3 Reasons to Keep Posting on LinkedIn, Even if Nobody is Engaging With You Think your last post flopped? Think again!
By Terry Rice Edited by Mark Klekas
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
This article could flop. You might not even get past the first paragraph — and some people won't even be bothered to click on the link. That's just a fact of life for a professional content creator.
We know every piece of content you produce won't be a hit, but we also know you can't help your audience if you let fear of failure hold you back.
But what about you? Maybe you're not a professional creator. Maybe you're posting on social channels, such as LinkedIn so that you can grow your brand and revenue. It's hard not to look at the opportunity cost of investing in growing your social media accounts. You hope it will pay off.
Related: When LinkedIn is Good for BIZ Experiencess, and When It Isn't
Unfortunately, those posts can and do flop, making it easy to feel like you're wasting time and effort. Also, it can feel draining or insulting when you share your expertise or experience, and it seems like nobody cares.
You're going to want to quit. Don't.
I know several creators who may not go viral with their posts but still use LinkedIn successfully to attract and convert business-building opportunities. Here's why you keep creating:
1. Posting content builds your credibility
Even if your post flops, the views never go down — they only go up.
But who's viewing your posts from three months ago? Potential business partners and other business prospects can and will check your social media history to learn more about who you are. And during their search, they'll learn about your expertise, personality and worldview. Having a consistent and quality digital footprint builds your credibility, generates inbound leads and helps you close deals faster.
Related: The Biggest Mistake You're Making on LinkedIn and What You Should Do Instead
You'll be surprised when people start sharing why they liked one of your old posts — which you may not even remember — and how that accelerates their trust and faith in you as a subject matter expert.
Action item:
Make it easier for people to discover your high-value content. Add a few of your most thoughtful posts to the Featured Content section of your profile.
Example:
Check out my LinkedIn profile for an example of what to include in your featured content section.
2. Creating content makes you sound smarter
To create content, you must also consume content. Otherwise, you'll eventually bore everyone — including yourself. Keeping up to date with books, podcasts, webinars, and other streams of content allows you to stay sharp. More importantly, it shows you are able to break down complex issues or ideas and make them digestible for a specific audience.
You're giving yourself the opportunity to learn something new, apply it to your work and then share it with others. So by constantly creating content, you'll have a reservoir of thoughts, ideas and advice to recall in real-time conversations and through your content.
This is particularly helpful if you'd like to appear on podcasts, stages or other media opportunities.
Action item:
Identify a book, podcast webinar or other form of educational content that you found valuable. Then, create a LinkedIn post sharing your key takeaways and how others can apply what you've learned.
Example:
Check out this post, where I share key takeaways from an interview with Nir Eyal.
3. Creating content helps you create even better content
Creating quality content on LinkedIn requires consistency and a willingness to experiment. By constantly putting out content, you'll learn what resonates with your audience and what doesn't.
And as you've heard before, the only way to become a better writer is to write.
Here are a few content ideas to consider for your next post:
- Debunk a popular myth
- Answer a common question
- Provide a step-by-step process
- Share an inspiring personal story
And if you tag me in the post, I'll chime in to support your comment. (LinkedIn profile here) This will boost your views since the more engagement your post gets, the more people Linkedin will show it to.
However, it's important to remember that your post's number of likes, views, or comments should not be used to measure your expertise or self-worth.
You have valuable knowledge to share... the algorithm may not know it yet. So, don't get caught up in the numbers. Just focus on creating valuable, relevant, and engaging content for your audience.
Action item:
Use one of the content prompts above to create another post. Be sure to tag me in the post so I can chime in.
Example:
In this post I share a personal story about navigating BIZ Experiencesship and parenthood.
Next steps:
If you'd like to continue enhancing your LinkedIn presence, I highly encourage you to listen to my podcast interview with Justin Welsh. He's hands down one of my favorite creators due to his willingness to share step-by-step processes that help you grow.
And if you really want to level up, check out his online course, The LinkedIn Operation System. This is the exact system I've used to grow an engaged, mutually beneficial LinkedIn network.
Lastly, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn and tag me in your post so I can chime in!
Heads up: This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
