Holding up LinkedIn sign

‘Going Viral’ On LinkedIn

Holding up LinkedIn signFor anyone who’s never heard the phrase ‘going viral’, it doesn’t mean you’ll get the flu for a week. Going viral is when you hit internet fame out of nowhere. It’s when the video of your cat falling in the bath gets two gazillion views overnight, and suddenly Tiddles is demanding a six-figure salary.

Turns out that going viral and the professional social media site: LinkedIn, go quite well together. In fact it can do big things for your career if you hit that ultimate internet achievement of going viral.

Let’s face it though, LinkedIn is hardly a good place to be posting cat videos or frog memes; so how do you go viral on a seemingly straight and narrow social media platform?

The truth is there is no one way ticket to stardom on the internet, but there are a number of things you can do to improve your chances of being recognised on the professional circuit. This comes down to two main considerations: the quality of content you create, and the tactics you use to get it out there.

Content you post should be solid. It needs to be readable and engaging, as well as shareable. So the question on your lips right now must be “how do you make engaging content for LinkedIn?” Let’s have a look.

Be the boss

Sometimes it really is as easy as knowing your field. Read publications and blogs to keep up to date on the industry. Attend relevant events and post about them. Be part of the relevant circles on and offline.

Make yourself available for questions. There’s no guarantee that it’ll get you going viral, but when you have a wealth of knowledge you’ll never be short on interesting pieces to write – and that’s what’ll get you shared.

Be a bookworm

Bookworm sounds kind of derogatory, but I mean make sure you read a lot of other professionals blogging and publishing for your industry. Take around 30 minutes a day to read up, making this part of your job. Going that little bit above and beyond will make you stand out.

This will help you find the best of what is being put out on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to share it and include your own thoughts if they’re relevant. This will make you stand out as a thought leader in your chosen network.

Don’t overdo this one though, as you don’t want to flood your newsfeed to the point where colleagues won’t read it. Only share those articles that are truly brilliant.

Be the question master

What are the most discussed points of contention in your industry? Write about them to help demystify the topic. If you can do this and make it interesting; including your own perspective, people will engage with you.

Pretend that your knowledge would normally come at a price, but that you’re giving the reader a little taster for free. This is a great way to get people sharing your content, as everyone loves a freebie right?

Go against the grain

When it comes to knowledge there is one major issue – common knowledge is common. You should look for ways to get outside of the box in your industry. This will make your content more insightful and engaging for the reader.

Sometimes people will disagree with you here, but it’s a good way to generate discussion and ultimately get you noticed on LinkedIn.

Publish during work hours

Much like posting in the evening on Facebook for all your friends to see, post on LinkedIn during work hours. LinkedIn is generally ok to use at work, so posting outside of work hours might result in your content being lost to the world.

You may want to consider scheduling posts to ensure that they hit LinkedIn at the best of times.

Make it visual

This one can be a bit of a bone of contention, as using images can appear tacky. It’s recommended not to use images in your posts, unless you’ve got the quality content to back it up.

Making things visual can work towards catching someone’s eye though, so it might be worth the risk for some extra hits.

Summary

With business turning online these days, it’s super important to have a robust online presence. Having that gusto on your LinkedIn puts you in the line of sight for potential employers, and all too often these days people are getting job offers through this platform.

Be warned though, it’s all about quality and not quantity – putting your best foot forward and not jumping in with both feet first.

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