4 Steps To Grow Your Audience On LinkedIn
Feb 19, 2021
LinkedIn is commonly seen as a tool to connect with your professional network, but it is also a rich environment to expand your network to entirely new audiences.
One of the lesser known features on LinkedIn is a newsletter page. If you’re not familiar, these are regularly published articles, typically about a specific topic. Any user can subscribe to the page and be notified when a new article is released.
Newsletters get recommended by LinkedIn to audiences even outside of your network. With a consistent schedule and good content, your reach can grow exponentially.
To give you an idea, when I started my newsletter, LinkedInsider, I had more than a few hundred subscribers within one week of launching it with minimal promotion. Many of my subscribers are entirely outside of my network; this exposure has opened the door to new conversations that I may not have had otherwise.
All those eyes on your content can drive traffic to your profile and business. So, where do you start?
1. Pick a newsletter topic.
Think about your network and the audience you want to reach. What insights can you offer to them that will elevate your business and keep readers coming back for more?
Pro Tip: Try not to be too narrow since you’ll be writing many articles about it.
For more detail on how to define your audience and write the most effective content, check out my article Give Them a Reason.
2. Draft your first article.
Using your newsletter topic, pick a sub-topic that you can expand on. Then, open up a blank Word document and craft your first article. Add images and examples where possible to keep the content engaging. After you're finished, double check for grammar, spelling, flow, etc.
Pro Tip: Send your draft to a couple friends for feedback before moving forward.
3. Publish.
Head over to your LinkedIn homepage and select “Write article.” Copy and paste your draft into LinkedIn. When your article is published, your Newsletter page will automatically be created.
Be ready with a catchy, but clear newsletter name and include a brief tagline.
Pro Tip: Be sure to include a header image that fits your article when publishing.
4. Stay consistent.
Develop a posting schedule that works best for you. Whether it’s once a month or once a week, consistency will give your readers something to look forward to.
Pro Tip: Block off time in your schedule for writing, editing and posting to develop a rhythm.
Building an audience takes commitment and thoughtfulness. Nail these steps and your reach will grow in no time.
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