master writing on LinkedIn by focusing on a clear message, using strong hooks, and creating engaging and concise content. Follow these five golden rules: start with a hook, add context, keep it short, use CTAs, and personalize your tone. Learn from top creators like Lara Acosta, Jasmin Alic, and Luke Matthews to refine your posts.
The Importance of Knowing What to Say on LinkedIn
When you open LinkedIn, you'll come across a large number of posts.
Some get significant engagement, others get barely any, and then there are those that grab attention and receive more likes, comments, and shares.
The people who post these successful updates typically receive more responses—and even attract more clients. Why is that? Because their posts are well-structured.
The first step is knowing exactly what you want to write about. Before you start drafting, make sure you're completely clear on your topic.
Focus on just one subject—don’t try to cover multiple topics in a single post.
Also, consider your target audience to tailor your message and stay on track from the start.
Maintaining a clear focus from the beginning will make it much easier to craft an effective post.
LinkedIn: More Than Just a Platform for Professionals
Many people use LinkedIn to share their career milestones, new jobs, or personal achievements—but too often, these updates end up being just another set of generic posts.
We’ve all seen posts filled with long, dense paragraphs that are hard to read and even harder to engage with.
If you want people to read your posts, you must make them clear, concise, and compelling.
While LinkedIn is a professional platform, it’s also the ideal place to stand out by showcasing your writing style and authenticity.
Instead of sticking to traditional, generic posts, you can use your unique voice to capture attention and build a personal brand.
Another key advantage of sharing content on LinkedIn is the opportunity to position yourself as an expert in your field.
You’re not just sharing knowledge; you’re demonstrating your ability to communicate it effectively, which can ultimately lead to more clients and opportunities.
How Your Words Impact Engagement
The first step to great engagement is knowing exactly what you want to talk about, and once that’s clear, the next crucial step is deciding how to say it.
The words you choose make all the difference—being clear, direct, and impactful can go a long way.
A well-crafted message doesn’t merely grab attention; it sparks curiosity and makes people want to read more.
It’s not just about getting people to read your post; it’s about encouraging interaction.
The true magic of LinkedIn posts lies in engagement—getting people to comment, like, and share your content.
That’s when your reach expands, and your post goes beyond the immediate circle.
To achieve this, you need to polish your writing. Once your draft is down, review and refine it.
Choose the right words that hit the mark without veering off-topic. Keep your post simple and scannable—something readers can quickly skim, feel drawn to, and be compelled to engage with.
5 Golden Rules for Crafting Your LinkedIn Post Caption
If you're feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to start with your LinkedIn posts, don’t worry!
Here are five golden rules to help you craft captions that actually work.
If you've already been posting but aren’t getting the engagement you hoped for, take a moment to review these rules and see if you're following them in every post.
Rule 1: Start Strong with a Hook
The most important rule is the first sentence of your post.
It’s nearly as crucial as the rest of the content, with that opening line being key to grabbing attention.
In just 2 to 8 words, you need to hook the reader, spark their curiosity, or stir an emotion that compels them to read on.
If your opening doesn’t do that, people will simply scroll past your post without a second thought.
Mastering this crucial hook can take time for many writers. You need to briefly explain what the post is about while creating intrigue and urging the reader to continue.
One tip is to analyze hooks used by other content creators on LinkedIn. Take note of the ones that grab your attention and experiment with similar styles until you find a technique that works for you!
Rule 2: Add Context to the Post You’re Sharing
Once you’ve grabbed attention and people have clicked 'see more,' it’s time to provide context.
Don’t dive straight into the core message—this is where many posts lose momentum. Adding context at the beginning helps guide your audience, keeping them engaged.
Storytelling techniques can be very effective here. Presenting your message in a narrative way makes it more dynamic and easier to follow.
After sparking curiosity with your hook, take a moment to set the scene and build your post step by step, like telling a story. This keeps your readers hooked from start to finish!
Rule 3: Keep It Short but Impactful
The third key rule is to choose your words wisely, keeping your post concise yet powerful. Top content creators know their posts usually range from 300 to 500 words, even when discussing complex topics.
While LinkedIn allows up to 3,000 words per post, keeping readers engaged throughout can be a challenge. That’s why it’s crucial to break your text into smaller, digestible chunks.
Use short paragraphs and, at times, just five words per line to make your content easy to scan. This makes the message more digestible, keeping it direct and impactful.
It’s a challenge, but choosing words that get straight to the point ensures your message resonates quickly.
Rule 4: Use a Call-to-Action to Spark Engagement
Rule number four is simple yet essential: to get your audience to take action, you need to tell them exactly what to do.
A great way to do this is by using a call-to-action (CTA) that prompts action.
For example, asking "What’s your experience with this?" or "How do you feel about this approach?" creates an opportunity for engagement.
Using a CTA that resonates with your content is crucial to encourage readers to comment, like, or share your post.
Many creators place a CTA not only at the end of the post but also in the comments to drive more interaction.
The key is to make your audience feel their input matters and motivate direct engagement.
Rule 5: Personalize Your Tone for Your Audience
Lastly, one of the most effective techniques is adapting your writing style based on what works.
When you notice a post that resonated well with your audience, take a moment to analyze it. What made it work? Was it the simplicity, tone, or how it connected with readers?
Once you identify the successful elements, aim to apply them in your future posts.
One useful tool for this is MagicPost, which analyzes your LinkedIn profile and past posts. It reviews which posts performed best and helps replicate the successful writing style.
Simply input a topic, and it will generate a post based on your successful writing styles.
While this saves time on brainstorming and drafting, it’s always a good idea to review and refine your posts for maximum impact.
3 Examples That Work
Now, let's look at three examples from well-known LinkedIn content creators. We'll analyze their posts and extract key lessons for you to apply to your own content.
As you'll see, they all follow the five key rules for writing effective posts, doing so like experts.
Here’s what you can learn from their posts and how you can apply these techniques:
1. Lara Acosta
The first post is from one of 2024's most trending content creators: Lara Acosta. Here’s one of her latest posts, highlighting key takeaways:
Personal storytelling: Lara shares personal experiences to create emotional connections and demonstrate vulnerability, making her post both relatable and authentic.
Engagement with CTA: Lara encourages comments and reposts by asking readers to tag someone who has helped them, driving further interaction.
Structured format: Lara’s post is broken into short paragraphs and bullet points, making it easy to read and digest.
2. Jasmin Alic
The second top LinkedIn content creator is Jasmin Alic. Here’s what we can learn from her post:
Personal branding: The post follows a clear narrative of personal growth, from insecurity to confidence, creating an emotional arc that engages readers.
Conversational tone: Jasmin writes in a conversational, almost intimate style, addressing the reader directly with phrases like, "I know you've felt this way too."
Actionable and motivational language: He closes the post with actionable advice paired with a call to action, encouraging engagement.
3. Luke Matthews
The third creator is Luke Matthews, also known as The LinkedIn Magician, whose style differs quite a bit from the previous two.
Here’s what we can learn from Luke Matthew’s posts:
Bold and provocative tone: His post opens with a direct statement, "I don’t care what you think of me," immediately challenging the reader’s mindset and grabbing their attention.
Direct call to self-reflection: The post ends with a powerful question: "Do you care about what people think?" This challenges the reader’s assumptions and serves as an indirect call to action.
Minimalist approach: The post is concise, using short sentences and fragmented phrases to deliver a punchy, straightforward message.
