6 Types of Content You Should Be Sharing on LinkedIn

Updated 08/05/2022

LinkedIn is a popular, business-to-business (B2B) social networking channel for professionals. Over 1 million publishers contribute more than 130,000 posts a week. About 45% of readers are company managers, VPs, CEOs, or other senior management.

LinkedIn is an excellent platform for building an engaged audience and a reputation as a thought leader in your industry. It’s also an opportunity to share your company culture with potential new customers and recruits.

The social channel is different because of its business-to-business (B2B) nature. LinkedIn’s focus on business often leaves newcomers unsure of how to post and interact on the platform.

In this article, we’ll show you 6 types of content that do well on the platform. We’ll also share some secrets about what doesn’t do well, and conclude with a few tips on how to make your content stand out.

Here are the 6 types of content you should be sharing on LinkedIn.

1. Blog posts
2. Industry news and new research
3. In-depth how-to and list-style posts
4. Quick tips
5. Photo updates

1. Blog Posts

Sharing your blog posts on LinkedIn is a great way to increase your reach, build brand awareness, and spark engagement.

When sharing blog content on LinkedIn, be sure to:

• Introduce the post with a personal comment.
• Shorten the URL with Bitly or a similar app.
• Check to be sure the thumbnail looks great.

SEO expert Rand Fishkin shares content from his blog on LinkedIn by including the blog post’s link, as well as a personalized comment on what it’s about.

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Amplify the reach of your blog by promoting articles on LinkedIn.

2. Industry News and Research

LinkedIn is a business-to-business platform with users actively looking for content related to their industry. This makes it an ideal platform for sharing research-based case studies, reports, and whitepapers.

For example, Aleranyx IT Services shared an industry report to engage their LinkedIn audience.

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LinkedIn users are often looking for industry updates and news. By sharing them, your business’s LinkedIn page can become a go-to source for that information.

3. In-Depth How-To and List-Style Posts

Publishing content directly to LinkedIn bypasses your blog and website but offers more visibility on the social channel. Consider publishing how-to and list-style posts exclusively on LinkedIn.

According to a recent study, LinkedIn posts between 1,900 and 2,000 words in length perform best and gain the greatest number of views, likes, comments, and shares.

The same study found that how-to and list-style posts receive the most attention. 

Marketing guru Neil Patel has built an empire around the type of B2B how-to style posts that do well on LinkedIn.

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Given their easily digestible formatting, informative how-to and list-style posts do well on LinkedIn.

4. Quick Tips

Simple posts that include leadership tips and tricks do well on LinkedIn. Since it’s a professional network, keep your topics to subjects encouraging productivity, leadership, and professional success.

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Another way to approach this style of update is by offering a simple text quote that’s appropriate for your audience.

Award-winning author Dr. Travis Bradberry gained 6,118 Likes and 118 comments in under 2 days by posting one simple sentence:

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LinkedIn is a hub for business thought leadership. Offering helpful advice and inspiration can make your posts stand out.

5. Photo Updates

Sharing a photo is a great way to show off your company’s personality. Attractive and compelling photos taken at business events or at your offices can gain a lot of attention on LinkedIn.

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Posting photos of your company’s employees and activities adds a human element to your LinkedIn posts.

6. Company Updates

If you can find a way to make company news visual and interesting, then it’s a great fit for LinkedIn.

In the example below, Mohit Bhasin shares a photo gallery from an event that his company, KPMG, is a part of.

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Richard Branson creates compelling updates by sharing interesting tidbits with compelling videos.

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HubSpot writes their LinkedIn company updates with a goal in mind – for example, recruiting new employees.

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Company updates are a great way to let your followers get to know you better. They personalize your company and encourage people to engage at a whole new level.

LinkedIn Post Ideas and Inspiration from Influencers

LinkedIn is the social media platform of choice for those looking to establish themselves as thought leaders in their business space.

For inspiration on how to write strong text posts, let's take a look at the LinkedIn profile of one of the platform’s most influential content creators, Gray Vaynerchuk. 

Vaynerchuk’s profile contains relevant content that focuses on his entrepreneurship, business leadership, and strategic marketing expertise. Here’s a screenshot of a recent status update on Vaynerchuk’s profile.

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This post is a great example of a strong LinkedIn marketing strategy that caters to a target audience. Here are a few content ideas in the post that catch the eye of users and the LinkedIn algorithm:

• Hashtags: there are three hashtags at the bottom of the text post to expand the reach of the content within desired focus areas
• Native video content: short-form video content from a conference, webinar, or  podcast helps increase engagement 
• Personal brand: Vaynerchuk populates his personal profile with great content about what he knows best — this helps users get to know his expertise and perspective as a thought leader

Is this type of post not your style? No problem — there are plenty of other content marketing approaches that can bring you success. Here are just a few:

• LinkedIn articles: long-form content isn’t for every social media content strategy, but it works on LinkedIn. Simply share original or inspiring articles within a post and summarize your favorite parts in a few sentences or bullet points in the text.   
• Polls: LinkedIn poll functionality has been favored by the algorithm in the past, and this interactive post option is an excellent way to generate engagement and learn more about your network.
• Emojis: emojis aren’t for everyone, especially on a professional social media platform. However, if your industry and personal brand allow for them, light and thoughtful emoji use may be a unique way to stand out on the platform 
• Infographics: infographics and other helpful images stand out in newsfeeds and make text content easier to understand — great for digital marketing!
• Re-shares: social media marketing isn’t all about creating; it’s about networking too. Re-sharing content from others is a great way to easily involve yourself in industry conversations and connect with people   

What Not to Share on LinkedIn

User expectations are different on LinkedIn than other platforms like Instagram or Twitter. This is a more professional space, and your content should reflect that.

Here are a few things to say away from on LinkedIn:

1. Anything with a headline that poses a question
2. Controversial or political posts
3. Post highlighting personal information
4. Sales pitch posts

Every social channel has its own personality. LinkedIn is a space for business-focused thought leadership. Both companies and individuals have room to shine on the platform, and avoiding these common LinkedIn mistakes is part of what will make you successful. 

How to Make Your Content Stand Out

There’s tons of content on LinkedIn. Looking to cut through the noise? To make your content stand out on LinkedIn, try the following:

• Use eye-catching visual images
• Share content that offers real value to businesses in your industry
• Engage with people who comment on your posts

A LinkedIn survey of more than 9,000 members revealed that 44% of them said the last piece of content they read on LinkedIn was inspirational and straight to the point.

LinkedIn Content Should Reflect Your Business’s Goals

As you create content to share on LinkedIn, keep your business goals and branding at the top of your mind. Share and create content that’s relevant to your objectives and to your audience. Be helpful to your LinkedIn community. Think leadership, productivity, and support.

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