Social media has long been known to be a place to share almost anything imaginable. From Facebook to Twitter, Instagram, and many others, people talk about everything they see and hear. But things are a little bit different on LinkedIn.
For sure, LinkedIn is not like Facebook, and you shouldn't go all out there because it's a social media dedicated for professionals and businesses.
But still, LinkedIn shares the same DNA as Facebook and others. All of them are social media platforms. Even though you may not want to share all of your personal news, thoughts and updates on the LinkedIn platform, there is still a way if want to do it.
What you need to know is that: because people are expecting others to be professional, most of those people will likely be surprised if they see personal contents and thoughts being shared.
However, If you can do it right, your post has the change to have more reach and engagements, more than your regular 'business' posts.
Further reading: How To Use Trends To Improve Your Business Campaign
LinkedIn's News Feed, Explained
While LinkedIn isn't as popular as Facebook or some others, it is still having a big influence in the social media sphere.
When users post a status update, article, video, or any other type of content to LinkedIn, the social media will use its algorithms to analyze the post in order to determine whether it's a spam, a violation of its terms of service, or other red flag type content.
If the post passes this filter, the content will then be shown to a segment of users, primarily to 1st degree connections and followers.
Then LinkedIn analyzes each and every interaction the post has, from engagements to likes, comments, shares, etc.. LinkedIn calls this "velocity," and it plays an important role in getting the algorithms to further increase its reach from mere tens of people to thousands of more people.
What Type Of Content That People Actually Like?
It depends. But it can be explained.
LinkedIn is a business-oriented social media meant for professionals. But the thing is, users are humans, and no humans are the same.
What this means, different people will have different opinions and views regarding a post.
Unlike Facebook or most other social media networks, there aren't that many engagements on LinkedIn. How many people do you know on LinkedIn who send you invites or messages? To most people, the answer is rare.
On social media, your friends aren't usually your "friends", and that fact is even stronger on LinkedIn because everyone there sees each other as business opportunities.
To increase the likelihood of people seeing you differently, the strategy is to find and connect to other users that share the same or opposing thoughts, and engage them with in an authentic, but relational and close to "real life" selling conversation. This should increase the value, because after all, humans are still humans.
The idea here is to build trust and 1-on-1 relationship with a prospect. After having a relationship, selling products and/or services, will become a natural extension of that exchange.
Your Personal Thoughts, In a Professional Manner
Every people in the world, and on social media, has different opinions. The nature of social media, is to leverage that diversity, by making communication and sharing easy.
Rather than keeping your personal things to yourself, saying a bit more about your current view on, for instance: politics and religion, can appeal people. Why? because different opinion is one of the things that powers engagements.
But for the sake of LinkedIn, always deliver your thoughts in a professional way of speaking.
In short, the posts that include your personal thoughts, should be all about getting others to know you better, like and also trust you.
While it certainly doesn't have to be too personal that may spark controversies, but the content should be at least authentic, without having to offend others in an aggressive way.
For example, play with the common thoughts and culture, and get to detail them in your own opinion. Say what you like and dislike, without having to be like endorsing or hating something. It's all about reaching more people. and this is where you need to be a kind professional with a big mind.
Know What People Want, And Be Real
Fake and faking things, won't do any good for you.
More than ever, especially on social media, people are craving for authenticity and transparency. In the age where everyone is a journalist, fake news is everywhere.
To make others trust and like you, always share things that are authentic and real, and share those thoughts to those that have the same experience as you. Here you can put their mind to a test, or challenge their own thoughts against yours.
As the largest professional platform for professionals, LinkedIn has users that often speak and share things in an awkward manner. This is to no surprise, because people are expecting others to be professional, regardless who they are. People see each other as prospects, as a result, most of those people will be surprised if they see personal contents and thoughts being shared.
No, you should not post your personal photos, because there are plenty of other social media to do that. Instead, you need to find the sweet spot of mixing your real, authentic and personal stories or experiences, into your posts that also incorporate your business thoughts and life lessons.
Because humans are always humans, being unique won't hurt you. If done correctly, the strategy will put your posts further up because you yourself can be an influencer, in a professional way.
Further reading: LinkedIn For Your Professional And Business Promotion