5 Practices That Help Me Get 15,000+ Views on Each LinkedIn Post
No-BS advice to get you started building a personal brand and attracting leads on LinkedIn.
No-BS advice to get you started building a personal brand and attracting leads on LinkedIn.
As I’m writing this, I have just above 7,500 followers on LinkedIn. But the average views on my posts are in the range of 15,000–20,000, and sometimes even more.
Currently, LinkedIn is the only platform on the internet where my average views per post are higher than the number of people who follow me. The organic reach is incredible, and the opportunities it has opened up for me are beyond what I’d ever imagined.
I’ve received several podcast requests and writing gigs just by posting on LinkedIn. A few days ago, one of my posts went viral (500,000+ views in 24 hours), landing me a long-term writing commitment that’s boosted my monthly income manifold.
If you’re still not convinced why developing a presence on LinkedIn is a great way to build a personal brand, here’s why experts think you should publish content there:
- A backlog of relevant posts provides more value to connections who view your profile.
- Publishing valuable content on LinkedIn positions you as an authority on your topic.
- Your network can share your LinkedIn post, opening you up to a larger (and previously unreached) audience.
That said, starting out on a new platform can be intimidating, and LinkedIn is no different. It took me six months of floundering around to finally find my footing and “crack the code” which has led me to where I am today.
To help new writers out, I’ve dissected five of my best-performing posts and curated the five things common in all of them. If you’ve just started on LinkedIn or are considering doing so, this post will give you the foundation to build your empire upon. Read on, and let me know your thoughts in the comments.
1. I make sure there’s something for everyone
In the past month, I’ve only been writing about freelancing and building a career for yourself by writing about what you want.
It’s a very small niche. After all, not everyone among LinkedIn’s 740 million members is seeking to build a career by being a writer.
So, what do I mean by there’s something for everyone?
Basically, all my recent posts were very accessible to anyone who reads them. There’s a story with proper introduction, rising action, conflict, and resolution.
In essence, I don’t share information, I tell stories. This is a great way to grab a reader’s attention and make sure they keep reading until the end.
It doesn’t matter if my stories are targeted to a very niche audience. Because my first line hooks the reader, people will be more inclined to click on it and keep reading.
Key takeaway
No matter what your post is about, share it in the form of a story.
2. I show my personality, not just my work
It might seem like good news that only about 1% of LinkedIn’s users post on a weekly basis. But even that small percentage means about 7 million people share content weekly.
To stand out, you can’t do what everyone else is doing.
Most common LinkedIn advice would tell you that to make it big on LinkedIn, you need to talk about work and replace “friends” with “colleagues.” But if everyone does that, you won’t have anything to set your content apart.
I call that advice bs and say that you can write about anything you want, as long as you make sure the reader is the protagonist of the story.
I talk about self-love, creativity, confidence, and several other topics. Sure, I’m trying to build a personal brand as a writer, but before that, I’m a human being, and no human being is one-dimensional. Writers (as well as digital marketers, company CEOs, developers, and pretty much everyone else) are allowed to have more than one interest, and sharing about them will only endear your followers to you.
People love following people who seem warm and genuine, and the only way to appear genuine is by being yourself. You might alienate a lot of people who only come to LinkedIn for work updates, but you’ll attract a tribe of people who whole-heartedly think as you do, and I’d call that a win.
Key takeaway
Don’t only post about work. Share glimpses of who you are as a person.
3. I “trend-jack”
Trend-jacking is when a creator “hijacks” a trend or news to capitalize on a current topic and strengthen their association with their core target audience.
Whenever there’s some trending news affecting your target audience, hop onto the bandwagon and talk about it. You might agree to the general consensus or offer a completely contrary opinion. What matters the most is that your post is relevant to the reader and helps them in some way.
When you talk about a trending topic, the algorithms push your post further to more people’s feeds. And if you take an authoritative stance on the topic, you can as well establish yourself as an expert on it.
Key takeaway
Stay up-to-date with what your target audience is interested in and post about the topics trending in that field.
4. I invite conversation at the end
You might have noticed this in the screenshots I’ve posted so far that I end all my posts with a question prompting the reader to share their thoughts in the comments.
This increases engagement on your post and pushes it to a wider audience as the connections of all the people who commented on your post will also be able to see your writing on their feed.
This has another surprising benefit as well. Even if a “silent reader” doesn’t want to join in on the conversation, your question at the end will make them want to click on the comments to see what other writers are talking about.
A great way to take advantage of this is by adding a CTA in the comments. I usually add a link to my newsletter so I can still continue sharing my work with my readers in the worst-case scenario that LinkedIn and all other social media platforms suddenly shut down or kick me out.
Key takeaway
Encourage readers to comment on your posts by asking something thought-provoking at the end.
5. I don’t use *only* text
You might hate me for saying this, but I add a picture to almost every post on LinkedIn. The amazing stats prove this strategy is performing really well.
Gone are the days when just text is enough to keep your readers glued to the screen. You might hate me when I say all my popular posts have a relevant picture attached, but that’s how things have worked for me.
Pictures add vitality to your posts and make people more curious about what they’ll see when they click “See more.”
If you use your own pictures related to what you’ve written about, it helps the readers connect your face with your words and feel more intimately connected with whatever experience you’ve written about.
Key takeaway
Show your face on LinkedIn so your readers feel more connected with you.
Closing thoughts
LinkedIn, like all social media platforms, is highly personal, and every creator has a different path to success. What worked for me might not work for you, but I’m sure the mindset shifts will be helpful.
Summing up, here are the key points of what helped me succeed on LinkedIn and how you can apply them to your profile too:
- Share stories, not just information. Make the reader feel something, and you’ll remain on their mind for a long time.
- Show other facets of your personality. Be genuine. Don’t only talk about work.
- Post about the current trending topics your target audience might be excited about.
- Involve the reader in your story and encourage them to take part in the discussion by leaving a comment. You can take this up to another level by commenting on other people's status who post about similar topics as you.
- Don’t just share text. Add pictures so your readers can attach a face to your voice and feel connected with you on a deeper level.
Have you used any of these tips on LinkedIn before? Have they worked for you? Do let me know in the comments.
If you’re new on LinkedIn and are excited about trying out these tips, I wish you all the best. If you’re looking for some guidance or a quick chat, feel free to leave a comment or drop me a DM on LinkedIn, and we can get started.