LinkedIn has become more than just a professional networking platform—it’s a space where influencers are driving conversations, sharing insights, and expanding their reach. But how do you create LinkedIn posts that stand out and generate engagement like a top influencer? Let’s break it down.
What makes a LinkedIn post go viral?
Going viral on LinkedIn (just as on any other platform) isn’t just about luck—it’s about understanding how the platform works. Viral posts capture attention quickly, provoke thought, and encourage interaction in the form of likes, comments, and shares.
Unlike other social media platforms, LinkedIn’s audience is primarily professional, so the content that works tends to revolve around industry insights, personal experiences in the workplace, or motivational stories that connect with the challenges people face in their careers.
The formula top influencers use for engagement
Top influencers on LinkedIn follow a specific formula to maximize their post engagement. It starts with a strong hook—something that grabs the reader’s attention in the first few lines. This could be a question, a bold statement, or a personal anecdote. Influencers also ensure their posts invite interaction, whether through a question that encourages comments, a poll, or by asking for opinions.
How storytelling increases shareability
One of the most powerful tools influencers (and you) can use to increase shareability is storytelling. People are naturally drawn to stories, especially those that reflect personal challenges, successes, or failures. By weaving a story into your post, you create an emotional connection with your audience. Storytelling also humanizes your content, making it more relatable and less transactional. On a platform like LinkedIn, dominated by professional achievements and polished profiles, a well-told story can cut through the noise and leave a lasting impression.
Steps to create engaging LinkedIn posts
Today, I am bringing you a couple actionable steps you can take to create LinkedIn posts that really capture attention:
Choosing the right topics for your audience
Think about what matters most to the people you’re connected with: Are they looking for career advice, industry trends, personal growth tips, or business strategies? Pay attention to the content that already performs well within your network. Study which posts get the most comments and shares and take note of the topics that are sparking conversation. Then, craft your post around a similar subject – while offering your unique perspective or insights, of course.
The importance of hooks, structure, and formatting
The hook is arguably the most important part of your post. Since LinkedIn only shows the first few lines before readers have to click “…more”, your initial sentence must draw people in. Try a provocative question, an unexpected fact, or a bold opinion.
Once you’ve hooked your audience, ensure your post is well-structured. Break it up into short paragraphs to make it easy to read and use bullet points or emojis to highlight key ideas. LinkedIn readers tend to skim, so make sure your post is scannable while still providing valuable content.
Additionally, formatting matters. While LinkedIn doesn’t support rich-text formatting like bold or italics, you can use line breaks, spacing, and special characters to make your post visually appealing. Or try these tricks to format your text even on LinkedIn.
Mistakes to avoid when posting on LinkedIn
Even with the right strategies, it’s easy to make mistakes that can undermine your post’s performance.
Why overly promotional posts don’t perform well
It’s rather tempting to use the platform to push your products or services. But hard sales tactics don’t resonate well with most users. LinkedIn is a place for building relationships, sharing knowledge, and providing value, not for bombarding your audience with ads. Instead of being overly promotional, focus on providing helpful content that addresses your audience’s needs.
The best time to post for maximum reach
According to buffer.com, posts tend to perform best between 7 AM and 4 PM. on weekdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays are often seen as the optimal days for posting (between 10 and 11 AM), while weekends typically see less engagement.
