Whether you have been using social media professionally for years or you are just getting started, it’s hard to know what is true, what works and what we should avoid, but the more informed you are and the more time you spend learning about social media, the more equipped you are to reach your target audience successfully.

Today we are talking specifically about LinkedIn, which is a networking platform where professionals come together to share information, ideas, and expertise with their connections.

The questions I hear frequently about LinkedIn are:

What kind of content should I be posting to LinkedIn?
What’s the best time of day to post it?
How many hashtags should you be using?
And how does all of this impact the famous LinkedIn algorithm?

Start by being authentic

The best thing you can do on LinkedIn, as well as other social media platforms, is to be authentic and talk about what’s important to you and your career.

LinkedIn is a place to have authentic conversations with fellow business owners, entrepreneurs and corporate employees. Because Linkedin is a professional network, you will see people from all levels of organizations—some looking for new jobs while some are seeking to make connections for both professional and personal growth. It’s important to keep your conversations and interactions professional and to make sure people feel safe and comfortable.

So how exactly do you create engagement and increase your reach on LinkedIn?

Here are 5 ways to create engagement on LinkedIn:

1. Use relevant & quality content

It’s very important to keep your content as up-to-date as possible. This will set you up as an expert in your field and will create engaging conversations with your target audience.

Your audience is following you for a reason, they want to hear from you and want to be educated and informed in your area of expertise.

They don’t want to be told the same thing over and over again and read the same thing they previously read from your competitor; they want to hear your opinion and want you to teach them about your experience. They want quality content and information over quantity.

In other words, you don’t need to post every day and multiple times a day, but make sure that when you are posting that the information is what your audience wants to hear and read about.

Make sure you are giving them valuable information that will make them want to come back for more and to read all the content that you are putting out there.

2. Create and join relevant LinkedIn groups, and participate in discussions.

This will help you increase your network and reach a wider audience. LinkedIn groups are a great place for you to meet new like-minded people and to have discussions about topics that you are both passionate about. This is a great spot for you to set yourself up as an expert.

Groups are a place where you can set yourself apart and have others want to connect with you and see what else you can teach them.

Because groups are open to everyone, you never know who you will meet in them. It could be your next client, or if your future clients aren’t in this group, maybe they know someone who could benefit from your products or services.

Essentially you never know who needs your products and services, so making new connections is never a bad thing! If you haven’t joined any groups on LinkedIn, then go explore a little bit!

Are you a member of groups but have never commented or participated? Set some time aside and do that now!

3. Optimize your profile and make sure it accurately reflects your current experience and accomplishments.

Have you updated your profile on LinkedIn recently? It’s easy to forget to update your professional profile when you change your services or take online courses. Make sure your profile reflects everything you have to offer and is updated regularly.

I always tell my clients and students that if someone doesn’t know what you do—aka what you sell—then they will definitely not buy from you! Make sure your profile reflects what you do, what you want to be known for and what you want to sell.

4. Make sure your posts are shareable and encourage users to share your content.

Make sure that your content is easily shareable and that it’s relevant to your whole audience and not just a small fraction of people. The more valuable and the more applicable you make your content, the more people will connect and resonate with it. When people see your value and connect with what you are saying, they are more apt to share it with their followers.

Want people to share your content with others? Be open and actually tell people that you want them to share it! Make it easy for them to do so, and use a call to action to tell them what you want them to do next! Sometimes you need to give it a little push and encourage others to do it.

5. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s advertising options to reach the right people and increase your reach.

No matter how much value or how often you post on LinkedIn, you won’t reach everyone in your audience with a single post. When you have a message you really want to land, consider doing a paid post or ad to reach the right people.

As on most platforms, paid advertising is a lot of trial and error, so don’t get discouraged if your first paid post or your 10th doesn’t reach the potential you wanted to!

Build relationships and make connections

Like most social media platforms, LinkedIn is a platform where you need to build relationships and make connections. It’s not a platform where you can simply put a profile up, never post and expect it to work for you.

It’s a platform that is best for diversifying the types of content you post to see what drives the most engagement with your audience. Experiment with different types of content and figure out what your audience engages with the most.

My final advice to be successful on LinkedIn is to have fun, build connections and set yourself up as an expert. You have come a long way as a business owner/entrepreneur, and it’s time others discover you and learn from your expertise!

Still have some questions and not sure where to start on LinkedIn? Book a Discovery call today, and let’s get your Linkedin account working for you!

5 ways to increase engagement and reach on LinkedIn