Creating LinkedIn Sponsored Content That Earns Engagement

Creating Sponsored Content Posts That Earn EngagementTips from LinkedIn’s top performing posts in NAMERApril - June 2016

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“What are the best practices for promoting content on LinkedIn?”

A search for “LinkedIn content best practices” returns over 40 million results on Google. Promoting content on a social platform does not have to be that complicated. These 5 examples of top-performing sponsored content posts provide tips you can use to earn engagement in the news feed of a busy

(and aspirational) audience.

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MethodologyThe following sponsored content posts:

• Targeted an audience in the NAMER region• Served at least 25K impressions

• Achieved a top engagement rate (NOTE: engagement rate includes clicks + social actions)

The top posts are broken out across the following categories:• Overall• Education• Technology

• Financial Services

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5 Key Takeaways1. Drive higher engagement by

keeping description copy <70 characters and feature a call to action. Keep in mind that copy will get truncated on desktop after 100 characters.

2. Your audience doesn’t want to just stay up to speed on industry news – they also want to know the impact it will have on them. On top of reporting key industry news, provide key insights, takeaways and your perspective.

3. Creating great, in-depth content can be time/resource intensive. Find 3rd party sources that might be developing content that aligns

with your audience’s interests.

4. Use video to tell your story and drive engagement. YouTube, Vimeo and SlideShare videos play natively within the LinkedIn newsfeed, which allows you to engage your audience without disrupting their experience.

5. Professionals are people too. Human interest stories can be a great way to help establish your brand in an engaging, less overt manner.

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Tip #1: keep it concise, prompt an actionAim to keep the description copy <70 characters and feature a call to action. Keep in mind that the copy will get truncated on desktop after

100 characters.

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Tip #2: don’t just report the news, analyze itIn addition to just staying on top of the latest industry news, your

audience wants to know the impact it will have on them. Provide them with valuable insights, key takeaways and your unique perspective on

what’s going on in their world.

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Tip #3: repurpose compelling 3rd party researchCreating your own in-depth research can be time and resource

intensive. Lookout for 3rd party sources that might be developing content that aligns with your audience’s interests. In this example,

SugarCRM and Alteryx shared Gartner’s new 2016 Magic Quadrant for Advanced Analytics Platforms report.

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Tip #4: use the power of video to tell your storyYouTube, Vimeo and SlideShare videos play natively within the LinkedIn

newsfeed, which allows you to engage your audience without disrupting their experience. NanaWall used this format with great

success to showcase their new FoldFlat wall technology.

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Tip #5: professionals are people tooIt’s easy to get fixated on publishing brand and product focused

content, but professionals are people too. Human interest stories can be a great way to help establish your brand in an engaging, less overt

manner. Visa tells a story of swimmer who has persevered to become a two-time world champion to illustrate their commitment to partnership

and innovation.

Education

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Tip #1: be audience centricFind the overlap of what you can talk about with authority versus what

your audience wants to hear about. Kellogg School of Management does a great job demonstrating their expertise around topics such as

authentic leadership.

Tip #2: show…and tell

Infographics are still a very effective means to deliver a complex message in an easy to digest, engaging format. Simplilearn uses image posts to help explain the benefits of the certification courses they offer.

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Tip #3: instill a sense of urgency

Take advantage of the fact that the graduate school admissions process is a finite timeline – Cornell University conveys a sense of urgency to

apply and/or learn more about the process within their posts.

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Technology

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While showcasing lists of helpful tips, and promoting in-depth research reports can be effective, you should also try to repackage your content

in creative ways. Here, Bizible turned their overview on marketing attribution into a periodic table.

Tip #1: B2B does not have to = Boring

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Tip #2: spark engagement through insightsAbove and beyond “Top 5 ways…” and “7 Tips to…”, you can create intrigue with your content by asking an insightful question. Spredfast

caters to its audience and poses the question of what restaurant chain is the most instagrammed.

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Tip #3: source unique case studiesCase studies can be invaluable in helping to establish proof that what you’re offering is as effective as you claim it is. The Learning Machine

uses a students journey through the college application process to highlight the need for their software within the education industry.

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Financial Services

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Tip #1: engage through videoYouTube, Vimeo and SlideShare videos play natively within the LinkedIn newsfeed. This enables you to engage your audience without making

them leave the experience that they were already active in.

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Help the audience member clearly understand the value of the content you are providing as well as the time investment on their end to

consume it. AIG succinctly articulates the topic they are providing guidance on (cyber security), the format (how-to guide) and time

investment (7 steps).

Tip #2: set audience expectations

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Even the most carefully planned editorial calendar can’t account for unforeseen news and events. But being flexible enough to react and

join in on the conversation can be a great way to engage your audience. AICPA used Prince’s lack of a will to shine light on how

important it is to plan in advance.

Tip #3: be nimble enough to react to timely news

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