If you’re going to spend time writing posts for LinkedIn, it’s important that you write them in a way that appeals to your ideal audience.
It’s so disheartening to spend ages on something for it to get just a smattering of views and not one ‘like’ or ‘comment’. In my recent newsletter, I gave some very practical advice about how to structure your posts on LinkedIn. In this article, I’d like to give you an idea of what to talk about and how to approach your content creation.
In this article, I’m giving you 6 tips to help you create content which will place you as a thought leader in your field and which should elicit plenty of relevant engagement.
#1 Be relevant
Your content needs to be relevant to your audience’s interests. Generally speaking, they’ll be looking for information that is useful, interesting and answers any questions they may have about your industry.
Think about what is relevant to your audience. If you’re trying to attract a more mature audience, a post about hip hop may not be appropriate. If you’re in the health and wellness sector, there is a wealth of subjects you can talk about regarding lifestyle, exercise, diet and mental health. Finance? Go for it with advice about earning money as well as saving it and, of course, spending it!
Keep your content relevant and they’ll keep reading. You’re still here, right? ????
#2 Add value and become a thought leader
Your posts have the power to make a change in someone’s life. If you learn, and implement, something from this article, I’ve changed your life, even if only in a small way.
Ask yourself how you can help change someone’s life by adding value, by teaching them something you know but they don’t.
Sharing valuable content demonstrates your expertise and builds your audience’s trust. We know that if someone trusts you, they’re more likely to buy from you so showing your expertise is a great way to lead people along the path to becoming your customers.
If you display the knowledge you have in your industry, you will become a thought leader. By showcasing what you know, you will earn a level of respect from colleagues and prospective clients. This, in turn, could lead to more clients and also opportunities for being invited to speak in groups, podcasts and on stages.
#3 Evoke emotion
Making your audience ‘feel’ something is not always easy but it can bring great results.
You know that feeling when you read or watch something that really resonates with you? You get that ‘yes’ feeling? Or that feeling when something makes you cry, or shout, or laugh. You can create those feelings with your audience too.
However, don’t worry too much about evoking extreme emotions in your readers – there’s no need to feel compelled to make someone laugh out loud or burst into tears. Simply surprising them with a fact they didn’t know or capturing their interest is an excellent start when it comes to evoking emotion from your future clients.
The type of emotions you want to evoke will depend on your brand, on your messaging and what you want your audience to do.
You may want people to be happy when they read your posts or a little bit afraid. If you’re talking about something controversial; anger or frustration might be the emotions that encourage your readers to do something. If you want people to sign a petition or give money to a cause, the messaging will be very different from if you want them to sign up to your membership or contact you to arrange a meeting.
#4 Be human
Don’t be afraid to showcase your personality in your content. Although LinkedIn is a professional networking site, it can benefit your business to include subjects you’re passionate about, snippets of your personal life and a glimpse of your likes and dislikes.
Remember, people buy from people; showing your human side is a powerful way of attracting clients that would be a good fit for you and your brand. Your personality is your USP! There may be many people on LinkedIn who deliver the same kind of service that you do but none of them do it quite like you! You really are special!
#5 Know your audience
How often have you read something that truly resonated with you? Content that resonates is both powerful and memorable – and, chances are, it will make you want to read more of that person’s writing.
If you can produce content that resonates with your reader, you are one step closer to enticing that person to read more of your content – and possibly gain a future client.
Nostalgia content is great for this. If you can make your readers feel warm and fuzzy when they read your content, they’re more likely to feel comfortable around you.
#6 Be simple and specific
Don’t confuse your audience by trying to pack too much into one post. People don’t have time to consume long articles about different subjects. Respect that your reader has taken time out of their day to listen to you/read your post. Don’t waste their time, be sure what you say is worth listening to and they’ll understand it easily. It’s not ‘dumbing down’, what you’re doing is making your content more accessible.
Focusing each post about one thing will increase the readability of your content. Keeping things simple and specific means your readers are more likely to remember and retain what they’ve read.
And finally….
Don’t feel pressured to immediately start creating content that ticks all six of the boxes. As long as you’re content ticks some of them then you’re on your way to becoming a content master and a thought leader, and you’ll watch your audience not only grow in size but become more engaged in what you do.
You’ll be well on your way to getting the clients that you want!
1) You’re following me on LinkedIn
2) You’re following my hashtag #LinkedInSimplified
3) You’ve clicked on the bell icon just below my banner
If you want to know about working with me 121 or have an, please send me any questions DM on LinkedIn.
Thank you,
Sarah ????
