LinkedIn: Reach your target audience with organic content

This is probably the most difficult question, especially at the beginning. Only 5.2% of LinkedIn users post regularly. So it can't be that easy. From experience, there is a simple tip, especially for getting started: Just imagine you are in a customer meeting. What are the added values of your offer? What do you do better than everyone else? Where do you have more knowledge than most people? And what would you tell your client about this in a conversation?

These questions provide a good starting point for what you could post to reach your target audience. LinkedIn is primarily about expertise and thought leadership content! LinkedIn recently announced an update in which they want to push this expert content more and give less visibility to more general posts. Anyone interested in IT knowledge and trends will want to follow IT experts on LinkedIn and read their posts. If you and your company offer something great in a specific area, then write as experts in that area (which you are, after all!).

Post about the problems you frequently encounter in your area of expertise, what you do better than others, what your followers should do differently in this area, discuss trends in the field, etc. Questions from your clients about your offering are also a good opportunity. If there are a lot of questions about a feature or if a particular topic is frequently asked about, write a LinkedIn post about it. The same applies to company news, trade fairs you are attending, milestones you have achieved, and other highlights. Sooner or later, users who are interested in your topic and are looking for a product or service for it will become aware of you – in other words, your target group!

Too many companies are still making the same mistake on LinkedIn: they write blog posts like this one with lots of information and insights on their own website. But on LinkedIn, they only post a short teaser that links to the website. This doesn't work very well on LinkedIn for several reasons:

1. Users on LinkedIn expect concrete added value on the platform itself. Many have little time and are reluctant to click on links, especially if the expertise is not proven and the content of the blog is not well teased.

2. LinkedIn itself also doesn't like it when you lead users away from LinkedIn. Posts with links are therefore often ranked slightly lower by the algorithm.

3. You separate the opportunity to interact with your followers from your blog post, thereby preventing genuine engagement. If users click on the link, they will in most cases no longer comment on or like your post. If they don't click on the link, they don't know enough about the topic and will move on instead of commenting.

A better approach is to give your users a summary with several nuggets of knowledge on LinkedIn! Write down the most important points and post them in abbreviated form. Create a compact white paper with the essential information and share it. Include links as a comment below the post rather than in the post itself – there are no longer any penalties for doing so.

LinkedIn posts are more long-lasting. The content develops somewhat and does not completely lose its relevance after a day. Nevertheless, the first few moments of your post are crucial. Comments, reactions, and clicks in the first 90 minutes can give your posts a real boost. It is therefore best to post Monday through Thursday morning, ideally before 8 a.m. This is when most users check LinkedIn and see your post “hot off the press.” Posting on Fridays and weekends makes less sense, as many people only use LinkedIn during the week. But keep your target audience in mind: healthcare managers are usually available earlier than event managers, for example—sorry for the cliché.

Basically, LinkedIn is not quite as content-hungry as other platforms. Especially in the beginning, it is enough to post just once a week to familiarize yourself with the platform. Once you have become comfortable with the platform and have enough content, 1 to 3 posts per week are very good for increasing your reach.

Frequently asked question: What format should my organic posts have? Of course, this depends largely on your topic, offering, and possibilities, but based on our experience, the following order can be established:

1. Videos perform best, but are the most time-consuming for many. You don't need a high-gloss production like a TV commercial – a good cell phone and an inexpensive clip-on microphone are enough (lighting and a simple editing program are also nice) – but for many people, it takes a lot of effort to stand in front of the camera, and especially in the beginning, it takes a lot of time to get good results. But no format currently attracts more attention and generates more engagement!
2. Carousels/PDFs are the most efficient, especially if you want to post knowledge content. Whether it's key messages from your post/blog or pictures from a trade fair, we recommend always converting them to PDF and publishing them as a carousel. This encourages users to scroll more, especially compared to the usual presentation of several images in one post. The format requires hardly any resources. The PDF can also be created via PowerPoint – but it's better if you have at least one template that clearly reflects your brand and stands out from the LinkedIn feed.
3. Simple images + text remain classics, but need to stand out much more. Ideally, use photos of people and other graphic elements to set yourself apart from the LinkedIn feed. Avoid blue unless it is your company color. Catchy headlines, ideally with emojis, are of course advisable for all formats, but especially here!
4. Surveys can be good points of contact, but should be used selectively, for example to get to know your followers and your general target group on LinkedIn better. How does the target group assess something? Which subtopics are particularly important to them? Where would they like to see something different? All these questions are very good input for you (you get an overview of all users who responded), and the results of the survey itself are a good reason for another post!

Hashtags play an important role on LinkedIn. They help other users discover relevant content and enable you to be present in relevant topic areas. They also allow you to reach users who are interested in your topic but don't know you yet. Therefore, choose appropriate and relevant hashtags carefully and use them strategically in your posts. For example, use industry-specific or topic-specific hashtags to address your target audience and increase your reach.

The rule of thumb here should be to use no more than 3 to 5 hashtags. More hashtags often lead to a limited reach. It can also reduce the authenticity of your post. If a hashtag appears literally within your text, you should also tag it there. The rest can be added at the end of the post.

If you want to grow organically on LinkedIn, simple posts are often no longer enough. Ideally, you should be active every day! Follow the hashtags you use yourself – this is important anyway for identifying trends – and comment on other posts as an expert in your field. This will draw the attention of users, but also other creators who will then want to interact with you. Respond to comments on your own posts and show interest in the opinions of others.

Also take advantage of the opportunity to network with other users and build connections. Mention and tag colleagues and other experts when it fits your post. This will draw their attention to you and they will spread your post further through comments, reactions, and shares. You should especially get your employees on board and ask them to share your company's posts and be active on LinkedIn themselves. This increases the authenticity of your posts and ensures significantly more reach!

Would you like to learn more about how you can reach your target audience with organic content on LinkedIn and build reach for yourself and your company?

Then let's schedule an appointment to develop a solid LinkedIn strategy for you and your company. Feel free to send us a quick email!