How Is LinkedIn Different From Other Social Media?
A bakery shares photos of its new range on Instagram. People can see the products. On LinkedIn, the owner might explain how the team prepared for the launch.
Both posts cover the same news. They answer different questions.
Before posting on LinkedIn, think about who will read it. What would a customer, supplier, or job applicant want to know? That helps you decide which details belong in the post.
People Come to LinkedIn With Work in Mind
LinkedIn profiles show jobs, experience, and professional connections. People use it to follow companies, read industry updates, and explore jobs. They also speak with others in their field.
Someone scrolling through Instagram might stop to look at a product. On LinkedIn, they may want to know how it was developed. They could also be interested in the people who worked on it.
Those details can help someone judge a business. A prospective customer might be comparing suppliers. A job applicant may want to know how the team works. Another company could be looking for a partner.
Choose the reader before writing the post. A customer needs different information from someone considering a job.
Your Team and Company Can Share Different Details
A LinkedIn Company Page gives people information about the business. It can show company news, updates, and job opportunities. Individual profiles show the people doing the work.
The Page is useful for announcements someone may want to find later. That could include a new service, product launch, or change of location.
A founder, specialist, or team member can explain their part in the work. They might describe a decision they made or answer questions in the comments.
There should be a reason to read both posts. Copying the company announcement onto every employee profile adds little.
For example, a training company could announce a new course on its Page. The instructor could explain a question the course will cover. Another team member might describe how the lessons were prepared.
Each person has something different to say about the same course.
Connections and Followers Work Differently
On LinkedIn, people can connect with each other or follow someone’s posts. Following lets them see updates without sending a connection request. Connecting adds the person to their professional network.
You might follow an industry specialist to read their posts. You might connect with someone after meeting them or working together.
Give the other person a reason to recognize your connection request. Mention where you met or why their work interests you.
Start with people the business already knows. That could include colleagues, customers, partners, and former coworkers. Then take part in discussions relevant to your work.
A useful comment can introduce you to someone without a sales message. It also gives them something to respond to.
How Does LinkedIn Compare with Other Platforms?
LinkedIn supports text, photos, videos, and links. Other platforms offer many of those formats too.
The difference often comes down to who is reading. Think about what that audience wants to know.
LinkedIn and Instagram
Instagram is useful when people need to see something. A bakery can show a cake. A clothing shop can show how a jacket fits.
LinkedIn can explain the work behind the result. The bakery owner might discuss how a new product was developed. The shop owner could explain why customers asked for a different size range.
Photos belong on LinkedIn too. Add a caption with details the image cannot show.
The same photo can work on both platforms. The explanation may need to change.
LinkedIn and Facebook
Facebook groups and events can help businesses reach local communities. A company might answer neighborhood questions or share details of an upcoming event.
LinkedIn is more closely connected to people’s jobs and work experience. It can help a business reach buyers, partners, applicants, and industry contacts.
A training company could promote a public workshop on Facebook. On LinkedIn, the instructor might explain a workplace problem the workshop addresses.
The subject is the same, but the reader cares for a different reason.
LinkedIn and TikTok
TikTok helps people discover videos from creators they may not follow. LinkedIn can also introduce new people through posts, comments, and shared discussions.
LinkedIn profiles let readers check someone’s work experience before following or connecting.
You could post a factory video on either platform. TikTok viewers might watch to see how something is made. On LinkedIn, add a caption about why the team changed the process.
You can reuse the footage. Check whether the opening and explanation suit the people watching it.
What Should a Business Post on LinkedIn?
Start with questions the team already answers at work.
A customer may ask how long a job takes. A buyer may want to know what affects the price. An applicant might ask what the team does during a normal week.
These subjects give the business something specific to explain from experience.
Posts could include:
- A completed job and the work involved
- A change to a service and why it happened
- A question customers often ask
- Something learned when a job did not go as planned
- A new role and what the person will do
- An event the team is attending
Give readers enough detail to understand the point. “Another project completed by our team” tells them very little. Explain the job, the team’s role, and a decision that mattered.
Choose someone who knows the subject to explain it. A technical detail may be easier to discuss with the person who handled it. The Company Page can share their post or publish a shorter account.
Posts can lead to Conversations
People can comment on a LinkedIn post and continue the discussion. They can also follow someone before deciding whether to connect.
Leave time to answer questions after publishing. If someone asks how a job was managed, explain what you can. Sending every question to the inbox may interrupt an otherwise useful discussion.
Comments on other people’s posts matter too. Add an example or observation when it relates to your work. Keep it relevant to the conversation already taking place.
If you send a message after meeting someone, mention where you met. Keep the note relevant to that conversation. Moving straight into a sales pitch may put them off.
An inquiry can come much later. Someone may read a post, follow its author, and remember the company months afterward. You cannot expect that from every post. You can explain the work well enough for people to remember it.
Your Company Page Should Answer Basic Questions
Someone who sees a post may open the Company Page. They should be able to tell what the business does and whom it serves.
Check the company description, location, website link, and contact information. Keep those details current.
Recent posts should support the description. If the company offers training, visitors should find information about its courses and instructors. If it sells software, the posts could show what the product does.
A visitor who wants more detail should have a useful website page to visit. Check that the link works and leads to current information.
The Page does not need to explain everything. It should help someone decide whether to look further.
How Often Should You Post?
Choose a schedule the team can maintain. You don’t need to publish daily if there is little to say.
A company handling several jobs may have news to share each week. Another might post less because its work takes longer. The schedule should reflect what there is to explain.
Start with a few topics the team knows well. Ask who can provide the details and write each post. Have someone check it before it goes live, especially customer names and results.
Then review the response. LinkedIn’s analytics can show how people interacted with posts and visited the Page. Check website visits and inquiries where you can identify the source.
Use customer questions and the team’s experience to plan future posts. A useful answer may give you a better subject than another announcement.
Conclusion
LinkedIn can help when someone needs to understand the people and work behind a business. The Company Page provides company information. Individual profiles let team members explain what they know firsthand.
Start with an accurate Page. Choose subjects that matter to customers, partners, or applicants. Give the people involved time to contribute and answer questions.
A finished result is worth showing. On LinkedIn, you can also explain how the team reached it.
