LinkedIn articles can be useful for brands that want to improve their social media strategy. However, as with any social media approach, it will work well for some brands and less so for others.
Writing and publishing a LinkedIn article is not the same as writing a long post on the platform. LinkedIn articles are characterised by their more formal tone and display of industry expertise.
They also reach different types of audiences and require a certain level of knowledge. So, will they be worth your while?
media update's Joreke Kleynhans briefs you on what to consider before committing to LinkedIn articles below.
Pros of LinkedIn Articles
Establishing Authority
LinkedIn articles make it possible for brands to establish a voice of authority in their industries. If your brand is competing in a saturated market or is new to the game, it must communicate to its target audience that it is to be trusted. One effective way to do so is through knowledge-sharing, and LinkedIn articles are the perfect channel to do so.
Content Lifetime
Unlike feed posts on LinkedIn, articles don't get lost in between the millions of posts that go out on the platform daily. Informative, expertly crafted writing can therefore be separated from the more surface-level news and tips shared on LinkedIn.
Ranking on Google
When a brand posts an article on LinkedIn, the content still belongs to the brand and the brand can take full credit for it. However, brands also benefit from LinkedIn's established and trusted domain.
This can help brands — especially those with new or small websites — reach a larger consumer base than they would with just their website. This is because a trusted domain like LinkedIn is more likely to rank higher in Google search results.
In other words, brands can have the best of both worlds: reap benefits from informative original content and benefit from LinkedIn's trusted domain.
Business-Oriented Audience
LinkedIn is not only a social platform but a business-oriented social platform. Other social media platforms are mainly used for entertainment and users on those platforms might not respond to informative or business-related content in a way that grows your brand.
Users on LinkedIn, however, expect to see professional content that is meant to inform and persuade. Because they expect to engage with such content, your expertise will likely land better among LinkedIn users than it would among TikTok or X users.
Cons of LinkedIn Articles
Narrow Reach Compared to Posts
Compared to LinkedIn posts, articles do not get promoted as much by the LinkedIn algorithm. Users are less likely to see articles from pages they do not follow suggested in their feed than they are to see posts from the same pages.
While this doesn't reduce the effect of LinkedIn articles on a brand's credibility, it does show that posts cannot be replaced by articles, but rather that the two are complementary.
Platform Dependency
Although LinkedIn articles can help your brand establish authority and show off your expertise, they do not drive traffic to your brand's website, which can limit the long-term growth of your brand.
If you choose to start creating LinkedIn articles, always include a call to action for readers to learn more or view your products on your own website. This way, you limit your dependency on LinkedIn as a platform and simply use it to light the path to your own website.
Business-Oriented Audience
No need to double-take! Yes, this was mentioned under the Pros category as well. But the fact of the matter is that not every brand receives a worthwhile Return on Investment from targeting business-oriented audiences.
While LinkedIn may be great for B2B brands and individuals working to establish their reputations in highly competitive industries, it's not for everyone.
If your Pokemon-themed bakery wants to reach more customers, LinkedIn articles might not be the best route to take because your target market is not searching on LinkedIn for things to do on the weekend.
When to Use LinkedIn Articles
Ask yourself one question: Which demand will my brand meet by posting LinkedIn articles?
If you cannot think of an answer, LinkedIn articles are probably not worth it for your brand. All parts of a brand or business should meet some sort of demand among a group of people that can help your brand earn a profit and grow — knowledge sharing included.
This rule is also applicable to deciding what topics to write your articles on. Evaluate whether people are curious about this topic and what types of questions they have about it and then answer them.
Does your brand publish articles on LinkedIn? Let us know why or why not in the comment section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva