How to become an industry influencer on LinkedIn

The other day, I was chatting with a client of mine whose opinion on social media marketing I really value and that I know is valued more broadly across the Industry. We started to talk about publishing long-form content on LinkedIn, and I asked if she’d ever published a post herself. “Of course I haven’t,” she replied. “I wouldn’t have a clue what to write about.”

I was really surprised by this response. After all, I know I’m not the only one who values this person’s opinion and they are already established as a thought leader in their company. The fact she can’t come up with an idea for a blog isn’t because she lacks ideas worth sharing; it’s because she finds it hard to see her ideas in that way.

It’s easy to think (and Brits like me probably find it easier than most) that making your thoughts public is imposing a sense of your own importance on others. It’s fine to share our views in the course of a conversation, a meeting or a pitch; but write our views in a long-form blog and post it on LinkedIn? How dare we presume that other people might be interested in what we have to say? And won’t we just get shot down, deflated and criticised when we do?

With millions of people now publishing blogs on LinkedIn the idea that people do not want to listen to your ideas is wrong and that misplaced humility, whilst charming, is unhelpful. Publishing on LinkedIn isn’t seen as self-promotion; our members see it as an important part of the knowledge sharing that makes our platform tick. People are becoming accustomed to the fact that an idea worth hearing about – particularly in a professional context - ought to be on LinkedIn. If you’re not sharing your ideas then you are restricting the amount of value that people get from them whilst constraining both their impact, and also your own credibility.

I wanted to write this post – because I know how easy it is to find reasons not to stick your head above the parapet and share your views. At LinkedIn we’ve put together 11 principles to help address the barriers to publishing your own content – but before I get to them, I wanted to share a quote that I heard this year:

“You know the one thing that makes you a writer? It’s when you start writing.”

Peter Souter of TBWA London, speaking at Ad Week Europe

The fact that other people are writing, posting and sharing doesn't mean that they have more valuable ideas than you. It just means that they’ve started writing them down and you haven’t. That’s easy to fix. Start writing and you’ve instantly transformed yourself into a writer. Start posting and you’ve instantly transformed yourself into a potential influencer.

To support our Agency Partners in their publishing efforts on LinkedIn for example, we recently launched the Agency Publisher of the Year Award to showcase some of the best ideas, thoughts and insights already coming out of our agency community. 

Now read on for LinkedIn’s publishing tips – and enjoy putting your first post together.

Thanks for reading.

Define your narrative

Decide on a specific group of topics you want to write about and be known for.­ This helps to focus your thinking and make coming up with ideas more manageable. It will also help your posts resonate with readers.

Remember your audience

Who are you writing for? Consider your industry peers and potential clients and target your content accordingly.

Be authentic. Keep it professional, but human

Most importantly - be yourself. Posts that are authentic are more relatable to the public and encourage interaction.

Focus on content that engages, informs or entertains

Post content that is relevant and has purpose.­ There’s an incredible amount of noise online today so make your words count.

Use eye-catching images and impactful headlines

Give people a reason to click on your post by embedding images, SlideShare presentations and videos.­ Headlines should have an intriguing hook as you only have a few seconds to grab a reader's attention.­

Write in a way that invites conversation

Ask questions to encourage your readers to weigh in. A post doesn’t have to be the definitive, final word on something to be worth reading. Relieve the pressure on yourself by aiming to share a view and invite others rather than trying to put an impregnable point of view out there.

Keep on top of hot topics

Write posts on the issues being discussed in your industry, pop culture or the news. Mix in your own opinion and relevant experience to make the subject your own. ­

Always attribute – give credit wherever and whenever you can

Use links liberally but be sure to cite sources and images as well. Linking to a source will ­also help confirm the validity of your content.

Extend your reach by leveraging all of your channels

Share your posts with your professional and personal networks and talk to your social media team about posting content through your company's channels. This will drive views and engagement.

Follow LinkedIn Influencers to gain additional insight into your industry

Following other publishers from your sector (and reading the comments their posts generate) will help plug you into the industry conversation – and give you additional inspiration.­

Don't wait for the perfect iteration

Publishing for the first time can seem daunting. It’s fine to seek feedback from colleagues – but don’t rewrite endlessly until you lose the passion or position of your original idea. If you have something compelling to share, write the post and publish it - you can use feedback and comments to inspire your next post.