LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 850 million members. With so many professionals and businesses on LinkedIn, creating engaging content that captures attention is critical for building connections and driving results. But what type of content performs best on LinkedIn?
The Importance of Engaging Content on LinkedIn
Engaging content serves multiple purposes on LinkedIn:
- Attracts viewers to your profile and keeps them interested
- Establishes you as an industry thought leader
- Drives traffic to your website or blog
- Generates leads and new business opportunities
- Builds relationships with prospects, customers, and partners
- Enhances your personal brand and company brand
With engaging content, you can spark discussion, increase shares and likes, build your audience, and position yourself as an authoritative voice in your field. But not all content performs equally well on LinkedIn.
Types of Engaging Content on LinkedIn
Here are some of the most effective types of engaging content on LinkedIn:
Thought Leadership Articles
Thought leadership articles allow you to showcase your expertise on important industry topics. Aim for timely subjects that your target audience cares about. Offer unique perspectives and actionable insights. Articles should be substantial at 1500+ words to come across as authoritative.
List Posts
List-based posts are highly scannable and easily digestible. They work well for how-to advice, tips, rankings, comparisons, and more. Use numbered or bulleted lists to make the content easy to consume. Lists perform well because readers appreciate well-organized, skimmable content.
Infographics
Infographics simplify complex information into an easy-to-understand visual format. They capture attention in the LinkedIn feed and are ideal for statistics, trends, process flows, timelines, and other data-driven content. Ensure your infographic delivers a compelling headline and key takeaways upfront.
Case Studies
Case studies tell a story about how you helped a client succeed. They build trust by showcasing your products or services in action. Focus on client challenges, your solutions, and tangible results. Use quotes, images, infographics, and videos to bring the story to life.
Q&A Posts
Question-and-answer style posts engage your audience by letting them submit questions on hot topics. You answer the most frequently asked questions. This content connects by addressing the specific concerns on your audience’s mind.
Behind-the-Scenes Content
Give your audience a peek behind the curtains with behind-the-scenes photos, videos, and stories. Show them what goes on at your company events, office, workshops, etc. The insider’s view helps humanize your brand and builds rapport.
Curated Content
Curating and sharing relevant third-party content shows you’re plugged into what’s happening in your industry. It positions you as an expert who analyzes the latest news and trends. Add your perspective or commentary to make the curated content more meaningful.
Video Content
Video has become a go-to format on social media. On LinkedIn, video generates high engagement, especially when covering trending topics, how-to advice, company culture, and industry commentary. Keep videos short at 1-2 minutes for maximum impact.
Newsjacking Posts
“Newsjacking” refers to content that capitalizes on current events or news to produce timely commentary. With newsjacking posts, you ride the momentum of trending stories to weigh in with your expert perspective. The timeliness results in high viewership.
Webinars and Virtual Events
Webinars and virtual events offer valuable educational content while showcasing your brand. Live video events allow attendees to engage with you and each other through chat and Q&A. Record the event and break it into smaller segments to extend the content.
Best Practices for Engaging Content
Keep these best practices in mind when creating content for LinkedIn:
Focus on the audience | Tailor the topic and tone to align with your target audience’s interests. |
Solve a problem | Offer practical solutions to challenges your audience faces. |
Inspire discussion | Ask thoughtful questions to spark conversation in the comments. |
Optimize formatting | Use lists, headings, images, and videos to make skimming easy. |
Share insights | Provide data, research, expert opinions, and real-world examples. |
Blend media | Incorporate visuals like infographics, charts, and visual statistics. |
Use storytelling | Build narratives through case studies, behind-the-scenes, and Q&A. |
Highlight benefits | Focus on how your content helps the audience achieve their goals. |
Check engagement | Analyze likes, comments, shares, and clicks to see what resonates. |
Most Engaging Content Formats on LinkedIn
Let’s examine research and LinkedIn engagement data to reveal the top-performing content formats:
LinkedIn Articles Rank High for Engagement
LinkedIn’s built-in blogging feature allows you to publish long-form articles natively on the platform. According to LinkedIn, articles see 2x more engagement than native videos and 3x more engagement than other content formats.
Articles have the length and depth to establish thought leadership. LinkedIn visitors favor this content because they can consume it without leaving the platform. Publish your articles directly to your LinkedIn profile to maximize reach.
Native LinkedIn Videos Outperform External Videos
Uploading videos directly to LinkedIn, rather than linking to YouTube or elsewhere, yields much higher viewership. Native videos get 5x more engagement than external videos embedded on LinkedIn.
Native videos autoplay as followers scroll their feed. They also appear more prominently on profile pages. Keep your videos short and focused to cater to the LinkedIn audience. Analyze your video metrics to optimize future video content.
Visually Rich Content Grabs Attention
On LinkedIn, posts with images receive 98% more engagement than text-only posts. Visuals make content more eye-catching in the feed and easier to consume at a glance.
Infographics, photos, charts, visual statistics, and slideshares with graphics are highly engaging. Ensure visuals are high quality, tied to your narrative, and designed for quick comprehension.
Discussion-Driving Posts Increase Involvement
Content structured as a debate, poll, or open-ended question drives 2-3x more comments than standard posts. Engaging your audience in a discussion gets them actively involved.
Pose thoughtful questions on industry trends, current events, or topics important to your followers. You can also share two opposing viewpoints and ask which they agree with. Respond to comments and share key takeaways to keep the dialogue going.
Lists and How-To Content Rank High
Lists and how-to posts consistently rank among the most engaging content on LinkedIn. This practical, scannable content resonates because it directly helps solve problems for the reader. Lists simplify complex topics into easy-to-digest nuggets.
Cover how-to topics like optimizations, best practices, action steps, and process improvements. List content can range from tips to tactics for success. Number your points for maximal skimmability.
Conclusion
On LinkedIn, the most engaging content leverages formats designed for the platform’s professional audience. Long-form articles, native videos, visual content, discussions, lists, and how-to posts tend to generate high levels of engagement.
Keep your audience’s interests top of mind and aim to help them. Optimize your content for LinkedIn’s feed with strong headlines, striking visuals, and concise, value-driven text. Analyze your metrics to see which topics, formats, and styles perform best. With these strategies, you can create engaging LinkedIn content that drives meaningful results for your brand and business.