You’re Kind of a Big Deal

ContentMX How To

Over the last few months, LinkedIn has made their long-form posts available to all LinkedIn members. In doing so, they are making big moves to becoming a major publishing platform. 

LinkedIn’s long-form posts are proving to become an essential part of our own content marketing strategy, and has also become an effective way for our team members to grow their own personal profile,  and to establish thought leadership within their LinkedIn network.

So how do you get started? 

Log into your LinkedIn account and go to the top of your homepage. Go to the “Share an Update” box (where you would write a new status update) and click on the paperclip to “Create a Post”. LinkedIn will then bring you to a new screen where you can start writing your long-form post. 

So what are the benefits of LinkedIn’s Long-Form Posts?

  1. Long-form blog posts extend the reach of your LinkedIn profile
  2. Long form posts are searchable by any search engine
  3. Anyone can see and read your posts. They are public.
  4. The posts are an opportunity to grow your personal brand and establish thought leadership. 
  5. When you publish a new post your network receives a notification, making it easy to attract readers and engage your network. 
  6. They help to build brand engagement 
  7. They can drive traffic to your company’s website or other social media platforms
  8. They are an opportunity to connect with customers 
  9. They are an opportunity to attract the attention of prospects 
  10. By writing long-form posts, you are giving your company’s marketing team content to share, and pull from. 

Treat it Just Like Any Other Blog Post

  1. Use a catchy title 
  2. Write about things that matter to your audience
  3. Write original content
  4. Re-purpose content  
  5. Once you write your long form post, don’t forget to share it socially!
  6. Pay attention to keywords
  7. Include a call to action or drive your readers to your company’s website where they can learn more information. 
  8. Use long form posts to promote an upcoming event, webinars or contributions you made to other publications
  9. Engage your audience with images, infographics and statistics
  10. Give your network the chance to ask questions or provide feedback, always encourage an open conversation going!

Since long-form posts are still relatively new, LinkedIn is a great resource for learning more.  Check out some great ideas on what to write about and how to view the stats

Quick tips: Before you start writing and sharing your long-form posts, take the time to update your LinkedIn profile. Especially with the ability for your posts to be searchable by search engines and to be easily found by all your customers, it is important to make sure that your LinkedIn profile is the best representation of you and your abilities,  

And don’t be afraid to channel a little Ron Burgandy when writing content for your long-form posts. You’re a big deal, don’t be shy about showing it. You have a lot of information to share, and a lot of insight that is valuable to your network. LinkedIn’s long-form posts are the perfect platform to show how valuable you are. 

Have you recently written a long-form post? We would love to read it! Share it with us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter