Linkedin has become a powerful tool for promoting your blog and other articles you have written. I’ve personally seen how Linkedin pushes new visitors to my blog every day – more so than any other type of social media I use, even more than my website.
But how exactly do you go about effectively marketing your content on Linkedin? It can be overwhelming to research and analyze what each of your connections is doing in an effort to “keep up with the Joneses” So I thought I’d make it simple for you. Here is a list of seven ways to promote your blog on Linkedin – at no cost and with a very small time commitment.
- Use the long-form post feature
In August, Linkedin made the announcement that all members would be allowed to utilize their long-form post feature, not just influencers. What this means to the mass majority of us is that we are now able to format an article or blog post (with title, photo, hyperlinks, everything) and post it as you would a status update. Additionally, this content becomes part of you professional profile, is shared with your connections, allows people to subscribe to follow your posts and shows up in search engines (on and off Linkedin).
Yeah, this is a pretty obvious and essential tool to take advantage of if you’re looking to promote your blog on Linkedin. One extra tactic I always include is that at the end of every blog post, I insert hyperlinked text that will take readers to the original article on my blog. You’d be surprised how many people click on that link and read through other posts on your blog.
- Make it a status update
Why make your blog just a long-form post? You can also share the link directly to your blog as a status update. Ideally, you should wait a few days to do this after posting your long-form post to maximize and prolong the impact. You can also share your link multiple times with a different question or comment to spark discussion.
The benefit of sharing the link to your blog as a status update several times over the coming days and weeks after publishing is that you will hit a different audience with each update. Depending upon what contacts are checking their Linkedin newsfeed at any particular moment, your multiple status updates will increase your reach and broaden your audience.
- Share it in relevant group discussions
Don’t overlook the power of all those groups you joined. You can join in meaningful conversation with fellow group members by sharing your blog. I’m a member of various groups; some are targeted at connecting with potential clients, some are targeted at connecting with fellow industry professionals and some are geographically relevant to my business.
Depending upon the topic of the blog I’m promoting, I carefully select the right groups. I don’t just blast out the link to every group out there, otherwise I risk looking “spammy” and turning off the audience I’ve cultivated.
- Include a compelling intro/question
Whether you’re sharing your blog as a status update or in a group, it’s most important to remember to craft a compelling introduction or pose a question to accompany the link to your blog. It’s absolutely worth the few extra minutes it will take you.
Think about what makes your blog relevant to each audience. Why should they care enough to read it? Don’t just say “Hey, look at my latest blog post!” Give them something of value or ask for their input. Once you begin implementing this tactic, you will be amazed by the increased number of views, likes and comments you receive!
- Comment on other people’s posts
You get what you give. This means if you want to increase your number of subscribers or comments, you must also become a subscriber and commenter. Make it a goal to subscribe to one new interesting Linkedin publisher a day and comment on three other people’s latest post. If that’s too ambitious, bump it back to every week.
No matter the frequency at which you engage with other people, it’s most important that you make an effort and do so consistently. Becoming a valuable member of the Linkedin publisher community is not only about sharing quality content, it’s about contributing to the conversation which includes engaging with the content produced by other members as well.
- Add it to your profile’s portfolio
As I mentioned above, Linkedin’s long-form post feature will automatically place your posts under the “posts” section of your profile. That’s great for promoting each individual post on Linkedin, but what about promoting your blog as a whole? You can and should utilize the “portfolio “section of your Linkedin profile by adding the link to your (wordpress, blogger, etc) blog. You can include a graphic with this to really capture viewers’ attention and bring your blog to life.
- Add it to your profile as a publication
Finally, be sure and add your blog as a “publication” on your Linkedin profile. This allows you to display your blog’s name, link, when you started it and a short description to give readers a feel for the type of topics you feature. This is a very professional-looking way to promote your entire blog while ensuring that it is always easily accessible to connections who visit your profile.
What other ways have you found to effectively promote your blog on Linkedin? Share your tips and tricks by commenting below!
The Comm Entrepreneur 
thanks alot for the tips, i will try these out i had a linked in account, But i haven’t Checked it for once.
There are some tips there i dont know how to activate, but i hope to when i get there.
Linkedin can be a very powerful marketing and networking tool! I’d certainly suggest keeping up with your account and familiarizing yourself with the different features.
Okay Stephanie, another great post. Thank you for breaking it down and sharing valuable tips. Linkedin is a powerful social media. I have not been able to keep up with it. Your post certainly hits the spot.
Glad you enjoyed it! I’m glad to have found these tips to successful for my own blog, so of course I wanted to share.
Good tips.
There is something I’m not sure of – If you post your blog post as a long form update – AND use it as a blog post on your website or blogging platform – surely that breaks Google’s no duplicate content rule and can get you blacklisted? I would think that you’d either have to change the content quite a lot or just use a summary of the blog post on your long form Linked In update – if you want to use the same material? Am I missing something?
Hi Chene! You are correct that Google could see this as duplicate content, but several things are worth considering when breaking this “rule.” First, by linking back to your original blog in the long-form post, this will reference your blog as the original content. Next, by waiting several hours (even better, a day or two) before posting the blog post to Linkedin, you will again help to establish your blog as the original content in the eyes of search engines. Finally, SEO isn’t everything. You have to consider your audience and how you reach people. Only in rare instances have people found my site via a Google search and moved down the sales pipeline to become a client. Most of my referrals are word of mouth or from 2nd and 3rd degree connections. I stand to gain much more (and have) by publishing my blog on Linkedin than I would risk with a slap on the wrist from Google. I recognize that this is not the same for every business, so it’s worth considering the pros and cons and making the best decision for your own personal marketing strategy. Cheers! –Stephanie