How to Develop an Effective LinkedIn Content Strategy

LinkedIn boasts over 875 million members in 200 countries worldwide, so it’s no wonder that organizations are trying to uncover new methods to connect with their audience on this business-oriented social media platform. Many CMOs are pulling out the metaphorical drawing board to redefine what it means to create connections. But creating an effective content strategy for Linkedin doesn’t need to be complex or revolutionary — it just has to put your audience first.

What Does an Effective LinkedIn Strategy Include?

Putting your audience first is easier said than done, requiring an understanding of their interests and goals. So how can you craft a strategy that works? To get started, stay consistent in your approach and commit to these 5 tips to grow your reach, become a thought leader in your niche, and increase the number of leads you convert.

1. Do Your Research

People get a little confused when they hear this tip. Every organization claims to do research, but it’s often focused on their own end goal rather than what their audience is looking for.

Here’s what I mean. Instead of building a buyer’s persona specifically for a brand solution that you offer, create an open-ended brand persona to find what content your audience is searching for. What you might discover is that most people aren’t going to initially look for a product or service — they’re looking for a story. And that may mean reconsidering your online presence and allowing some flexibility in the way you post.

Yes, you should still define your persona. Consider age, demographics, industry, and occupation — all typical factors of a buyer persona. However, then you’ll need to find out who your target audience gets their content from, what kind of content they prefer to digest, and what issues they want to discuss. Identify other brands your audience interacts with, even in different niches, and take your content cues from them.

Even in a crowded room, you won’t have to yell to get attention when you’re saying things that people want to hear.

2. Put Authenticity First

There’s no replacement for having a genuine connection with your target audience. People like to do business with other people, not faceless corporations. Personalize your outreach and authentically connect with your audience based on shared interests, insights only you can deliver, and stories they’ll want to hear.

Spotlight employees, talk about events outside of work, and share the type of content that would genuinely resonate with your audience. Every business has hashtag days or informational videos on why their product is the best. Instead of doing the same old, same old, utilize your individuality and share what makes your organization unique.

One caveat: Whatever type of content you decide to create, it should be an accurate reflection of your company’s vision and work. If you create a false narrative for your audience to digest, even in the name of humanizing your brand, it’ll inevitably lead to turmoil in the future.

3. Make Internal Support a Key to Growth

If your employees aren’t your first brand advocates, then you’re doing something wrong. Tying into authenticity, your employees should be the first audience that you connect with on LinkedIn.

One mistake that many organizations make is talking all about the solutions they can provide and not spotlighting the individuals who make those solutions a reality. If you’re aiming for authenticity and ensuring employees are at the forefront of your initiatives, they can help you grow your organic reach twice as fast as you can alone.

But don’t coerce employees into posting about you on LinkedIn. Instead, create initiatives encouraging them to get involved and like, comment, and share when you post. Better yet, build value into the content that they’d actively want to share as professionals in the field. By making your employees feel valued and engaged, you can build your brand’s credibility from the inside out.

4. Utilize Your Resources

You put a lot of effort into creating the best results for your clients, but do you do it for your own organization? Often, businesses are so focused on generating revenue that they forget to maximize their own internal resources. You may already have assets that can be repurposed into great content, like onboarding videos, seminar presentations, case studies, or white papers. Turn these into helpful tips, spotlights, and LinkedIn articles.

And when it comes to allocating time for developing tactics or producing content, working on your business shouldn’t be at the bottom of your list. It should be at the top. When leads see you on LinkedIn, visit your Google business profile, or land on your website, they don’t necessarily see the impact you have on clients. Rather, their first impression is the work you’re doing for your own company. Make sure you’re investing the resources to present your brand’s authority no matter where they find you.

5. Boost Job Posting and Featured Articles

While this tip is focused more at business leaders or job candidates, it’s a great final step to include if you’ve already maximized the value of our previous strategies. Incorporating boosted posts and featured articles can be a great tool for growth hacking or to extend your reach with potential job seekers, other industry professionals, and — through those gateways — potentially, more members of your target audience.

When writing a featured article, remember that it still needs to do the following:

Grab attention from the first line
Tell a story
Engage with your target audience

You’ll already be competing against hundreds of businesses trying to further their reach. However, by prioritizing information that’s intrinsically valuable to your followers, a boosted post can help you connect with a closely-related affinity audience.

Don’t Yell into the Abyss; Talk to the People

LinkedIn is filled with not-so-humble brags, “pick me” posts, and thousands of individuals who want to be influencers in the business world. However, at times, it lacks connection and authenticity.

In 2023, make genuine connection a primary goal for your content strategy, and you’ll see just how many individuals and businesses are ready to be your brand advocates. In a social network filled with brands, companies, and individuals screaming at anyone for attention, it’s time to get specific and start having a real conversation with people who want to engage.

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