What type of content is best for LinkedIn?

What type of content is best for LinkedIn?

LinkedIn stands out as a premier platform for professionals with its strong presence of founders, c-suite executives, and entrepreneurs sharing their stories and work. While you may think everybody is competing for attention on LinkedIn, only 16% of its weekly users post content consistently.

With these users posting in multiple different industries to multiple different audiences, you can make your mark. That begs the question though of “Which content type is best?” - let’s talk about that.

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How the LinkedIn Algorithm Works

Before diving into the best type of content, let’s first look into the algorithm itself and what you must optimise for when sharing on LinkedIn. Like other social media platforms, the algorithm will push content that receives interactions which includes likes, comments, and saves, but the two that stand above all others are shares and reposts.

These are the most valuable metrics as when a post is shared, one user is bringing another (or more) back to the platform, which means that the company can then show more ads to this other user and make more money.

It’s simply a case of what is in the interest of the company, and showing posts to others is just that - in their interest.

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Types of Content That Perform on LinkedIn

With that being said, let’s dive into the best content types to share on LinkedIn, no matter the subject being covered.

Carousel Posts

With a limit of 300 slides, carousel posts are a fantastic way to establish your presence on LinkedIn. Most of these posts have 5-15 slides and contain lists of some sort. From “Top 5 mistakes” to “Best tools to use for…”, it offers a lot of content and design freedom.

Here’s the framework your carousel should follow:

1. Slide 1: “Title” slide with the subject of the post, the author (you), and any social proof (screenshots, messages, etc).
2. Slide 2: A deeper look into the positives of the post. More social proof and results generated.
3. Slides 3-7: Here are the steps where you share the value
4. Slide 8: Bonus page where you share a code, a link, or anything that the viewer can implement and see even better results
5. Slide 9: CTA

This framework has its subtleties and can differ in length, but following this framework will ensure that viewers get hooked and scroll through to get all of the value they need.

You can get inspired by users such as:

Lara Acosta

Justin Welsh

Anthony Sutton

Luke Matthews

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Single Image Posts

Next up are single image posts, these can range from a lifestyle picture with your favourite quote, a screenshot of a tweet (see example here), or any ongoing projects you or your company may have in the works.

This content type is especially to grab a user’s attention and act as the “headline” to your post. Using single images can be a good way to showcase more personality and authenticity as we often see people share an image of themselves.

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Video Content

This type is hitting LinkedIn by storm (as of July 2024) and for good reason. It’s a strong way to connect with an audience and incentivize engagement while growing your presence. This “Short-form” content requires a bigger investment when it comes to the creation of it, from the setup and editing to the time spent recording, it requires a much more robust strategy and plan.

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Plain Text

This being the most common content type of LinkedIn, a plain text post is easy if you’re on the go and want to share a quick thought or make a small announcement. This style doesn’t typically perform as well as the others but can still be effective if you’re already well-established on LinkedIn.

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Best Practices for LinkedIn Content

Consistency & Frequency

Consistency is key on LinkedIn. Regular posting keeps you top of mind with your audience and ensures that you practice the skill of content creation. Posting on weekends is not necessary as we see a strong decline in usage.

Understanding & Engaging Your Audience

Know your audience and tailor your content to their interests, needs, and pain points. This increases the likelihood of engagement and helps build a loyal following. Whenever a user interacts with your content, it is key to engage back by replying to their comment, sending a connection request, or even sending them a direct message.

Showing your viewers that you are present and listening to them will encourage them to engage in the future.

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