LinkedIn slideshows allow you to create visually engaging content directly within the LinkedIn platform. Slideshows are an excellent way to showcase products, demonstrate thought leadership, and share ideas and concepts with your professional network. Creating a LinkedIn slideshow is a straightforward process that can be done completely within LinkedIn. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to create stunning and effective slideshow content on LinkedIn.
Why Create a LinkedIn Slideshow?
There are several key reasons you may want to utilize LinkedIn slideshows as part of your content strategy:
- Slideshows allow you to combine text, images, graphics, and video into a visually compelling format. This can capture your audience’s attention more effectively than text alone.
- Slideshows help convey complex ideas, product information, processes, and other concepts in a simple, easy-to-digest way.
- A slideshow post stands out in the LinkedIn feed and can help drive more engagement than regular text-based posts.
- Slideshows are great for thought leadership content. You can demonstrate expertise by sharing tips, insights, and best practices via an engaging slideshow.
- Slideshows enable you to repurpose content from blogs, ebooks, presentations, and more into a native LinkedIn format.
- LinkedIn slideshows are shareable, allowing your content to achieve greater reach as your connections reshare it.
In summary, LinkedIn slideshows allow you to create visual, interactive content to engage your professional network. They enable you to showcase thought leadership, demonstrate products effectively, and repurpose existing content – all natively within the LinkedIn platform.
Step 1: Access the LinkedIn SlideShare Tool
To get started creating a LinkedIn slideshow, you first need to access the LinkedIn SlideShare tool. Here is how:
- Go to your LinkedIn homepage and log into your account.
- Click on the “Write an article” button in the upper right. This opens up the linkedIn publishing tool.
- Within the publishing tool, click on the “+” icon and select “SlideShare” from the menu.
This will open up the LinkedIn SlideShare creator tool where you can begin building your slideshow.
The LinkedIn SlideShare tool was acquired by LinkedIn back in 2012. So it is fully integrated as part of LinkedIn’s content creation capabilities. Using it is a seamless experience within the LinkedIn platform.
Step 2: Select Your Slideshow Layout
Once you access the SlideShare tool, you can start creating your slideshow. The first step is to select a layout. LinkedIn provides a variety of pre-made slide layouts and templates you can use.
To select a layout:
- Click on the “Slide Layouts” tab.
- Browse through the different layout options. Layouts are organized into categories like “Basic”, “Content”, “Comparison”, etc.
- Hover over a layout thumbnail to see a preview of how it will appear.
- When you find a layout you like, click on it to add it to your slideshow.
The layout you select will determine where content boxes, images, and other elements appear on your slides. Selecting the right layout for your content is key.
For example, choose a basic text slide for simple information. Or select a layout with a big image if you want visuals to stand out. Make sure to pick a layout tailored to the type of content you want to share.
You can add as many slides and layouts as you need in your slideshow. You can also mix and match different layouts throughout your presentation.
Step 3: Add Slide Content
After selecting a slide layout, it’s time to insert your content. There are a few key options for adding content to your LinkedIn slides:
Insert text boxes
Click directly on a text box in the layout to add your heading, subheading, body text, captions, and other text elements. You can include all the details, tips, insights, and information you want to share via text.
Add images
To upload images, click the “Add Image” button. You can select images from your computer or import them from a website URL. Be sure to only use high-quality images with relevant context.
Insert icons
Icons are a great way to visualize concepts and make your slides more engaging. Click the “Icons” tab to browse LinkedIn’s extensive icon library and insert relevant icons into your slides.
Embed video
You can include a video directly within your slideshow by embedding it. Paste in a link to a YouTube, Vimeo, or other video and LinkedIn will automatically embed it. Videos can help demonstrate processes or ideas dynamically.
Add charts or tables
To present data or comparisons, click the “Table” or “Chart” icon to add visual tables or charts into your slide. You can populate them with your own data and customize their appearance.
Take time to carefully compose each slide and make sure the content aligns with your goals for the slideshow. A combination of text, images, icons, video, and data visualizations will create an engaging, well-balanced presentation.
Step 4: Finalize Slide Design
Once your slide content is in place, there are a few final design tweaks you can make:
- Adjust font sizes and colors to ensure text is readable.
- Crop or resize images so they fit nicely within the slide.
- Change icon sizes or swap out icons for better visual representation.
- Tweak the placement or size of content boxes and elements.
- Add borders, shadows, or other design effects to content boxes.
- Select a branded color theme or background to match your company’s design aesthetic.
Spending time refining the visual design will elevate your slideshow and make information pop. Don’t forget to keep slides clean, text large, and elements consistent for maximum clarity.
Step 5: Add Slideshow Metadata
The final step before publishing your LinkedIn slideshow is filling out key metadata:
Slideshow title
Add a compelling, descriptive title that will capture attention and indicate what the slideshow covers. Include relevant keywords.
Summary
Write a short paragraph summarizing what the slideshow covers and key takeaways or insights. This summary will appear with your post.
Tags
Add relevant tags that relate to your slideshow topic. This helps LinkedIn catalog and surface your content to the right audiences.
Category
Select 1-2 categories that best describe your slideshow, such as “Technology”, “Leadership”, or “Design”.
Permissions
You can enable your post to be reshared publicly or limit resharing. Enable public sharing to expand your reach.
Filling out metadata fully optimizes your slideshow for discoverability on LinkedIn. This gives it the best chance of being seen by the audiences that matter most.
Step 6: Preview and Publish Your Slideshow
The final steps are previewing your slideshow and then publishing it:
- Click “Preview” to view how your full slideshow looks end-to-end.
- Review each slide, play embedded videos, and ensure content is displaying properly.
- Make any final edits needed based on previewing.
- When 100% ready, click the “Publish” button to post your slideshow to LinkedIn.
Once published, your slideshow will appear both on your LinkedIn profile and in the feeds of your connections who follow you. Slideshows on LinkedIn support comments and reactions just like regular posts.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Slideshows
Follow these best practices when creating LinkedIn slideshows to maximize quality and impact:
- Keep slides simple and text concise – avoid overcrowding slides.
- Use high-quality, relevant visuals to make key points.
- Break complex topics down into easy-to-digest steps or sections.
- Utilize slide layouts and builds to gradually reveal information.
- Include data visualizations like charts or graphs to showcase key data or research.
- Engage viewers with compelling questions, insights, or surprising statistics on slides.
- Stick to a cohesive color scheme and style for visual consistency.
- Ensure any embedded videos are relevant and kept short, under 2 minutes.
- Publish slideshows consistently to establish thought leadership over time.
Following slideshow best practices will ensure your presentations are polished, professional, and appropriately engage your target audience on LinkedIn.
Slideshow Ideas for LinkedIn
To spark ideas, here are some ways you can effectively leverage LinkedIn slideshows for your brand or business:
- Product tutorials – Demonstrate how a product works.
- Industry overviews – Provide state of the industry data and insights.
- Listicles – Share tips, best practices, or key considerations in a ranked list format.
- Progress recaps – Showcase milestones reached, growth metrics, or project updates.
- Event recaps – Share key takeaways, highlights, and photos from events.
- Case studies – Show how products or services were implemented for clients.
- Key announcements – Reveal product launches, redesigns, new content, or other news.
- Thought leadership – Position your brand as an authority by sharing research, trends, and insights.
Brainstorm slideshow topics and ideas that align with your content mission and audience needs. Consistently publishing quality slideshows on LinkedIn positions your brand as a trusted leader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about creating LinkedIn slideshows:
How many slides should a LinkedIn slideshow have?
We recommend sticking to 10 slides or fewer in most cases. This maintains engagement without overloading the viewer. For very complex topics, you can go up to 15 slides if needed.
What slideshow file types does LinkedIn support?
LinkedIn allows you to upload PPT, PPTX and PDF files in addition to creating slideshows natively. However, native SlideShare slideshows have the best cross-device compatibility.
Can I repurpose an existing slide presentation?
Absolutely. You can reuse slide decks from PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, and other apps. PDF files can also be uploaded and converted into click-through slideshows. This is a time-saving way to repurpose existing presentations.
Which is better – horizontal or vertical slides?
Horizontal slide layouts are preferred, as vertical slides can be harder to view in the LinkedIn feed on some devices. Stick to horizontal orientations when possible.
Can I update a published slideshow?
Yes, you can edit any LinkedIn slideshows you created at any time, even after publishing. Just re-open it and update slides with new content as needed. Then republish to share the updated version.
Conclusion
Creating slideshows on LinkedIn using the integrated SlideShare tool allows you to tap into the power of visual storytelling. Slideshows enable you to engage professional audiences with compelling multimedia content.
By following the step-by-step process outlined in this guide, you can produce high-quality LinkedIn slideshows that captivate viewers. Start developing creative slideshows that showcase your brand, products, expertise, company culture, or other areas you want to highlight.
Used strategically and consistently, LinkedIn slideshows offer an impactful way to be seen and heard in the LinkedIn community. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to start sliding your way to success!