The Layoff Lady: The Why and What of Posting on LinkedIn

The Why and What of Posting on LinkedIn

9/13/2022

by Brenda L. Peterson, The Layoff Lady

Using LinkedIn To Build Your Brand

Sharing content on LinkedIn is a great way to engage with your connections, add value to your professional relationships, and promote who you are and what you know. However, only about 1% of LinkedIn users ever post anything at all--which I think is a huge missed opportunity to stand out.

Why People Don't Post on LinkedIn

When I've asked people what is stopping them from posting on LinkedIn, the overwhelming answer is, "I don't know what to post." Like with most everything in life, it comes down to your overall goals.

Whether I'm promoting myself in general or actively searching for a new "day job" in L&D, my goals remain consistent: to share knowledge and strengthen relationships. There are many ways posting on LinkedIn can help. I suggest using LinkedIn to share posts that support who you are as a professional.

Types of Posts

You don't have to write a long, original manifesto to post on LinkedIn and make an impact. Here are examples of what you can post on LinkedIn that will help you "build your brand" and share what you're all about, both professionally and as a person:

Showcasing your expertise
You as a person
Inspirational content
Promoting others
You doing things
Your work samples
Sharing insights
Sharing opportunities and resources

Let's look at a few examples of my posts.

Showcasing Your Expertise

Who are you professionally? What are your skills? What do you bring to the table as a possible employee of a given company? For me, my skills include training leadership, needs assessment, relationship building, instructional design, project management, technical writing, facilitating classes, and more.

You as a Person

Who are you? What is it like to work with you? What are your interests? What do you care about? For me, I love helping people to succeed. I love removing obstacles so people can be successful. I enjoy board games, inline skating, my cats, my family, and a good cup of coffee. I am also kind of a nerd. I also own a velvet Elvis--because of course I do.

Inspirational Content

What picks you up when you are down? What insights struck you? What motivates you? For me, I love quotes about the value of lifelong learning, self care, and shifting your mindset.

Promoting Others

Who inspires you? Who do you learn from? Who shared a useful resource that benefitted you? For me, I enjoy finding awesome people to learn from and sharing useful articles with others who might also find them helpful.

You Doing Things

What do you do? What did you write? How do you volunteer? For me, I lead classes, go to professional development meetings, deliver webinars, inline skate, and, on rare occasion, beat my daughter in a rousing game of Ticket to Ride.

Your Work Samples

What projects do you work on? What do you write? What content to you create? What experiences have you learned from? For me, I teach custom webinars, write blog articles, assist other instructors, and design learning.

Sharing Insights

What have you learned about your chosen profession? What's a tip you like to share? What's your go-to strategy for solving a problem? What's something unique you have noticed? For me, I make observations, see unique solutions to common problems, or see how training and learning are out there in the world. And also coffee.

Sharing Opportunities and Resources

What problems can you help people solve? Who do you know who is a go to person for a given topic? What is a solution you learned about from a common problem? For me, I share information for people who want to get into corporate training, share job search resources, point people towards others who share topic-specific content.

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