Nine easy steps to write the perfect LinkedIn article
If you use LinkedIn to create posts and generate leads, you’re doing great, but you could be doing even more. One of the social media site’s most powerful tools is its publishing platform.
LinkedIn’s publishing platform allows you to share your thoughts and expertise with your network by creating long-form posts directly on LinkedIn. In the past, only top LinkedIn influencers, such as Arianna Huffington and Richard Branson, were allowed to use the publishing tool, but now it is available to all users.
If you’re getting started writing LinkedIn articles, this blog will provide you with a quick and easy tutorial on how to get the most out of the publishing tool and what it takes to create the perfect LinkedIn article. Let’s get started!
1. Log into your account
2. Go to your home page
Go to your home page, not your profile. Click “Write article.” The Publishing Tool opens as shown below, and you can start writing.
3. Write your headline
Statistics show that up to eight times more people look at the headline than the article's body. So, it's essential to give your piece a catchy headline that attracts readers. “How To” headlines such as How to Become a Thought Leader on Social Media or “number” headlines such as 11 Simple Concepts to Become a Better Leader, tend to perform well. Headline length matters as well, with optimum title length falling between 40 and 49 characters. This free Headline Analyzer will help you see if your headline makes the grade.
4. Write your article
LinkedIn articles are much like blog posts. Find your voice and share your professional knowledge or opinions. Allowing your personality to shine through will engage your readers.
Keep an eye on the length of your articles. Statistics show that articles between 1,500 and 2,000 words get the most shares and attention on LinkedIn. However, don't pad or overly edit an article to get to that length. Give each piece the number of words needed while keeping the guidelines in mind. And always deliver what your headline promises – even if it means you must change your headline during the writing process.
5. Format your article for easy reading
Keep your articles readable. Dense articles that appear lengthy or complicated to read at first glance are not attractive to readers.
Use subheadings to divide your article into different topics; this gives your readers a quick overview
of your content’s main takeaways.Use bullet points where appropriate to break up the body copy further.
Highlight individual sections of your article using bold font for improved readability but do so sparingly.
6. Include visuals in your article
Pictures that support your content are another way to make your publication look more polished and engage readers. Research has proven that visuals help improve comprehension and retention by 400 percent. To add an image, click the icon to the left of the article body.
If you need a source for images, try one of the copyright-free image websites that offer photos with no royalty fees. Sites with free images include Pexels and Unsplash.
7. Finish with a Call-to-Action and a short bio
Finish your article with a strong Call-to-Action that invites readers. Ask your network a question they can answer in the comment section, and be sure to follow up with them.
Your article is likely to be read by people outside your inner circle, so include a brief biography to let them learn a bit about you.
8. Publish your article
Review your article one more time to check for spelling and grammatical errors. Ask yourself the following questions:
Is your headline catchy?
Did you create sub-headlines to organize your article?
Did you pay attention to formatting details?
Are all pictures inserted? Do they support the message of your publication?
Did you finish with a Call-to-Action and a short bio?
Then it's time to click the "Publish" button at the bottom of the publishing tool and feel proud because you just posted your first LinkedIn article! Give yourself a pat on the back.
9. Share your article
Once you've published your article, you'll want to share it. A window with sharing options should automatically open after posting your article. You can share it on your personal LinkedIn feed, via LinkedIn message and on connected social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
If you wish to share your article later or re-share it with a new post, click the “Share” button at the bottom of your publication to see the sharing options again.
Now that you know the basics, it’s time for you to use LinkedIn’s full potential to your advantage by sharing content. Do you have any questions regarding the publishing process? Did we miss any critical steps? Are you stuck trying to find a good topic to write about? Let us know in the comment section – we’d love to help.
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash