How Journalists Can Increase Their Presence On LinkedIn
As a social network that markets itself toward industry professionals and workplace accomplishments, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for journalists to grow their presence and connect with other professionals in the industry. By leveraging the platform effectively, journalists can not only showcase their work and expertise, but also build valuable relationships and opportunities.
Here are some tips on how journalists can increase their presence on LinkedIn.
OPTIMIZE YOUR PROFILE
A complete and optimized LinkedIn profile is crucial for building a strong presence. This includes having a professional headshot, a clear and concise headline, a summary that highlights your skills and achievements, and a detailed work experience section. Journalism.co.uk recommends “perfect[ing] your LinkedIn Headline by selling yourself in a few words. Use keywords that summarise your chosen industry, top skills and job description. Include stand-out numbers or data for plus points.”
SHARE YOUR WORK
LinkedIn is a great platform to share your articles and content. This not only showcases your work to a wider audience but also helps establish your expertise and thought leadership in your field. For good examples of how to do this, following experts in your chosen field—such as Sara Fischer of Axios—can be helpful.
ENGAGE WITH OTHERS
LinkedIn is a social platform, so it's important to engage with others by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts. This not only helps build relationships but also increases visibility and reach. However, Journalism.co.uk recommends being picky about who your connections are: “Rather than sending a connection invite off the bat, follow people and enable notifications to see their posts. Comment on their posts a few times before sending the invite.”
JOIN GROUPS
LinkedIn groups are a great way to connect with like-minded professionals and participate in discussions on specific topics. Joining relevant groups can help expand your network and provide opportunities to learn from others in the industry. Your posts will be visible to people from the group, for their benefit: “Focus on content that either helps other people do their jobs better or further their careers. Share your wisdom, i.e. what contributed to your success (milestones, opportunities, relationships), what junior professionals should know, helpful resources or productivity tips.”
USE THE WEBSITE’S PUBLISHING PLATFORM
LinkedIn's publishing platform allows users to write and publish long-form content. This can be a great way to share your thoughts and insights on industry topics and establish yourself as a thought leader. “Leverage trending news and share with your take: be timely and concise, encourage conversation and include hashtags,” offers Journalism.co.uk. “#litrendingnews is a must, but also have three to six hashtags consisting of one or two broad topics and two to four more specific ones.”
USE ANALYTICS TO MEASURE SUCCESS
LinkedIn provides analytics tools that allow you to track the performance of your posts and profile. By monitoring these metrics, you can gain insights into what content is resonating with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly. To find this data, you can go directly through LinkedIn.
LinkedIn offers a great opportunity for journalists to grow their presence and connect with other professionals in the industry. However, it does take curation and care to get a competitive edge on the platform. With that care, journalists can increase their reach and even find new work opportunities.
