Stop missing out on LinkedIn’s content marketing power

You’ve crafted the perfect profile, collected your endorsements and made a bunch of connections. So what’s left to do on LinkedIn?
A lot. If you’re only using LinkedIn to tell the world how amazingly awesome you are, you’re missing out on a powerful opportunity to increase your online authority through content marketing.
In fact, LinkedIn is quickly positioning itself as a top player in the content marketing world. The social network not only gives you a platform to share your content, but also produces some impressive content itself:

• LinkedIn Pulse delivers timely news and information tailored to your interests. It includes blog posts by top influencers and publications, as well as channel-specific stories.
• The network’s official blog publishes timely and evergreen topics appealing to business professionals, marketers and job seekers.
• LinkedIn’s 2012 acquisition of SlideShare extends its content strategy to the world’s largest community for sharing presentations, a platform increasingly popular with business owners.

So how can you take advantage of LinkedIn’s focus on content marketing?

Here are some things to consider when sharing your content on this business-savvy network:
“Think about changing the mantra from always be closing, to always be helping.”
This is what Jonathan Lister, the Vice President of Sales Marketing Solutions for North America at LinkedIn, said during his 2013 keynote address at Content Marketing World.
During the keynote, Lister talked about the type of content that resonates on LinkedIn – successful articles from thought leaders and influencers like Bill Gates and Sir Richard Branson, who share business insights that range from tactical to motivational.
When developing your content, Lister suggests taking a step back and reflecting: “Is this helpful?” If it isn’t – if it’s more about sales than support – your content won’t resonate. You can view his complete SlideShare below.
Why LinkedIn Is Going “All-In” with Content Marketing from LinkedIn Marketing Solutions

Consider a mix of organic and paid.
Jason Miller, LinkedIn’s Senior Manager, Content Marketing & Social Media, recently told TopRank’s Lee Odden that the next step after learning to effectively write for your audience is “to put some paid amplification behind that content.” He said:

“Paying to promote your own good content in the feed is the crown jewel of social media marketing and it’s on our doorstep. I always say that organic is good, but paid is better. Paid will extend the life of your content and ultimately make it easier to tie back to your business goals. But to do that you need a plan, and you need to find what works, then scale.”

LinkedIn is making it easier than ever to amplify your content with paid options through its content marketing services, which include sponsored updates, content ads and other content solutions. Use both organic and paid tactics to make your content work harder for you.
Leverage Groups and Pages.
LinkedIn Groups are a place to connect with professionals in your industry or with similar interests and share content, find answers, post and view jobs, make business contacts, and establish yourself as an industry expert.
They’re a great way to connect to both prospective customers and influencers in your market space. The key, however, is to balance pushing your own content with contributing to the conversations with no agenda. Again, here is where helping must come before selling. Make genuine connections and share you content where it feels appropriate and authentic.
You can also use your Company Page to share content updates with your followers. And a recent addition, Showcase Pages, allows you to extend your Company Page. They’re designed for spotlighting a brand, business unit, or initiative and are another key avenue for content sharing along a specific channel.
Research and test topics.
LinkedIn is a great place to see what’s trending in your target industries. Browse the latest news for inspiration. Review what competitors or prospects are sharing and liking. You can even pitch your latest blog post or business idea within appropriate Groups to get instant feedback and suggestions.
Because LinkedIn’s audience is highly professional, it’s a great platform to get open, honest feedback in real time. Use it to strengthen your content even before you write.
Expand your reach with SlideShare.
As mentioned above, LinkedIn now owns SlideShare, a fantastic platform that allows you to repurpose your content to reach new audiences.
You can read all about why we love SlideShare in our recent post, “How to use SlideShare to get more from your content“. But one area that has us really intrigued is LinkedIn’s content marketing solutions via SlideShare.
Katie Blair of ExactTarget recently shared her experience with the feature in a case study:

“The ad unit pulled our deck directly from SlideShare, allowing viewers to flip through the slides within the unit. We saw increased interactions with the ad versus typical display – and we were able to become more strategic in our advertising and demand generation initiatives to deliver targeted, relevant messages at the right time.”

This last tip incorporates many of the above: creating helpful content, and using the organic power of LinkedIn and SlideShare paired with paid content marketing solutions to drive engagement. It’s another great opportunity from LinkedIn to build your online authority and expand your content reach.
For more information on why marketers are using LinkedIn to get more savvy with content marketing, check out the infographic below.
We want to hear from you! How are you using LinkedIn to share your content? Add your tips in the comments below.
(Photo: Nan Palmero.)