Are you scared to post on LinkedIn? Do you approach it with trepidation because it feels overwhelming?
Are you scared to post because you don’t know what to post? You KNOW you need to post to help build your network and brand, but you wonder how to be consistent. Does this sound like you?
If it feels overwhelming, take baby steps. As they say, Rome was not built in a day, nor is your LinkedIn profile, so don’t be scared to post. Just begin!
Where can you start? Start by commenting and engaging on others’ posts. Don’t just LIKE the post, but write a substantial comment. What that means is don’t comment with “Nice article,” “Great read,” or “Interesting.”
Write a sentence or two at a minimum. Add your knowledge and expertise as a thought leader or ask a question and tag the posting author. When they comment back, you can like their comment and comment back again, if appropriate.
Once you feel more confident commenting on about ten posts a day, start writing your own posts, but don’t stop commenting, as you will gain more traction.
You can get questions and content ideas from sites like Answer the Public, Feedly, or even search by topic or keyword for posts on LinkedIn. These resources might give you some inspiration.
Start with posting two to three times a week until you feel comfortable and can post more. Be consistent and show up regularly.
Grab the reader’s attention in the first sentence and make them see and feel what you see and feel. Is it unique, urgent, useful, or ultra-specific? Is it relatable? Is it currently trending?
Words that create emotion include excitement, fear, anger, joy, love, sadness, surprise, and many others.
Find a visually appealing image to add to your post.
Feel free to add some emojis to the post and break up the content with white space.
Create a call to action in your post.
Add three to five but no more than ten relevant hashtags to your post. Three is best.
Create a “LinkedIn signature,” as Richard van der Blom suggested.
Hopefully, these few tips will give you the inspiration to start.
Let me know how it goes.
NEXT STEPS
- Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn for bright ideas to manage your career.
- Join as a member at https://greatcareers.org/membership of the #1 business networking association on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists three years in a row!
- Register on the events page for upcoming online events.
- If you need a resume or LinkedIn profile to get you to your next step, book a call to chat!
- Follow #GreatCareersPHL
AUTHOR BIO
Lynne M. Williams is the Executive Director of the Great Careers Groups, a volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides career education and networking connections for 1) job seekers in career transition, including veterans, and 2) employed and self-employed for career management. She is also the President of ChemPharma.net and is on the leadership team of the Thought Leadership Branding Club.
Aside from writing keyword-focused content for ATS resumes and LinkedIn profiles, Lynne is currently writing her doctoral dissertation on LinkedIn for Job Seekers. She is a contributing author on “Applying to Positions” in Find Your Fit: A Practical Guide to Landing the Job You Love, along with the late Dick Bolles, the author of What Color is Your Parachute?, and is also a speaker on career topics.
This article is also published on: vista.today, montco.today, delco.today, bucksco.today, and in the author’s LinkedIn newsletter. A list of articles can also be found in a Google doc.
