To close out our series on LinkedIn, we couldn’t leave out LinkedIn Publishing (also previously known as LinkedIn Pulse). This, is another great option for repurposing your existing content and, connecting with different audiences.
Although we’ve spoken about people spending very little scrolling time on LinkedIn — the publishing aspects is a whole other world. Think about like this; there are people who love images (Instagram), others who love audio (podcasts) and those who love reading (blogs), right? Now, we know this isn’t an inclusive list but you get the idea.
And what this means for you, as an entrepreneur, is LinkedIn Publishing is a great avenue to attract and speak to those who love to read (to put in simple terms).
So today, we’re going to give you some top tips to maximize this platform and to answer the original question …
YES, LinkedIn Publishing is a great platform for entrepreneurs.
Best Ways to use LinkedIn Publishing for your Business
First things first; if you are a writer — great! Feel free to dive right in and create new content for this platform. However, if you are just dabbling in the space – use it merely to repurpose content you have already posted on platforms like Facebook.
Ideally, your content should be geared to your target audience on each platform you are on — so repurposing should be totally feasible in this scenario. And, since we’ve mentioned audience let’s start there.
Pretend you are writing to your ideal customer
Too often, people try to be general in their delivery. Perhaps with the assumption it will attract ‘more’ people. And here is what you need to know … quality matters. Meaning, focus each piece of content that you publish on social media platforms, including LinkedIn Publishing, to your ideal customer or client.
To help you do this, picture one of your best and existing customers – imagine you are writing directly to them. Keep things on target and valuable. Otherwise, you will steer people away.
Education leads to sales
An informed customer is the best customer. Sure, you will attract impulsive buyers or spenders along the way but, a customer who makes an informed decision will be with you for the long haul. Therefore, educate them!
This strategy works exceptionally well for both product and service based businesses. Think of LinkedIn Publishing as a place to write and share about benefits of said product or services. Perhaps you will want to include reviews or what others are saying.
Additionally, think of your piece of content as an article. Something they may come across in a newspaper or official website of sorts. Remember, LinkedIn is a slightly more ‘professional’ platform — it’s OK to be a bit more formal and heavier on knowledge versus entertainment.
Make sure people can contact you!
One of the biggest mistakes people make on this platform is omitting ways that readers can contact them. Truth is, the platform is connected to your LinkedIn profile however, stats show us that people are far more likely to connect with you via email.
And so, what you want to consider is having a lead opt in page set up (we use Lead Pages for example – Mailchimp has this service as well). This way, you can direct your readers to a website that will capture their email for you and, allow them a place to request contact with you.
If this strategy is just outside of your scope of knowledge – no problem. At the very least make sure you are sharing an email with them to connect with you write in the article. Adding an endnote or more formal type signature is a great way to satisfy this as well.
When people engage – do NOT leave them hanging
This is something you should be doing on any platform. When people start to engage with your content there – always respond. Even if someone adds a thumbs up and a ‘great article!’ … Respond with a thank you – and even an open ended type question.
Consider taking a moment to check out their LinkedIn profile, maybe even send them a message. Whichever you choose to do, do something!
In closing, we want to leave you with a note from a Forbes Article that shares an extensive list (including some of these), in ways entrepreneurs can maximize the LinkedIn Publishing platform.
- Posting does produce revenue. Whether you measure it directly or indirectly, thought leadership creates credibility and authority, it widens your circle of influence, and it produces new sales (and often also a higher level of sales)
- There are unique advantages to the publishing platform and community available to every entrepreneur on LinkedIn. You should do all in your power to use that opportunity well.
