Imagine you’re at the world’s largest professional networking event. Around you, there’s a buzz of conversation as people make new connections and reconnect with others they already know, with plenty of smiles and handshakes to go around.
But this isn’t just any gathering; it’s the place where the future of your business could dramatically shift. The room is packed with potential partners and clients/customers, after all!
Wait…there’s a catch…you have only a few moments to capture attention, make a lasting impression, and convey the value of your brand. Are you starting to feel the pressure?
Welcome to LinkedIn: The virtual equivalent of that big networking event, with millions of professionals seeking connections, opportunities, and new ideas. Just like any networking opportunity, the key to standing out is more than just showing up. You must add to conversations, share compelling content, and nurture your network.
Many people are actively building their networks on LinkedIn, but they fail to add to conversations in meaningful ways – AKA, creating their own content and commenting/sharing others’ content. This is the equivalent of handing out your business cards to everyone you see at an in-person event, but not saying a word. How awkward!!
I’ve written extensively about the value of LinkedIn for small businesses, yet one question I still get is: “What should I post on LinkedIn?” I get it; it’s hard to come up with original ideas on what to post, and it’s easy to overthink it. But keep in mind that according to Social Media Examiner, less than 1% of LinkedIn users publish on the platform at least once a month. That gives you a window of opportunity!
Whether you’re a start-up looking to make your mark or an established business seeking to expand your reach, having a robust LinkedIn content strategy is crucial.
Drawing from the proven concept of content buckets, this blog provides a range of post ideas to enrich your LinkedIn presence! My nine chosen content buckets are Promotional, Educational, Branding, Behind-the-Scenes, Company Culture, Success Stories, Engagement, Inspirational, and Humorous. Let’s dig in!
Promotional Posts
Asking people to take the next step in buying your product or service.
1. Product/Service Announcement
Share the launch of a new product or service with images or video, detailing the features and benefits. But you don’t have to have a NEW announcement to make this post concept work! You can simply remind people of a service/product you offer, on a recurring basis.
For example, I’ve always offered blog writing, but this post reminded people of this service:
2. Event Invitation
This is as simple as keeping an eye on your calendar. Promote your upcoming webinars and workshops, highlighting what attendees will learn and how they can register. If an event isn’t open to the public (for example, if you’re a speaker at a private event or conference) you can still talk about what you’re doing, even posting a selfie while at the venue.
Not a speaker or workshop leader? If you attend any in-person or virtual events yourself, post about them! Your current and prospective clients/customers will enjoy seeing that you’re constantly learning and improving yourself.
This company often sends employees to conferences and networking events, and the posts that include quick event check-ins always get great engagement:
3. Special Offers
Create content that highlights discounts and deals, encouraging your connections to take immediate action. This post example comes from my friend and frequent professional collaborator, Melissa Swink. We actually ran this Website in a Day promo together!
By the way, if you aren’t interested in discounting your products/services, you can still share posts that create urgency around what you sell. For example, you can let people know that you have limited spots open on your calendar for prospective client bookings.
Educational Posts
Providing a resource such as a tip, article, or video related to your expertise.
4. Industry Insights
Share your thoughts about recent trends or changes in your industry, positioning yourself as a thought leader. One of the best ways to do this is through an article that you can publish right on LinkedIn. (Here’s how!) This is similar to how you’d publish a blog to your website. Another option is to share a helpful article, podcast, video, or another person’s LinkedIn post, tacking on your own thoughts before you hit “share.”
This type of post can also give your followers a reason to stay on top of your content. If they know that they can come to your feed for updates related to your industry, you’ve become a much more valuable connection and someone they can trust.
5. Helpful Advice
You already know your target audience and their pain points, so plan posts that offer practical advice on the challenges they face. This is one of the easiest types of content to create, in my opinion, since you’re just sharing what you know! You’re also building trust with your audience and solidifying your reputation as a knowledgeable expert in your industry.
LinkedIn offers several ways to share this kind of content. You can post a graphic, photo, or infographic with a quick caption, upload a video of yourself speaking on the topic, share a PDF or PowerPoint presentation that details your insights, and more. Here’s a PDF example:
6. Recommended Resources
Instead of always sharing insights from your own perspective, you can curate tools, books, podcasts, and people that you find valuable. Share your recommendations and explain why they’re worth checking out. This also gives you a chance to tag other people and organizations, who will likely engage positively with your post because you gave them a shout-out!
Alternatively, you can ask people for resource recommendations, like this example:
Branding Posts
Talking about your “why” – your mission, values, or purpose of existing.
7. Story of the Business
People connect through stories, so sharing the story of your business can be a powerful way to resonate with your audience. People enjoy knowing the details behind how a brand got started, so you can be as open with your journey as you feel comfortable.
This concept can go in many different directions, so here are a few ideas to spark your imagination:
- Record a video telling people why you started your business.
- Share your mission or core values; this could become a series.
- Talk about mistakes you made along the way of building your business, and how you learned from them.
- Highlight key milestones from the journey of building your business.
Here’s a great example that lists out all the company values!
8. Answer Frequently Asked Questions
You probably get the same questions over and over about your services/products, so why not get ahead of things and answer them through LinkedIn posts or even articles?
Start by writing a list of all the questions you get, and then decide how you would like to answer each. Some can be answered in a short caption, and others might warrant a video or article.
9. Post Your Elevator Pitch
When I write a website using the StoryBrand method, I create something called the one-liner. A StoryBrand one-liner is essentially your business’ elevator pitch, and it’s the most succinct way to describe who you are and what you do. (Click here and scroll to #3 for some examples!)
Here’s my elevator pitch formula:
Target Audience + Problem + Solution (you!) = Elevator Pitch
Here’s my elevator pitch for Emily Writes:
Most small organizations struggle to create clear, consistent content for their online marketing efforts. At Emily Writes, our superpower is seamlessly fitting into your brand voice. We craft compelling, irresistible content that inspires, engages, and converts!
Now, how do we make this into a LinkedIn post?
Simple! Take that exact text, pair it with a piece of media, and then “pin” that to the top of your LinkedIn profile as featured content. This would make a perfect caption for a company overview video (if you have one), a nice headshot of yourself, or a PDF 1-pager that describes your business and/or your primary products/services.
Now, when someone visits your LinkedIn profile or LinkedIn company page, this well-branded, evergreen post will be proudly displayed.
Behind-the-Scenes Posts
Bringing people behind the curtain of your business.
10. Teaser Photos
What are you working on this week? Share an update! LinkedIn audiences respond well to sneak peeks of new products/services and podcast recording selfies, accompanied by a short caption like “Something cool is coming soon…any guesses?”
You can also share behind-the-scenes pictures that depict you, your workspace, your office pet (!), and/or your team members going about their days. If you have a team that’s remote, a Zoom screengrab from a group meeting still counts! Make sure you tag everyone (and ask them to share the post) for added reach.
11. Throwback Thursdays
Yep, this Facebook/Instagram standby has made its way over to LinkedIn!
Put a twist on the standard throwback and make it work related, highlighting a milestone in your business or expressing your gratitude for someone who has helped you along the way. You can also have fun with this, pointing out how far you’ve come or how much something has changed, such as the technology you used “back in the day.”
This example highlights a mentorship with a light-hearted caption to make people smile:
12. Community Check-ins
If you are often out at events, volunteering, attending client meetings, or even just working from local coffee shops, feel free to share those photos, too! A selfie that tags a local business (while you’re there) is also a good choice.
Culture Posts
Showing what it’s like to work at your company.
13. Team Member Spotlights
If you’re lucky enough to have a team around you, celebrate them on LinkedIn! This could be an Employee of the Month or staff spotlight. It can be super simple (name, job title, photo) or more elaborate (full bio, accomplishments, personal details).
You can also celebrate the achievements and milestones of your team members, such as when they complete a degree, have a baby, join a nonprofit board, or get promoted within your organization. Follow your instincts and celebrate the heck out of your people – that’s what LinkedIn is all about!
14. Giving Back
Share stories about how you, your business, and/or your team members give back through volunteering, sponsorships, and donations. Many people in your audience will resonate with these stories – as long as you’re putting the focus on the receiving organization and not just patting yourself on the back, of course!
15. Share Team Member Content
What’s it like to work at your company? Let your people do the storytelling!
Sharing posts from your team members is a great way to humanize your brand and uplift the people who work for you. This is especially key if you’re hiring. In a competitive labor market, a business that can show content from happy, engaged employees has a serious advantage.
Success Story Posts
Sharing testimonials and case studies from happy customers/clients.
16. Client/Customer Testimonials
Here’s an easy one: Post positive feedback from clients or customers. You can take the testimonials they have submitted to you directly, or even repurpose reviews from Google, Facebook, Yelp, Etsy, and LinkedIn.
I often just put the words on a graphic, but you could also use the testimonial as part of your caption or have the customer/client record a video.
17. Before & After Transformations
Another way to highlight the value you provide is to share stories that highlight the “before” and “after” experience that you provide. Unless someone has provided this story to you directly, I would recommend getting their permission before writing the post.
While I don’t have a current example of this, your caption could follow this simple formula:
“Before (name) worked with (company), (his/her) (problem) caused her to (pain point). But thanks to (product/service), (he/she) can now (transformation).”
18. Case Study
A real-life customer/client case study would work perfectly as a LinkedIn article or PDF upload. Interview your customer/client and write a case study that goes deeper into their experience with your company.
This gives you a chance to really reveal the problem and its pain points, followed by the awesome solution you provide!
Engagement Posts
Inviting people to engage with your content with a question, poll, or contest.
19. Create Polls
LinkedIn has a fun feature called “polls” that allows you to gather opinions on any topic under the sun. I’ll be honest: I have never gotten much traction from polls on my LinkedIn page, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it! I’ve seen other brands get hundreds of poll responses with just a simple, multiple-choice question.
Polls are a great way to involve your audience directly in your content creation process. It’s easy for them to just pick a choice and go on with their day. Once the poll is complete, you can start conversations with the people who responded, giving a genuine comment in reaction to their votes.
20. Pose an Irresistible Question
If you’ve spent time on Facebook, you’ve definitely seen those plain or gradient backgrounds with simple text overlaid. People often use this built-in Facebook post template to ask a fun or thought-provoking question.
Why not try this out on LinkedIn? It stands out in the newsfeed, after all! Ask something fun, ask for an opinion on a current industry issue, ask a “this or that” type question, run a contest – whatever your heart desires. Here’s an example that’s also a contest:
21. Invite Nostalgic Stories
Similar to the idea above, LinkedIn is great for asking people to reflect back on the early years of their careers. You can keep it simple, like “I’ve been working in (industry) for (number) years, how long have you been in your current career?” or really tell a story, like this awesome example, which generated 39 comments:
Inspirational Posts
Giving encouragement or motivation through a quote or story.
22. Post a Quote
Now I know you’re thinking this is overdone…but I still see quotes generating a LOT of engagement on every social media platform, including LinkedIn! All you have to do is share a quote that resonates with your brand and audience, accompanied by a sincere caption.
Here’s an example:
23. Share an Encouraging Story
Have you ever overcome a challenge? Have your clients done something great in the face of adversity? Can you pull an inspiring story from someone famous and make that into an encouraging “lesson learned” for your audience? Write about it, or create a video!
This is natural content for coaches and consultants, like the below-linked example – but even if that doesn’t describe you, I’m willing to bet you can think of something similar for your industry.
24. Share Encouraging Content
There’s a lot of negativity in the world today, and that unfortunately bleeds over into our social media newsfeeds. Break the cycle by curating inspiring stories, articles, and videos that have been posted by others on LinkedIn (or elsewhere online) and sharing to your feed.
Humorous Posts
Sharing your sense of humor.
25. Industry Memes
Create or share relevant memes that poke fun at common industry stereotypes or situations, while making sure they are in good taste and relatable. This looks different depending on your industry and personality, but don’t be afraid to lean into a bit of fun.
26. Funny Workplace Moments
Share light-hearted moments from the workplace, to give a glimpse into your company’s human side! These can be original posts or you can share content that people at your company have created.
You could also post about unique office rituals, team-building activities, or how you keep your team motivated and connected in a remote setting. If it’s simply a fun photo that shows personality, and you can’t come up with a clever caption, just post the photo with the words “Caption this!” and see what your followers come up with.
27. Team Trivia
Another fun way to feature your team members, especially if you have a small team, is to ask them each the same question (“If you could be a dog, what breed would you be?”) and feature their answers in one post.
Other question ideas include “What’s your unique talent?” or “What’s your favorite quote?” or “Who do you pick to win the Superbowl?”
This example is actually from a client’s email newsletter – and I can’t take credit for the idea! She and her team came up with this cute feature, which would be great for LinkedIn as well.
Well, this blog sure got long! I started writing and couldn’t wait to share all my ideas with you. As you put together your own LinkedIn content marketing strategy, I hope that these ideas inspire you with new content that you could create.
Keep in mind that my recommendation for LinkedIn is to post 1-3 times per week. If you try every single one of these 27 ideas, that will get you through at least 2-3 months of content.
Of course, test this to see what your audience responds best to, but this cadence works for the majority of my clients! As long as your goal is to add value, I’m sure you’ll continue to captivate and engage your LinkedIn network. I can’t wait to see what you create!