Yesterday, I was talking with a friend who has a LinkedIn profile, but doesn’t really use the platform and wanted to know my LinkedIn tips for beginners and for people who want to start posting but don’t know where to start. I shared some of my LinkedIn tips for beginners with them, then afterward I thought, “hey, the immigration lawyers, immigration professionals, and tech entrepreneur folks that follow GMI Rocket might find these tips useful, too…”
So here are my 9 LinkedIn tips for beginners:
LinkedIn tip #1: Write engaging content that provides value and engages the reader
This sounds like common sense, right? But you’d be surprised how many people forget that when they are posting. If you find yourself posting content just to post or because you feel like you have to, it’ll be hard for your audience to find value in that content, too.
LinkedIn tip #2: Space out your text
LinkedIn isn’t the place for monologues or essays. The easier your text is to read, the more likely people will take the time to read it. When you’re writing, make sure to space out your thoughts into separate paragraphs with spacing instead of writing one long text block.
It’s not just for your network (and users in general.) The LinkedIn algorithm favors users who post often If you can’t post Monday through Friday then try to post a few times a week.
LinkedIn tip #3: Use hashtags
When you’re creating content for LinkedIn, use 3-5 hashtags, and be strategic about what hashtags you use. Try to use ones that have a good amount of followers unless you want to create a tag specifically for you and your content
LinkedIn tip #4: Post consistently
It’s not just for your network (and users in general.) The LinkedIn algorithm favors users who post often. If you can’t post Monday through Friday then try to post at least 3 times a week.
LinkedIn tip #5: Pictures catch readers’ eyes
Consider what format you want to use for your LinkedIn post. When people look through their LinkedIn feeds, a post with some sort of visual attached makes a big difference in getting attention. A text post with a picture or photo attached gets the most attention, while videos can work well but generally reach fewer people than text posts. A published article is the format that reaches the fewest people, the articles do get indexed on Google.
LinkedIn tip #6: Think about your posting times
Best posting times are generally typical business hours: Monday through Friday 9 am – 5 pm. That said, now with COVID and the increase of remote work, people are on much more at all times of the day and on weekends.
LinkedIn tip #7: Have a “call-to-action”
This is really important. Be sure to have a “call-to-action” at the end of your posts. You can be creative with your call-to-action, too. whether a prompt to share a thought, ask them to weigh in, etc.
LinkedIn tip #8: Comment as much as possible
Always respond to every comment and DM! This is the single best way to get to know everyone in your LinkedIn network which will, in turn, boost your engagement.
LinkedIn tip #9: Engage with your network
If you’re just beginning to use LinkedIn, remember to reach out to everyone who likes and comments on your posts and thank them! People love receiving a thank you and it’s a very easy way to start having long conversations with people in your industry and network.
The best part of these tips is that none of these should take more than 5 minutes for you to do! The value you will get back from implementing these tips will be well worth it. Struggling with figuring out your personal brand? Check out my post on creating an effective and unique personal brand to really stand out on LinkedIn. What other tips like this would be helpful?
