Do You Need To Boost Your Reach With LinkedIn Pulse?

Tips and Insights from LinkedIn Pulse Expert Publishers

Ever since LinkedIn first introduced its publishing platform over two years ago, LinkedIn Pulse has been gaining in popularity.

In March 2014, the professional social network had 277 million users. In April 2016, they have reported 433 million users. And, the announcement of a Microsoft merger is set to give LinkedIn users even a better platform for professionals.

But, not all 433 million users are making the most out of LinkedIn Pulse. In spite the potential to reach thousands of readers, many are taking this opportunity for granted.

Why You Should Be Publishing on LinkedIn Pulse

Blake Morgan, Author/Speaker/Adviser, was an early adopter of LinkedIn Pulse, having started in March 2014. When asked why she decided to publish on the platform, she says: “LinkedIn posts can reach people you might not engage on other networks. I like to post my content to a variety of channels to ensure it reaches as many readers as possible.”

After publishing on LinkedIn for well over two years, Blake is seeing the benefits. “You’re reaching people in your professional network (literally) who are more likely to share and comment on the articles than in other places. Another bonus of LinkedIn is people don’t have to sign in a second time to post on the content, they’re already signed in. LinkedIn offers an active and engaged global network. While you might get a ton of readers, the readers you do get are generally valuable because they engage with the content.”

Elena Di Fiore, Director of HR Management Consulting, is another one of those who’s seeing the benefits of writing on LinkedIn. “A distinct advantage is that the published post will reach a wider audience using the Published Posts function given the content sits in Pulse for the world to see. I feel that Status Updates are limiting as a short burst of information and can get lost amongst maths problems and inspiring quotes.”

Another LinkedIn Pulse pro is Erica Stacey, Owner and Digital Marker at Scout Digital Marketing. When asked about the advantages of being on this platform, she says: “The two main advantages to publishing on LinkedIn are: 1) The notification that my connections receive that I have published a new post (which encourages them to read it), and 2) The ability to access a new network of readers, through the viral notifications about my posts in the feed, and other LinkedIn users browsing topics via tags etc. The format also easily encourages feedback in the way of comments, likes and shares which is an advantage, both for wider reach, and understanding what resonates with my readers and why.”

Top Tips from LinkedIn Pulse Publishers

If you’re keen to give LinkedIn Pulse a go, these experts share their top three tips –

Follow Elena on LinkedIn

Elena says:

1. Create a conversation that will encourage readers to engage, comment and stay tuned for future published posts.
2. Impart suggestions and tips from your own experience that will benefit others.
3. Link to other published posts / sources of information within your post, to add further credibility to your post.

Follow Erica on LinkedIn

Erica says…

1. Understand the difference between what should be a Post and what should just be a normal LinkedIn update. To me, a valuable Post contribution is an original piece of writing; a blog post, news item, or opinion piece. If it is simple a link to someone else’s article with perhaps a one sentence introduction, use the Update feature.
2. Follow the same best practices for writing and formatting for the web, and keep in mind that many people are reading Posts on smartphones or tablets. Make use of white space with regular paragraph breaks, and formatting with headings, bullet lists, and even images, to make posts easy to scan and read.
3. Make use of the 3 category tags that you can include at the base of posts, and choose relevant ones for your piece. This will assist with reaching a wider audience.

Follow Blake on LinkedIn

Blake says…

1. Don’t purely publish a press release or sales piece pushing your company. No one likes that.
2. Spend time commenting on other people’s writing and ideas. Being a good content creator is as much about listening as it is about posting your own stuff.
3. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not seeing big numbers right away—remember it’s not just about quantity but quality of readers.

Some Useful LinkedIn Pulse Resources

If you’re ready to start publishing on LinkedIn, here are some helpful resources –

• Publishing Long-Form Posts on LinkedIn
• LinkedIn Editorial Calendar (2016)
• How to Publish on LinkedIn Pulse: A Beginner’s Guide

Parting Words on LinkedIn Pulse

“I’ve always thought of LinkedIn as the office, Facebook the pub and Twitter as the watercooler. Use each platform with purpose, and you might be surprised who’s attention you’ll grab.” – Elena Di Fiore

“I used to think that publishing Posts in the morning generated the best reach, as it gave most of the working day for people to read (and I used to find that LinkedIn received most of its activity during the working day) but I’m finding these days that people are using LinkedIn throughout the day (and night) so timing doesn’t appear to be as much of a factor (for me now, anyway). Use good quality header images, that you are allowed to use, and credit the creator if they are not your own. Respond to people’s comments and shares. Browse Pulse to read and respond to other people’s posts.” – Erica Stacey

“Don’t add people on LinkedIn without having a reason to, such as you met them or you have a shared connection. If you don’t know them write them a personal note about why you’d like to add them. Another good rule of thumb is to not add someone on LinkedIn and pitch them immediately. Lastly, don’t auto-add the emails of your LinkedIn contacts. I can assure you if you do this to build your list none of these people will ever help you in any way or support anything you do. Otherwise remember to have fun—LinkedIn is a great opportunity to build your network.” – Blake Morgan

Are You On LinkedIn Pulse?

Do share your top tips and your profile below. We’d love to hear from you!