Episode description

If you are using social media to promote your business, you might get frustrated from time to time.  You think of something wonderful to post online and write it out carefully, checking your spelling and grammar.  Choose a nice photo to go with it and post it.  Away it goes, into the ether.  And you wait to see if anyone will click like.  Or comment.  Or even better, send you a message via messenger or email. 

But all you get is crickets.

And in the meantime, you see other people posting stuff that regularly seems to get huge engagement. But they are saying the same thing as you!  Aren’t they?

The focus of today’s podcast is to discuss all the weird and wonderful hacks that people use,  with the belief that it will boost their engagement on LinkedIn.

Before we dive in though,  I want to let you know the real way to get engagement on LinkedIn.  

1.  Identify who you are talking to
2. Share something that starts a conversation or helps them in some way
3. Always have a call to action – ask a question or spur some sort of action after they read your post
4. Engage with other people’s posts  

I have been working with an amazing client recently on a series of linkedin strategy sessions.  At the end of each hour, we discuss ‘homework’.   This varies for each individual client (as does the training – it depends on what you need help or strategy on!).  My client’s homework was to write an article for LinkedIn that spoke directly to her ideal client.   Within 2 hours of posting this article, she has already received three comments.  Which is fantastic for a LinkedIn article in 2020.  I expect many more people will leave their thoughts in response to this piece during the next few weeks.  

I don’t believe in hacking the system.  You can use any or all of the following tricks that people suggest but if you share genuine content that your audience is interested in, you will win business on LinkedIn.   Being aware of what works for you is not a hack – I think learning how a social media platform works, what works ON it, and measuring your results is a far better use of your time. 

1.   Some suggest using hashtags that are not relevant to your post e.g. hashtag#innovation

Innovation has 38 million followers. 

However – my work is NOT about innovation. And interestingly, I did attract the attention of some linkedin users to comment on my post, who are not in my network and after they posted, I was pretty sure I won’t be adding them any time soon! 

I recommend you choose hashtags that relate to what you are saying – then someone who follows that hashtag is much more likely to be interested in, and engage with, your content. 

This is a highly debated topic amongst LinkedIn users.  Some will publish their post and go back to edit it, and add in the link.   Others will put links in the comments.  

Why does it matter?

The theory is that the algorithm doesn’t like you sharing content that takes the reader off LinkedIn. I actually wonder does the reader decide he/she doesn’t want to go off linkedin!  IF you consider the high volume of people accessing social media through mobile apps n (57% of linkedin users),  they are scrolling through the posts on that platform and it would take a high interest story to take them to another site.  

Gary Gleeson made the following point - . I have tried putting the link in the comments and the reach does increase, but I still prefer to post using schedulers as I am always busy working then.

Hubspot research a few years ago suggested  the best days to post content on LinkedIn are between Tuesday and Thursday, either early in the morning, lunchtime or early evening. 

Having read some of the comments on my own original post, I think a lot of my network read Hubspot because they mentioned the 10am slot on a Tuesday morning.  Of course, what if you work internationally?  Then all bets are off! 

I would suggest this applies to professionals – if your target audience is a small business owner this may differ.  There is some suggestion that the senior C-suite execs are more likely to engage after 8pm at night! 

Having a quick review of my last four weeks, my most popular day is Thursday … hmmmmm

So test this out for yourself! 

Some people will recommend you for work even though they have never even had a conversation with you. 

This is interesting.  Why would you recommend someone whom you have never worked with?  Back in the day this was very common practice on LinkedIn.  

LinkedIn used to ask you to endorse up to eight of your contacts regularly.  And I believe it became a little irrelevant.  This option has now gone.  An improvement! 

Maybe it depends on your line of business. But for me, followers for the sake of followers makes no sense. Am I missing something? I’m looking to LinkedIn as a place to curate a specific tribe of people for reciprocal support, resources, and those most likely to do business with me. So my tactics here are very strategic. Is that wrong? hashtag#LinkedInInfluencer 😉

The people recommending me for skills they couldn’t possibility know I have is utterly baffling to me. What’s behind this? Is it the modern day form of you scratch my back I scratch yours? So that I’ll owe you something in the future? 

What is an engagement pod? A group of people who collaborate together and post/comment on each other’s content

I have talked about this on the podcast before and I did use this method about a year ago – but for many reasons, I stopped.  You find the same people commenting on each others posts every day. It is time consuming.  You have to comment on something you may not actually find relevant.

This could be a good opportunity for a time management exercise. If you are in an engagement pod, how much time does it take you each day? Would your time be better spent connecting with your own potential clients? 

Not using a scheduling tool, because it effects your reach. 

 Many of my connections on LinkedIn have said using a scheduling tool can have a negative impact, the general consensus seems to be for native posting. 

However, if your time is limited, choose where to spend it. And if scheduling your posts in advance, or hiring a virtual assistant to schedule them for you works for you, then carry on.

In the last few days I've seen: - Liking your own posts - Tagging yourself at the end of your own post - "I'll connect with everyone who comments below"  

These are all 'tricks' currently in favour in early 2020. The best advice I can give you is to create interesting content that your audience want to engage with, and not to get weighed down with trying to beat the algorithm on any social media platform.

There is "the golden hour" - posts which get a lot of engagement in the first hour after publishing always go on to do well. How do you know when this is? Watch your own posting schedule and see what time of the week works for your own audience. If you have time, respond to comments on your post in that first hour and measure how effective this strategy is.

Then be strategic - what works for your audience? What do they want to know about? Build a genuine network around your profile on LinkedIn, and engage with them.

Consider how much time you are spending trying to get more clicks or likes - and decide if your time would be better spent on InMail or better still, picking up the phone and calling your prospects.

To get help with your LinkedIn strategy, why not schedule a discovery call today.

Here’s a belter which is a sure fire winner, Louise. Find people on LinkedIn you don’t know and then send them a connection request. Maybe even make it a personalised one. Then as soon as they accept send them a DM saying, “BUY MY STUFF. BUY MY STUFF. BUY MY STUFF.” It works every time. I made 7 figures just last week using this “hack”.

I would love to find out what other 'hacks' you have been told about for LinkedIn and whether you try them out or not... 

www.louisebrogan.com