4) Share relevant posts with individuals you are connected to on LinkedIn whom you know would appreciate the content, such as clients and partners.
5) Share your LinkedIn posts with your own e-mail list.
6) If you have a LinkedIn company page, you can share your post there as a status update and even run a paid LinkedIn ad to promote the post.
Leverage LinkedIn Pulse
Posts that are published by LinkedIn Influencers AND all LinkedIn members are aggregated and curated into LinkedIn Pulse. If you are not yet familiar with LinkedIn Pulse, it is quickly becoming the definitive online news and content resource for professionals everywhere.
There is also a very powerful Pulse mobile app that has been rebuilt from the ground up. This mobile app curates content customized for you from news sources and articles published by LinkedIn members and influencers that you follow. This means that your LinkedIn posts will potentially show up to your connections and followers on the Pulse mobile app!
Within LinkedIn Pulse, published posts that have been curated by LinkedIn’s editorial team are showcased across multiple channels. Currently, there are over seventy official channels, and some have millions of followers.
Finding the LinkedIn Pulse homepage is a bit challenging. This is currently where it lives.
You will definitely want to visit the LinkedIn Pulse homepage to review and select all of the channels (and Influencers) you wish to follow.
It is also a good idea to review these channels and the posts within them to better understand the topics that LinkedIn members are interested in reading about. In particular, review those channels that are most relevant to your industry, market, or niche.
Source Topic Ideas from LinkedIn Pulse
Study what top LinkedIn Influencers are writing about on LinkedIn. What are the top posts from your favorite influencers or the influencers in your industry? Note the headlines that capture your attention as well.
Study top posts in the LinkedIn Pulse channels that you follow. Which topics have received more engagement? Review the comments on those top posts. Many times, comments can reveal questions that may not have been addressed in these top posts. You can learn from these insights and write an even better post.
How to Get Your Posts Featured by LinkedIn Pulse
If your LinkedIn post is picked up by the LinkedIn Pulse editorial team, it can gain major visibility and potentially go viral.
Although it isn’t easy to get featured, it is very possible. In a joint study conducted by Percolate and LinkedIn7 that analyzed top-performing posts on LinkedIn Pulse, more than half of the best-performing posts were written by everyday people!
The best way to get a post featured on LinkedIn Pulse is by writing about a topic that corresponds to one of the many LinkedIn Pulse channels, and tagging or categorizing the posts using appropriate channel names.
For example, I recently wrote about the topic of my most valuable career mistake and tagged my post with “career management” and “career development.” The post was featured by LinkedIn Pulse in the “Careers: The Next Level” channel.
If you write a great post that gets featured on a high-profile and heavily populated LinkedIn Pulse channel, you can earn significant post visibility, engagement, and reach. Additionally, your post can be republished on LinkedIn partner websites and blogs outside of LinkedIn!
Getting your post featured in LinkedIn Pulse is no guarantee that you will see lots of views or engagement. I’ve had a handful of posts featured with varying performance. It depends on the channel, the topic, the relevancy, and the timing of your post.
LinkedIn Post Analytics
A feature added to the LinkedIn Publishing Platform in 2015 was the ability to view stats for your published posts. You can view your stats on a post-by-post basis. Visit each post individually and click the “View Stats” button.
This post data shows you the percentage breakdown of the top industries, job titles, locations, and traffic sources of those who have viewed each of your posts. The traffic sources data includes views that have come from outside of LinkedIn.
Your post stats also show you exactly who on LinkedIn has liked, shared, or commented on your posts! There are numerous ways to leverage this information.
For each like you receive, you can visit the profiles of these individuals and send them a thank-you message or invitation to connect. For each post share that you receive, you can click to view the actual share on LinkedIn and publicly thank the person for sharing! You can also see who has commented on your posts and respond accordingly. I recommend responding to as many comments as you can, especially those that are polite.
Review the LinkedIn profiles of the people who have engaged with your posts and consider sending invitations to connect. After all, these are the professionals who were most interested in what you had to say.
To achieve meaningful results through the LinkedIn Publishing Platform, you will want to commit to becoming a true thought leader and publish your insights regularly.
I have seen LinkedIn members get really excited about having access to the LinkedIn Publishing Platform only to stop a few months later. Don’t be concerned that there are more than one million publishers on LinkedIn at the time of this writing. That is less than 1 percent of all LinkedIn members, and much of that content is low quality. Also, many people publish one post never to publish again.
If you do commit to publishing on the LinkedIn platform, I do believe you will reap the reward of building your influence, growing your network, and attracting more of your ideal clients. This is your chance to stand out and establish yourself as the thought leader you are!
Conclusion
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This brings us to the conclusion of Linked to Influence. I am excited for you to put these seven rules into play with your LinkedIn presence, so that you can experience the power of building your personal influence.
LinkedIn represents the most important professional opportunity in history for establishing your credibility, building your influence, and growing your business. Don’t wait! Go and tap this vast virtual network for all that it has to offer you. Your brand in the digital age is YOU. It is not your company. Continue to develop that personal side of your brand and keep growing your professional network on LinkedIn, so that you have a solid foundation to build upon for years to come. I promise that you will not regret it. It doesn’t matter if you are changing careers, launching a new company, or looking to transition from an established business. LinkedIn can help you accomplish all of your professional goals!
All the best,
Stephanie Sammons
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Connect with Me
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I enjoy connecting with my readers online. Below are the places you can find me. Make sure to mention that you read my book, Linked to Influence!
Website/Blog
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Thank You
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Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to teach you about how to use LinkedIn to become a top influencer in your market and attract your ideal clients and customers.
If you enjoyed the book and you truly learned from everything I’ve shared with you, I would certainly appreciate your feedback. The best way to leave your feedback is to write a review of the book on Amazon. Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts with me!
About the Author
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Stephanie Sammons is a corporate renegade turned entrepreneur. She left her 15-year corporate financial services career in the midst of the global financial crisis at the age of 40 to pursue her dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
As an entrepreneur, Stephanie went from being completely ‘unknown' in the digital business and marketing industry to emerging as a top thought leader and influencer. She’s been named a Top 30
Marketing Thought Leader and Top 25 Social Media Expert by LinkedIn.
Stephanie’s work with entrepreneurs and business owners across the globe combines her high-trust relationship marketing and selling experience with modern digital media and social networking strategies. Learn more at www.StephanieSammons.com.
Notes
[←1]
Rob Cross is a University of Virginia Professor in the McIntire School of Commerce. The research referenced in this passage is derived from a Harvard Business Review article co-authored by Rob Cross entitled “A Smarter Way to Network.”
[←2]
Source: Power+Formula 2014 LinkedIn User Survey by Wayne Breitbarth.
[←3]
Ron Burt is a University of Chicago Professor and leading academic researcher on how social networks create career and business advantages. http://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/b/ronald-s-burt
[←4]
A media survey by Arketi Media Group revealed that over 94% of journalists and editors are on LinkedIn, and 62% rate it as their preferred professional networking tool.
[←5]
Reid Hoffman Blog:http://reidhoffman.org/information-age-networked-age-network-literate/
[←6]
Percolate Blog: “What we found when we analyzed the top 1000 posts on LinkedIn” (https://blog.percolate.com/2015/03/top-1000-posts-linkedin-marketing-analysis/)
[←7]
Percolate Blog: “What we found when we analyzed the top 1000 posts on LinkedIn” (https://blog.percolate.com/2015/03/top-1000-posts-linkedin-marketing-analysis/)
Table of Contents
Linked to Influence
Introduction
The LinkedIn Opportunity
Do You Need a Premium LinkedIn Account?
Making the LinkedIn Commitment
Linked to Influence
Influence is the New Authority
How Do You Build Personal Influence Today?
Personal Influence and LinkedIn Go Hand in Hand
Chapter 1—RULE #1—Power Up Your Profile (with Precision)
Your LinkedIn Profile = Your Professional Identity
10 Reasons Your LinkedIn Profile Matters for Business
Professionally “Personalize” Your LinkedIn Profile
A Personalized LinkedIn Profile Can Break Through the Digital Barrier
Understanding the Value of Profile Views
The Role of Your LinkedIn Profile in Driving Referrals
The Importance of Completing Your Profile
Put Your Best Face Forward
Craft a Compelling Headline Statement
Use Keywords in Your Profile Where They Count
Customize Your LinkedIn Profile URL
Customize Your Profile Website Link Descriptions
Craft a Compelling LinkedIn Summary
How to Showcase Your Work Experience
List Your Educational Background to Expand Your Network
Collect and Showcase Your Endorsements
Make a Human Connection through Rich Media Content
Think Outside the Box with “Projects” and “Publications”
Add Your Volunteer Work, Awards and Certifications, Associations, and Causes
Include Contact Information in Your Profile
Add Your Interests and Leverage for Connection
Connect Your LinkedIn Profile to Your Twitter Account
Set Your Profile Up for Maximum Visibility
Profile Discovery in LinkedIn Search
Promote Your LinkedIn Profile
Why You Need a LinkedIn Company Page
SlideShare
Chapter 2—RULE #2—Build a Smarter Network
The Three Advantages of a Smarter LinkedIn Network
The LinkedIn Network Effect
Who You Know Still Matters
Build a “Right-Sized” LinkedIn Network
The Power of an Open Network
Understanding and Leveraging LinkedIn’s Social Graph
LinkedIn “New Connection” Etiquette
Send Personalized Thank-Yous to New Connections
Import Your Existing Contacts into LinkedIn (and Make LinkedIn Smarter About You)
Leverage Your Unique Market Opportunities
Find the “Low-Hanging Fruit” Connections
The Value of Your 2nd-Degree Connections
Pay Attention to Shared Connections
Connecting with People You Don’t Know
View Profiles of the People You Wish to Connect With
Use LinkedIn Groups to Make Relevant Connections
Find Potential Connections with LinkedIn’s Advanced Search
Connect through Other Social Networks First
Make New Connections through Companies
Connect through Content Engagement
Build Your Smart Network On The Go
What Are Followers and Do They Matter?
Use Discretion When Accepting LinkedIn Invitations
Make Smart Network Building a Top Priority
Chapter 3—RULE #3—Grow Your Visibility through Value
Build Your Network Influence with LinkedIn Status Updates
Understand Who You Are Connected To
Post Universal Status Updates
Personalize Your LinkedIn Status Updates to Increase Engagement
Be Consistently Active…
The Practice of Proximity on LinkedIn
Leverage LinkedIn Pulse
Consider Using Status Update Formats That Work Well
Share Your Own Content
Post Status Updates to Twitter Simultaneously
Participate in Group Discussions
Use the @mention Feature in Your Status Updates
Engage with Status Updates Posted by Your Network
LinkedIn Notification Settings
LinkedIn Tools for Increasing Your Efficiency
Chapter 4—RULE #4: Network Smarter
Get Them in Your 1st-Degree Network
Be a Giver on LinkedIn
Leverage the 80/20 Pareto Principle
Gather Intelligence about the People in Your Network
Engage in “Five-Minute” LinkedIn Favors
Notice (and Act) on the Little Things
Become a Connection Specialist on LinkedIn
Become a Master at the “Circle-and-Fill” Method
Develop Strategic Partnerships
Showcase and Promote Your Connections Using LinkedIn @mentions
Give Endorsements and Recommendations
Connect Online and Offline Experiences
Stay Informed About Your LinkedIn Network
Exporting and Leveraging Your LinkedIn Data
Network On the Go
Chapter 5—RULE #5: Go One-to-One
LinkedIn’s Modernized Messaging Platform
The Four Types of LinkedIn Messages
Linked to Influence Page 15