Content Marketing Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for LinkedIn

When you think of content marketing, what comes to mind? Do you consider building out a robust blog on your website? Certainly, that will help with lead generation, if done right. 

But, have you ever considered turning to LinkedIn to boost your B2B marketing strategies? On a platform built primarily for professional networking, it would be a missed opportunity if you didn't publish to on a regular basis. In fact, you might miss any number of its 575+ million users! 

Together, we're going to break down data-driven insights that will help you develop effective LinkedIn content. We hope the information below will allow you to capture higher volumes of qualified leads as part of your B2B content marketing plan.

Share Relevant Articles and Posts

The number one thing you should leverage LinkedIn for is content. It's one of the best platforms for sharing industry-related articles. Most of your connections here are looking for newsworthy, content-rich articles.

Leverage this platform to share your own articles, of course. But, also share industry leaders' articles and posts. We recommend posting a brief synopsis of the article and including a full link to the article. Allow people to click through and, ultimately, make their way to your website. 

So, if you run a company that offers an e-learning platform for schools and districts, then you might create posts that detail how your platform can help with remote learning. You can also share articles from industry leaders about how to help children adjust to homeschooling via Zoom.  

When posting, you have three options: write an article, include an image, and incorporate video. Keep your feed relevant and varied by using each function. (We're going to lean on you pretty hard to incorporate video in just a moment.)

With consistency, you can become a thought leader in your industry. Use LinkedIn's dashboard to conduct industry and competitor research. This will help you elevate your social listening skills and understand what people want to read. If you're the one providing interesting intel, you're bound to accrue new leads. 

Use Hashtags

Hashtags are to social media what keywords are to blog articles. While the right keywords in an article can help you get noticed on Google, the right hashtags on a LinkedIn post can help you get noticed by millions of users.

Of course, you're already familiar with Facebook and Instagram hashtags but, one thing you'll quickly realize is that LinkedIn is in a league of its own. There's no room for sloppy informalities, egregious typos, or overly-snarky hashtags. 

What you want to do here is write your copy first (completely free of typos and other errors) and place hashtags after your copy. Your hashtags will be pertinent keywords that line up with your industry or topic.

Let's return to our previous example. At the end of your LinkedIn post, you might include #elearning, #elearningtips, #remotelearning, or even broader hashtags like #education. If you have a LinkedIn Premium Account, they'll actually provide you with the best keywords to optimize your account. 

If it's a long-tail keyword, or multi-word hashtag, capitalize each word (to make it more readable). There's no need for punctuation and be sure to proofread your hashtags/keywords for accuracy. 

Publishing an article on LinkedIn that's highly-trafficked is enough to help you or your company perform well on Google. That's right. Google indexes LinkedIn Publisher posts.

When we did a basic search for "LinkedIn hashtags" on Google, it brought up this article on hashtag tracking tools. See how valuable LinkedIn Publishing is? In some instances, it can be enough to get you noticed by the almighty gods at Google. Hello, free SEO. 

Mention People

How many times do you see celebrities and others saying, "Don't @ me." What they mean is, "Don't come for me with your nonsense."  

Well, on LinkedIn, do "come" for those who are authorities in your field. Include them when you share new articles or share a post about how they've inspired your business model.

Mention someone if you believe they will add value to the conversation happening around your post. For example, if you're a marketing guru, then give a shoutout to the author of the latest book you just read.

Or, how about that fabulous article you read last night on some trade magazine's website? Give the company a shoutout as you provide your followers with a synopsis of what you learned.

Just remember that, more than any other platform, LinkedIn etiquette thrives on professionalism and respect. Only @ someone if you believe their involvement will benefit your post or if they can help you solve a problem. 

Remember Your Readability Score

Have you ever run a blog article through Yoast and cringed at your low readability score? Most likely, that means you write in long, robust sentences, full of clauses and punctuation. 

Of course, that's not a bad thing! Bravo on your command of the English language. But, again, social media is its own little universe. In the land of social media, we do not adhere to our high school English teacher's lesson on standard paragraphs being five sentences long. 

In blog writing, paragraphs must be short - like two to three sentences short. Sentences must be simple and clear. Imagine how much trimmer we need to be on LinkedIn. Never post a large blob of text and expect scrollers to stop at your post. Rather, keep it short and sweet and link to something they'll enjoy reading.  

Attach Documents

Which brings us to document attachments. If you feel you can't (or shouldn't) say it all in the caption of your post, don't be afraid to attach documents. This can include PDFs, Word docs, slideshows, infographics, and other downloadable materials. 

Again, LinkedIn is the place to upload content that people actually want to read. They're here to learn something about their industry, build their network, and bulk up their B2B marketing strategies. This makes LinkedIn the perfect place to advertise your new eBook or infographic. 

Don't Shy Away from Video

When you post on LinkedIn, your image is your showstopper. But, a short video can change everything. In fact, Wyzowl published a huge report on the state of video marketing in 2020; the findings were astonishing.

Eighty-three percent of marketers that used video said it helped them with lead generation. Also, 87% of marketers said video was directly responsible for increasing traffic to their site. Here's another one: 80% said video directly helped them increase sales. 

Think of video the way you approach your blog. Create videos that teach people something and add value to their lives. Makeup influencers on YouTube are making a killing with their tutorials and product reviews. How can you do the same in your chosen industry? What sort of how-to videos can you create?

If you think about it, video-sharing platforms like TikTok are really taking off for a reason. Whether they're on the subway, sitting on their lunch break, or laughing over a couple of martinis at happy hour, people love to watch short videos that pique their interest. LinkedIn is a fabulous way to enjoy a piece of that professional pie.

Don't Write About What You Had for Breakfast

Honestly, don't even write about that fabulous vacation you took to Bora Bora, either. LinkedIn is a horse of a different color in many, many ways. It's strictly for portfolio-building, professional networking, and lead generation. For more on how to nurture those leads, check out our full guide on LinkedIn lead generation for B2B marketers. 

But, back to our main point. Save the "fun" posts to break up the monotony on, say, your business' Instagram page. As for LinkedIn, save it for industry-related articles, your own articles, industry pro tips, and straightforward professional networking. 

LinkedIn: A Content Marketing Machine

We've read some of the best articles about B2B marketing strategies on LinkedIn. It's a true resource and your content marketing plan can only benefit from a robust presence. Whatever your area of expertise is, you, too, can showcase your knowledge and generate new leads.

Here at ProSales Connection, we can help you with your inbound and outbound marketing efforts. We're here to boost your cold calling and e-mailing efforts, your LinkedIn networking, your content marketing strategy, and more.  

Feel free to schedule a 15-minute call to see how we can help you generate more sales. Together, we can help you achieve your growth targets in 2021 and beyond.