Anatomy of a great LinkedIn publisher post: steal these 7 killer elements
Months ago LinkedIn opened its Publisher platform beyond the small group of big-name Influencers. Publishing on LinkedIn can be a total game changer, but only when you do it right.
So, let’s look at someone who’s definitely doin’ it right.
It’s career expert, J.T. O’Donnell and she’s got all the right junk in all the right places (LinkedIn-wise!)
(Wanna see the actual post on LinkedIn? Click here.)
Published back in June 2014, this baby has gotten some eyeballs.
Over 700,000 views
Over 2000 likes
Over one thousand comments. (And they’re still pouring in!)
This post is building the author’s fame factor 24/7 because:
- It includes internal links within the post to relevant posts and pages on her website.
- It has a call to action to Follow her and visit her website to solve specific problems.
- It includes her book and a link to buy it.
Let’s break down the individual elements of this superstar LinkedIn post:
1. “Read me NOW” title.
5 Reasons You May Not Want to Work for Google
This one hits so many hot buttons:
- It includes a number. (We loves our numbered lists.)
- It’s counterintuitive (what? Why wouldn’t I want to work at Google? I must know now!)
- It uses a well-known name (Google, duh.)
2. Easy-on-the-eyes layout
The article itself is clear and organized. It uses lots of short paragraphs, with some bold subheads mixed in, for variety.
And content-wise, it’s a winner. After explaining her five reasons, she offers advice on what to do instead. That gives the reader a concrete action, beyond just bursting their lifelong fantasy of joining the Googleplex.
But look toward the end of her post. This is where brilliant marketing (and fame boosting) comes on like a freight train…
3. She includes links to relevant posts on her own site.
And mixes advice with a subtle – and relevant – offer.
“Just a friendly reminder: don’t start networking with your Interview Bucket List until you’ve optimized your LinkedIn profile.”
Follow that enticing blue text and you’ll end up on her website where she (surprise, surprise, surprise) offers a paid service optimize your LinkedIn profile. Genius!
4. Tell the reader what to do next.
She asks for comments with a specific question. (People are more likely to comment in response to a specific prompt, rather than a generic request to comment.)
5. Entice the reader to connect with you
This post could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. When you publish on LinkedIn, encourage readers to follow you. And invite them into your home on the web.
See how J.T. invites the reader to follow her on LinkedIn and lists two other links to her website? Do that.
6. Demonstrate credibility
Ready for more magic? Check out how J.T. shows an image of her book (with a link to Amazon, natch) along with a subtle promo for it. She knows that being a published author gives her credibility as a career expert.
7. Offer free resources
At the end of the post, J.T. clearly tells readers how to connect with her on LinkedIn, plus puts it right out there that she isn’t available for free consulting. (Which is a smart timesaver!)
Then, she closes with a link to the free resources on her website. Brilliant.
Your fame boosting assignment:
If you’ve been invited to publish on LinkedIn, steal these fame-boosting ideas and let your post make you famous on Google!
And if you’re still waiting on your invite to publish on LinkedIn, guess what? These tips are perfect for blog posts on your own website, too. Start sprinkling some of your magic on us, superstar.
I just recently tarted taking advantage of the “publisher” privileges… I gotta admit… make me feel like a rockstar! But you have pointed out some valuable strategies I haven’t taken advantage of… So I’ll be sharing this resource with my VA so we can take full advantage of the free advertising this brings with it 🙂
I saw how you took action immediately and included your free offer there, too. Way to go, Kelly!
Lori, I have also published on LinkedIn before, and as a Content Creation Coach I love the platform for the visibility and interactivity. I love the advice you’ve provided here, especially since you have used a specific example. Super helpful!
Thanks, Sarah. I always learn best with a specific example myself. And I’ll bet that LinkedIn is a rockin’ platform for what you do.
AS always – you knock it out of the ball park Lori! And, the anatomy thing is a great learning tool! thanks
Hi Lori, WOW, thank you for this post. I was invited to publish on LinkedIn but I had no idea what that is. My VA said that she can take my blog and paste it there. I did not do it so far. Now I know more I will implement more. Great information!
Now that you know, you can go go go! Thanks, Irina.
Lori, this is such an interesting post. What does it mean to get an offer to be published on Linked In? Thanks for your insights on the anatomy of a killer post (for LI). =-)
You always do a great job!
Aww, thanks, Frances. LinkedIn has featured articles written by well known figures for a year or so and recently they’ve opened that feature up to more LinkedIn users. Over the last few months some LinkedIn users have been invited to publish, but soon LI will roll it out to all users. Essentially, instead of just status updates, you can publish longer blog post-style articles on LI.
Thanks, Lori, for sharing this example. I liked all 7 tips and will try to implement them even on other media.
Perfect! I agree, the 7 tips work for any publishing you do, online or offline. Go Lilia.
Thanks for stopping by, Lilia. And I agree – you could use the tips for any form of publishing or even presenting.
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