10 Essential LinkedIn Post Tips for Beginners [2025 update]
Learning how to create great LinkedIn posts can help you find new opportunities and connections. Let's explore the basics!
Know your audience
Keep up with what's happening in your industry. This way, you can share content that's timely and relevant. LinkedIn's 2024 B2B Marketing Benchmark says that targeting the right audience can make your campaigns 42% more effective.
Use LinkedIn's 'Who Viewed Your Profile' feature to learn about who is interested in you. This can help you make better content. LinkedIn's algorithm likes content that your network finds interesting, so knowing what your audience likes can really help.
Tip: Don't just learn about your audience's demographics. Try using surveys or polls to get direct feedback on what they find valuable. This helps you improve your content and makes your audience feel involved and appreciated.
Ann Handley loved writing and connecting with people even as a kid:
I spent hours writing every day, needing an audience and interaction. My third-grade teacher introduced a pen pal program, and I wrote to kids worldwide, creating new personalities and stories. By the end of third grade, I had nine pen pals, and I was already a blogger at heart.
Her early understanding of engaging with an audience helped her become successful in content creation. Like Ann, by engaging with your audience, you can gather insights that shape your content strategy and build a loyal community.
Create a catchy headline
Your headline is the first thing people see, so make it interesting. Use action words and numbers to make it feel urgent and important. Posts with headlines that have numbers and action words get 36% more engagement. This small change can really increase your post's reach.
Keep your headlines short and clear. While you might want to include a lot of information, LinkedIn data shows that short headlines (40-49 characters) work best. Use keywords to make your post easy to find for people interested in your topic.
Good LinkedIn post formatting includes using bullet points for clarity and making sure it's easy to read on mobile. When writing headlines, focus on what the reader needs and offer a solution.
Tip: Try A/B testing your headlines. Make two versions of a post with different headlines and see which one does better. This helps you learn what your audience likes, so you can improve over time.
Neil Patel says: "Want your blog posts to perform well? Write magnetic headlines. If your headline isn't impactful, every other marketing step is a waste. Headlines are worth 90% of the advertising dollar, and a catchy headline can get your article shared thousands of times."
To make a great headline, try these tips:
- Use numbers to show benefits
- Start with a question to spark curiosity
- Include power words like 'discover' or 'unlock'
- Focus on your audience's problems
By using these tips, you can create headlines that grab attention and encourage people to engage with your content.
Use visual content
By using visual content well, you can create posts that attract attention and engage your audience more deeply.
To make the most of your visual content, try these tips:
- Use infographics to make complex information simple
- Use GIFs for fun content
- Carousel posts are great for storytelling, letting you show a series of images or slides
- Use LinkedIn's native video feature for better performance than external links
- Focus on video content, as it boosts engagement more than static images
Write engaging content
Create content that connects with your audience and encourages interaction. Start by telling a story or sharing personal experiences. Stories connect on a human level, making your content relatable and memorable. Use a conversational tone to make your posts feel like a dialogue.
Ask questions to encourage engagement. Getting your audience's thoughts or experiences increases interaction and gives you insights into their perspectives. Be authentic and provide actionable insights that your audience can use.
Only 5.2% of LinkedIn's 135 million daily users create original content, so there's a big opportunity for visibility.
To create engaging LinkedIn posts, try these tips:
- Start with a hook to grab attention
- Use short paragraphs for easy reading
- End with a call-to-action
- Share personal stories to build connection
Posts that tell a story or share a journey get more comments and shares because they connect on a human level. By focusing on these elements, you can craft content that engages and builds a loyal community.
Post at the right time
Posting at the best times helps your LinkedIn content reach more people. Start by finding out when your audience is most active. This can vary by industry and location, so tailor your schedule to your audience's habits.
Try different posting times to see what works best. While mid-week mornings (Tuesday to Thursday) are generally good, your audience might have unique patterns. Use LinkedIn analytics to see when your posts get the most engagement.
The best time to post on LinkedIn is between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Stay updated with trends and adjust your strategy.
To optimize your posting schedule, try these tips:
- Use LinkedIn's analytics to track when your posts get the most engagement and adjust your schedule.
- Watch engagement patterns and be flexible in adapting your strategy.
Post at the right times, and you make sure your content reaches your audience when they're most likely to engage.
Engage with your audience
Building a community on LinkedIn means more than just posting content. It means engaging with your audience. Respond to comments quickly to show you value their input.
Encourage discussions by asking open-ended questions and inviting your audience to share their thoughts. Thank your audience for their contributions and highlight user-generated content.
Engagement rates on LinkedIn are 1.8% on average, with higher rates in industries like education. Posts where the author participates in the comments tend to have higher engagement rates.
Liz Ryan shares her experience: "I was nervous about posting stories on LinkedIn at first. Comments, even critical ones, helped me refine my message."
To engage with your audience, try these tips:
- Like and reply to comments
- Ask follow-up questions
- Thank users for their input
- Share user-generated content
Use LinkedIn features
Use polls to gather opinions and insights from your audience. Polls can increase engagement by up to 30% compared to standard posts.
Sharing LinkedIn articles lets you provide in-depth content. These articles can offer more insights than regular posts.
Although LinkedIn Stories ended in 2023, the platform now focuses on short-form video content in the main feed.
To maximize your content's impact, try these tips:
- Use LinkedIn's 'Featured' section to highlight your best posts and articles
- Post short videos to capture attention quickly
Use these LinkedIn features, and you enhance your content's reach and engagement.
Analyze post performance
Regularly check your post analytics. Track likes, shares, and comments to see what your audience likes. This data helps you understand which content works best.
Use LinkedIn's analytics dashboard to track trends and refine your strategy. Analyze these insights and adjust your approach to better meet your audience's needs.
To analyze your LinkedIn post performance, try these tips:
- Set specific goals for each post, like increasing comments or shares, and use analytics to measure success.
- Posts with clear calls-to-action tend to have higher engagement rates.
Build a consistent posting schedule
Plan your content calendar in advance to ensure a steady flow of posts. This also helps you balance promotional and value-driven content.
Consistency builds trust. By posting regularly, you create a rhythm that your audience can rely on. Authors who post weekly on LinkedIn see a 2x increase in engagement.
Gary Vaynerchuk says: "If you want people to listen, you have to show up. Many 'content creators' think they need the perfect piece of content, but that mindset holds them back. Document, don’t create. Be yourself and share your journey."
To build a consistent posting schedule, try these tips:
- Schedule posts at least a week in advance
- Mix content types (articles, videos, polls)
- Monitor engagement to adjust frequency
- Use scheduling tools like Trello or Asana for consistency
While some think posting daily is necessary, quality and consistency matter more. Focus on these elements, and you maintain a strong LinkedIn presence that keeps your audience engaged.
Ready to grow on LinkedIn? Check out Rising Creators, a directory of beginner LinkedIn creators. Connect with others, learn from shared experiences, and overcome the challenges of growing your follower base. It's a supportive space where genuine connections are made, helping you go from 0 to 1K followers.