Why you should Self-Publish on LinkedIn

LinkedIn only opened Pulse network to all users in February 2015 and since then it has gradually been creeping up in popularity as the months go by. You might notice the notifications popping up every time someone publishes something and think ‘what value does that add?’

Once upon a time the Pulse network was only available to the Richard Bransons of the world; the LinkedIn Influencers. At Emarkable we get asked quite a lot, if the ability to publish on LinkedIn something people should be investing time in and our answer is always: ‘yes’.

Here are some reasons that qualify that answer.

1. It brings your old blog posts to life

We always recommend that older content be repurposed and this is the ideal opportunity to do so. When we write high quality blog posts we tend to forget all about them after a week regardless of them being evergreen and, to toot your own horn, excellent reading.

You might have a year old blog post that is still very much relevant but which many of your followers won’t have seen and which many others will have forgotten about. Give your content a second chance and see new connections roll in.

This can easily be prepared by creating an editorial calendar so you can plan ahead.

2. Positioning yourself as a thought leader

Regardless of your industry, people only want to engage with and do business with experts. LinkedIn’s publishing capabilities allow you to showcase your knowledge; if used correctly. It is considered best practice to share real knowledge and not using the publish function as a selling tool. Don’t post things or services you are selling; instead offer advice relevant to your industry. If you are invested in developing yourself and your brand as industry experts and thought leaders, using LinkedIn publisher correctly should be high on your agenda.

If you are publishing useful and positive content you will notice an increase in connections, comments and messages, often commending you for your post; so if you need an extra reason, it’s also a confidence booster.

3. It’s a promotional tool

While we recommend avoiding direct promotion and selling using LinkedIn, it is still a very valuable promotional tool. If your article is particularly impressive and gets plenty of views it will be featured in the top posts section, or at the very least within the top posts of your particular category

4. You reach way beyond your 1st level connections

When you update a status on LinkedIn it comes up in your first level news feed. When they like and comment on it the post spreads to your 2nd level connections, they comment on it and you reach that coveted third tier. The Publishing function works on the same principle but it takes it further. First of all your first level connections get a notification. This drives your work into their consciousness making it more likely for them to actually click and read.

Secondly, it is available to read for all LinkedIn users in the category you have labelled it as. This means you have a chance of reaching beyond your 3rd level connections to people who aren’t currently in your network, but probably should be.

5. It helps grow your network

If you think that it is not worth your time publishing on LinkedIn because you have a small network you are encouraged to think again. Smaller networks will firstly be more inclined to engage with your content provided what you are posting the kind of content your network wants to read. The more they engage with your content, the more people will see it and the more your connections will develop.  If you are just starting out on LinkedIn and really want to showcase your knowledge and your brand from the outset, this is a great way to do it, and to grow your network.

6. Learn about your audience

The analytics dashboard of your published posts allows you to look at the demographics of your readers. Find out if your content is reaching out to your desired audience; if you are a Visual Merchaniser, for example, you want your posts to reach out to people in the Retail Industry.

These stats can provide you with valuable information which can help you tailor your posts even better to suit your audience. It also lets you track where people are finding your content, for example in the stats below, most of the views are coming from first level connections, a proportion are reading from the ‘Pulse’ area on LinkedIn and 4% have read it from their LinkedIn Inbox, which means people have shared it with their network privately.

LinkedIn Publisher Stats

7. High Engagement

LinkedIn can be a little noisy but the publish function seems to calm that noise as people now have the ability to read the type of content they actually want to read. As a result, engagement is higher than most other platforms. I’ve published posts on LinkedIn that have been similar in content to posts shared on the Emarkable Blog; those posts earned little engagement on Twitter and Facebook, but on my LinkedIn version I’ve seen more shares, comments and likes. Engagement is what drives inbound marketing; people responding to your content means that you are offering them something that they are interested in, and it also means your work goes further.

Remember to engage with other people’s content; the more you engage, the more engagement you get.

If you would like help developing your inbound strategy in order increase your brands reach, contact emarkable on (01) 808 1301 or email info@emarkable.ie.

Richard Coen

With over 21 years of experience in Digital Marketing, 31 years in sales and 25 years in business development, Richard assists companies to develop key growth strategies on a local or international basis. He can assist marketers to achieve balance in their approach to key areas affected by the growth in digital marketing.