Something interesting has been happening on LinkedIn: here’s how to benefit
I’ve noticed that LinkedIn lately has become, actually, interesting.
Though it’s a platform I’ve used for years and for which have created hundreds of content items for clients, it’s always been the boring one in social media terms. The place where you go because you feel you ought to or to look for work, to ‘network’ or even just to spam people (not me obvs).
But in the last six months or so, the content got a lot more readable and useful. I find myself saving quite a lot of content either for my own use, to share with clients, to generate new ideas or to learn about and implement best practice.
What I don’t know just yet is why this might be happening. What is it that moves a 23-year-old social media grande dame into a relevant force on the internet?
According to SEMrush, it’s AI (naturally). But could it be just as much to do with humanity?
From my own research, and backed up by that SEMrush study, LinkedIn is one of the most cited sources in AI results so there’s something about the platform that AI regards as trustworthy. Ever since I started using social media professionally and posting for clients, I’ve consistently argued for meaningful original content that helps people. It turns out that this is precisely what AI wants to find. Some other top tips from the research are:
Clarity: make your message clear. This helps humans just as much as machines!
Be authentic: content that is experience-based gives AI something that it can’t self-generate and helps with the appearance of intelligence.
Size doesn’t matter (as much): because, a bit like the contrast with traditional search, AI is purely seeking what it regards as the best answers to questions it is asked, the size of your audience is largely irrelevant. Of course it remains very relevant to other humans because your reach on the platform is hugely amplified when you have a big following.
Pages work now: this is vital intel for my B2B clients. In the past, individual creators got a lot more attention but now (as per point 3) AI doesn’t care too much if it’s a company page, a showcase or a individual account; if the content is good, it is similarly likely to get cited.
Engagement: though we humans are creatures that like to move in packs, machines are lone wolves and don’t put as much emphasis on the level of engagement that a post has generated. This is incredible news for those accounts just getting started but who have something good to share. Humans also respond well to great content, even if others haven’t yet discovered it.
What does this mean for businesses posting on LinkedIn?
Actually it means what it’s always meant, it’s just now you have an even bigger reason to adopt this approach. I’m going to distil it like this:
Tell don’t sell: get inside the head of your business (or your client’s business) and come up with some insights that are peculiar to your industry or, better, your niche within it. Remember that the more unique you can be, the more likely you are to get cited AND to attract human interest.
Be consistent: have a posting strategy and clear messaging so that you are active on the platform at regular intervals (but keep it manageable) sharing content that is going to help your target audience and relates clearly to your business.
Create a system: posting on social media can be tedious (truly) but if you can come up with series-based content that you know can generate 4-6 separate pieces of content (or more!) then your job will become a lot easier. I recommend using a scheduler to make it even easier. My preferred one is Publer.
Posting tips:
Signal intent at the start (tick the clarity box).
Use formatting with bullets and paragraph breaks.
Write posts that are 50-300 words long.
Use a visual asset to catch the eye of passing humans (carousels are good for education, gifs or videos are good for attention).
Follow this advice and ensure your business gets a mention where it matters. If you need help with this stuff, get in touch.
