As the world’s largest professional network with more than 1 billion members in over 200 countries, LinkedIn presents a unique opportunity for personal brands and businesses to connect with potential customers, clients, and colleagues.
But while the platform used to be seen as a digital resume, LinkedIn now boasts an algorithm that prioritizes quality content that shares deep expertise and encourages meaningful connections.
To establish a strong LinkedIn presence, you need to think strategically about your content and deliver a mix of industry-related news, content that spotlights your company culture and makes your employees feel good, and personal anecdotes that show the personality behind the brand.
However, creating compelling content can be challenging.
If you’re stuck for some ideas, we’ve got you covered with 5 popular content types and 10 engaging post ideas that will help grow your network, build trust, establish credibility as a business, and develop meaningful connections on the platform.
Ready to take your LinkedIn game to the next level? Jump in to find popular LinkedIn post ideas.
5 Popular Content Types You Can Post On LinkedIn
1. Showcase your expertise with industry insights
Looking to establish yourself as a go-to source for industry-related news and updates?
By sharing insights about the industry you work in you can showcase your expertise and position yourself as an expert.
Think about what topics or news stories are trending in your niche. By sharing stats, tips or opinion pieces, you can capitalize on these timely conversations.
Our tip? LinkedIn carousels are the perfect way to share your thoughts and break complex topics down into engaging bite-sized posts. Summarize key takeaways, provide your own analysis, and share your insights on industry-related events or conferences that you attend to showcase your expertise and provide valuable information to your audience.
2. Build trust with behind-the-scenes content
Looking to build trust with your audience, promote your company culture and potentially even grow your team? Behind-the-scenes (BTS) content might be the answer!
BTS posts can make your brand more relatable and engaging. These posts can take many forms, from showcasing a team event to giving a sneak peek into your day-to-day operations, it’s all about building trust by showing off your brand authentically.
But BTS content can also serve a bigger purpose, especially on LinkedIn. Despite its growth as a content-sharing platform, LinkedIn is still heavily focused on recruitment and employment.
Did you know that 52 million people used LinkedIn to search for jobs each week? And research shows that 60% of all users are 25-34 years old, closely followed by their younger cohort.
That means BTS content is not just for sales or marketing anymore.
With company culture being so important to Millennials and Gen Z employees, BTS posts can help showcase the culture of your business and the people behind it. Use this content to give potential employees an insight into what it’s like to work at your company.
Our tip? Make sure to share photos or videos of your next team-building or social event and showcase what makes your company such an incredible place to work on LinkedIn. The more raw and candid you can make this content, the better!
3. Stand out in your niche with thought leadership articles
Have an opinion about something? Why not craft a spicy, thought-provoking article on LinkedIn?
These native thought-leadership articles are a powerful way to showcase your expertise and position yourself as a leader in your niche. Plus, these content formats help you gain both new followers and respect from other industry leaders along the way.
According to the 2021 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact study, thought leadership content is one of the most effective ways to build brand awareness, generate leads, and drive revenue.
In fact, studies have shown that high-quality thought leadership content is critical to building trust and credibility with B2B decision-makers.
Think you don’t have enough time to write long-form articles from scratch? Think again!
If you’re already publishing blog content or articles on your own website, you can easily repurpose these into LinkedIn. We’re big believers in working smarter, not harder, which is why repurposing content is a winning approach!
So if you want to attract new followers on LinkedIn and establish yourself as a trusted authority in your industry, it’s time to start sharing your knowledge and expertise on industry-related topics.
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4. Harness personal experiences and anecdotes to humanize your content
Ever felt disconnected from the content you see on LinkedIn? It can be tough to engage with brands that feel too corporate or distant. Make your LinkedIn content more relatable by incorporating personal experiences and anecdotes.
Sharing stories about your own life or work experiences can build trust and help you form more genuine connections with your audience.
Maybe you’ve experienced the challenge of balancing work and parenting, or maybe you have a funny story about a mistake you made at work. You could even share highlights from a recent trip you took.
Why? Personal stories humanize your content, build trust and foster meaningful connections.
The key is to be authentic and share content that truly resonates with both you and your audience. Try capturing candid photos of your next holiday or share a selfie paired with a heartfelt caption.
5. Leverage video content to build brand awareness
Standing out from the crowd is more important than ever, and video content can help you do just that on LinkedIn.
Not sure what to include in your videos? Start by showcasing your products, services, or company culture, focusing on creating a dynamic and engaging way to connect with your audience.
A behind-the-scenes glimpse of your brand can be especially effective, giving your audience an exclusive look at how you do what you do. And product previews can help build excitement and anticipation around new releases or updates.
With LinkedIn reporting that videos are five times more likely to generate engagement than other types of content, incorporating videos into your content strategy is a smart move.
What to post on LinkedIn: 10 engaging LinkedIn post ideas
These engaging LinkedIn post ideas range from industry insights to user-generated content and thought leadership articles so you can build your personal and professional brand online.
1. Showcase your expertise with industry news
LinkedIn isn’t just about sharing work news, it’s also about connecting with those within your industry and sparking interesting discussion. By sharing industry news, commenting on emerging trends, and providing detailed analysis, you can position yourself as an expert and offer valuable tips demonstrating your credibility in the field.
With LinkedIn’s article feature, you can share your perspective on a piece of industry news in a detailed manner that other social media platforms don’t accommodate. Be sure to provide an in-depth analysis and use reliable sources, like this example from beauty platform Adore Beauty who comment on a published study relevant to their target audience.
2. Encourage audience interaction with a poll
On LinkedIn, features like polls and surveys are an excellent way to boost your visibility. In fact, a recent survey of industry leaders found that 86% confirmed interactive content like polls can significantly amplify brand engagement and exposure. This is further supported by statistics showing that LinkedIn polls garner 40% higher engagement rates than static posts.
The key is in crafting polls that speak directly to your audience’s interests, aspirations, or industry trends. Consider who your target audience is and what topics they’d be interested in. The question should be easy to understand and spark conversation.
In this example, the question resonates with anyone affected by new working conditions and makes for an interesting conversation regarding ideal working situations.
3. Spotlight inspiring professionals and entrepreneurs
On LinkedIn, it’s also worthwhile stepping outside of your industry and shining a spotlight on entrepreneurs and inspiring professionals who inspire you. You could share a quote or piece of advice from this entrepreneur to enhance the audience’s understanding.
In this example from Patagonia, the company draws on a recent interview given by their CEO Ryan Gellert that has a strong news hook with the upcoming election at the time, but also speaks to companies and other founders on the importance of making it easier for their employees to vote.
4. Stand out with thought leadership articles
To showcase your expertise and generate leads, consider writing thought leadership articles that position yourself as an expert in the field. These posts are likely to garner greater engagement beyond followers and first-degree connections as more people on LinkedIn come to value your expertise.
In this example, writer and content strategist Chris Bibey draws on personal experience within his career to relate to his followers before issuing career advice specific to their needs. In closing, he shares a question to prompt thoughtful discussion, and the post has since amassed 60 comments and over 120 likes.
5. Prompt thoughtful discussion by asking questions
LinkedIn’s algorithm analyzes profiles based on their interactions, comments, and liked content to then show content similar to those of individuals who have previously engaged with the platform. It’s an important distinction because it means the algorithm favors content that shares knowledge or professional advice or has garnered meaningful interactions in comments.
If you’re looking for ways to prompt thoughtful discussion, you need to ask questions in your posts. Whether you’re tackling a long-form article or a shorter post, consider what questions are relevant to the topic and would prove interesting to your followers.
In this example from Michelle Battersby of Sunroom, she tackles the subject of workplace discrimination amongst pregnant and parent employees before asking readers what their organization is doing about the issue and what such conversations look like within their industries.
6. Highlight customer success stories and positive reviews
On LinkedIn, consider highlighting customer success stories so your followers can see the incredible results achieved as a result of your services or products. You can also share positive reviews, testimonials, and user-generated content in the form of videos or photos that speak to the value of your products.
Take this example from beauty brand Colleen Rothschild, which shared a link to an article from The US Sun, whose beauty editor called their product a “miracle eye cream.” By drawing attention to the recognition and article, Colleen Rothschild boosts brand awareness and visibility by highlighting the value of their products and their benefits.
7. Celebrate your employees
52 million people use LinkedIn to search for jobs each week, making the platform an important one for recruitment. To attract top talent to your company, you need to give followers a glimpse into the company culture, values, and working life.
To give followers an insight into your company, consider welcoming a new hire to the team, celebrating an employee milestone such as a fifth anniversary, or giving a shout-out to an employee who has made a positive impact on the business.
In this example from Spotify, the company spotlights their employee Emily, who then takes followers through a typical day at work and the various jobs she performs to ensure the smooth running of the company.
8. Build trust with behind-the-scenes content
When it comes to standing out in your industry, company culture is something that is uniquely your own. Whether it’s the values that shape your business, attitude, or the team you’ve amassed, showcasing behind-the-scenes content can be a powerful tool to tap into on LinkedIn.
As seen in the photo carousel from skincare brand Go-To Skincare, the company shared behind-the-scenes images from a recent team event, giving followers an authentic look at their company culture.
9. Challenge the status quo
Showcasing expertise and creativity can be done with more than thought leadership articles. Just as you might have a different opinion when it comes to decision-making for your business, so too might your opinions differ from those within your industry – and that’s OK!
By showing an alternative approach along with examples as to why your way of thinking is more effective than previous methods, you’ll build your credibility and deliver unique angles that followers find interesting.
This example from Tobi Oluwole is a perfect demonstration of how you can give a hot take or controversial opinion by backing it up with strong evidence or examples. Here, Oluwole takes eight common phrases or ideas heard in the workplace and shows why these should be regarded as myths rather than facts.
10. Humanize your content with personal anecdotes
LinkedIn is more than a professional networking platform; it also rewards content that taps into personal stories, relatable anecdotes, and candid conversations about work experience and your chosen industry. As a result, don’t be afraid to post content that shows the person behind the brand by giving followers insight into your passions and personal interests.
Take this example from digital marketing strategist Allison Ditmer, who shares actionable advice for her followers on what to do when they find themselves in a freelance writing funk. Ditmer relates to her followers, drawing on her own personal experience and the to-do list that helped her overcome such challenges.
Boost your LinkedIn profile with Plann
The ideas above show that when it comes to building brand authority on LinkedIn, you need to blend content that speaks to your industry and expertise with authentic storytelling, personal anecdotes, and insights into company culture.
It might sound overwhelming, but thankfully Plann’s all-in-one content creation suite can help simplify your LinkedIn strategy. Offering everything you need to effortlessly map out your strategy, manage content, and post consistently every time, you’ll be able to grow your LinkedIn presence in no time!
Go on, and redeem your 7-day free trial of Plann Plus. If you don’t like it, keep using Plann for free!
