‘Bring personality to your content’ - tips for using LinkedIn in 2024

O f the social media platforms I use, LinkedIn has some of the most useful content for the work I do.

It helps me to keep an eye on the latest industry news and see what our clients are talking about, as well as what’s grabbing the attention of journalists.

However, content on the platform wasn’t always so engaging. LinkedIn has seen huge change since it was created in 2003, when it started out primarily as a tool for job searching. Even over the last few years as the platform has grown, the type of content posted on it has become more personal and less business-like.

I asked Mark Williams, LinkedIn guru and host of the Informed Podcast, a few questions about how the platform is changing and where he sees it developing in future.

Q. We’re seeing more people sharing their personal lives on LinkedIn – but how much is too much?

A. Firstly, we need to define what we mean by personal content. Is the post sharing a learning or milestone in someone’s career, or is it about something that has happened in their family life? If it’s the latter, this is not always the best approach when you’re trying to generate new business.

Equally though, people buy from people – so it’s good to share personal content occasionally. One mistake that businesses often make is relying on company pages. It’s rare that posts on these pages do well. The best and most authentic way to reach your audience is through individual profiles. People want to see content with personality, so you should be seeing LinkedIn as a networking tool, rather than a marketing one

If you’re seeing too many personal posts in your LinkedIn feed, my advice would be to start engaging with the type of content that interests you. If you’re not active enough, the algorithm will simply feed you LinkedIn’s most popular posts – which are often those personal ones.

"People buy from people - so it's good to share personal content occasionally."

Mark Williams

Q. In your opinion, how can businesses and business leaders make best use of the platform today?

A. I’d suggest developing a personal brand that is really you, getting out there and engaging with others on the platform. A lot of people worry that what they post will reflect badly on their employer and are afraid to stick their head above the parapet. But posting regularly and connecting with other users – without being too political – benefits the company as much as it does the individual.

Q. A couple of years ago, LinkedIn was one of the best platforms for organic reach (the number of people seeing a post without paid promotion or advertising). Is this still the case, or has reach dropped?

A. The debate around organic reach seems to rear its head every year. Naturally, as the platform has become more popular, posting has become more competitive – and so organic reach has dropped. This has ranged from a 30%-50% drop this year.

Another factor influencing the decrease in organic post reach is fewer posts going viral – particularly personal posts which are reaching and being shared by lots of people. LinkedIn doesn’t encourage virality. In fact, it has changed its algorithm to support posts that share expertise, rather than those that are looking purely for engagement.

People need to judge their content less on impressions, though, and more about whether their content is resonating with the right people. Are they reaching the target audience? Delivering your message to the wrong people is of no use whatsoever. What matters is a clear message, communicated through the type of content that best suits your audience.

Q. LinkedIn is slowly but surely introducing video content into our feeds. Do you see this as a positive thing, or should it be left to other social media platforms?

A. Videos are available on both desktop and mobile, but the new dedicated video feed is currently only accessible through the mobile app. This feature highlights LinkedIn’s effort to attract younger social media users, who are accustomed to seeing videos on other platforms. I believe this is a positive and strategic move by LinkedIn. Right now, short, snappy videos offering quick tips seem to be performing best.

Thanks to Mark for sharing his insight. You can find him on LinkedIn here.