Steve Henke is the president and chief strategist of Harpeth Marketing. This is an edited version of a post that originally appeared under the title “What should you post on LinkedIn? Hint: It’s not about you!”
When you look at the LinkedIn posts made by most professionals and most firms in our industry, they generally fall into three categories:
And because most firms aren’t producing content very often or haven’t hired someone in a while, they’re left with selling. Far too much. Of all the things you can do on LinkedIn, selling should be the lowest priority. One rule of thumb I’ve heard is that “only one in five social posts should be a sales pitch.” Frankly, even that is too often. Social media is – first and foremost – a social platform. It’s about connecting with people and building relationships. Sharing will help you do that… selling will not.
One of the best things to share is content. The trouble is, if you’re only writing one blog each month, for example, there’s just not much to share. So, in that case, share someone else’s content. Just make sure it’s not content from a direct competitor! Finding appropriate content to share on LinkedIn serves several purposes:
With those key benefits as the foundation, there are four categories of content to curate and share on LinkedIn:
Social media marketing can be – and should be – an important tool in your marketing toolbox. And like every other marketing tactic, it works best when done frequently and consistently. So, when you curate and share good content on LinkedIn (frequently and consistently, of course), it will become a strong, foundational part of your overall marketing program. Good luck!