A few weeks ago, I recorded a video on why posting only third-party content on LinkedIn is a major miss for advisors. It received quite a bit of attention and ultimately started trending under the #financialplanning hashtag.
Here’s the skinny …
Too many advisors use third-party applications to post only content from outside sources (NY Times, WSJ, etc.). Sure, these advisors are “checking the box” when it comes to social media posting; however, solely relying on outside sources lacks building any true thought leadership. It’s an old-school strategy that's one step removed from not posting at all.
The other issue? The LinkedIn algorithm doesn’t like it. These posts drive people away from the platform. Remember, these networks make money by keeping people on their platform and serving them ads. If all you do is drive people away from the network, it will throttle your reach.
I think this video hit home for some advisors. Especially advisors who’ve been mailing it in when it comes to posting content on social media.
That said, I did receive a few questions about what advisors should actually be posting. Let’s break this down by topic and type.
The topics you create content around should answer one almighty question
There‘s no magic list of topics that will have you trending on social media. At the risk of sounding like every other marketing person, it all comes down to your target market.
Put simply, what will make your ideal prospect’s life better?
Your answers should drive all your content development efforts.
The type of content you create should take “dwell time” into consideration
With your list of topics in hand, the next logical question becomes what type of content should you post? Articles? Videos? Graphics?
Your goal is to create content that delivers its full value within the network. This is content that doesn’t require the viewer to leave the scroll.
The reason this content typically outperforms is largely due to LinkedIn’s “dwell time” metric. This metric measures how long someone spends looking at an update.
“At a high level, each update viewed on the feed generates two types of dwell time. First, there is dwell time in the feed,' which starts measuring when at least half of a feed update is visible as a member scrolls through their feed. Second, there is dwell time 'after the click,' which is the time spent on content after clicking on an update in the feed.”
With this metric in mind, here are some content types we recommend. Your objective when building content is to grab the viewer's attention and keep that attention for as long as possible.
Native Video: Video uploaded directly to the network will almost always outperform video that is posted as a link to another site. Don’t forget to include subtitles as 85% of LinkedIn videos are played without sound.
Graphics and Photos: The right visuals can really make your post stand out among a crowded feed. These could be professionally designed posts that are educational, inspirational or sometimes personal.
Carousels: Sometimes referred to as multi-image posts, these posts are interactive and let the viewer learn through a series of sequential clicks. When designed properly, they encourage the viewer to continually click to the next slide, which triggers the algorithm and adds to your “dwell time.”
Text Only: When done correctly, long-form posts written in a stream of consciousness can perform really well. They need to start with a statement that grabs the viewer, and they are typically formatted with ample space between sentences and emojis to help drive home key points.
New Features: Whenever new features are released, jump on them. This could be LinkedIn Live or Stories. The networks will typically change their algorithm to promote these features by giving your content more exposure. Thus, your job is to pay attention to new features and adopt them early.
LinkedIn is one of your best prospecting tools right now. Don’t half-bake your content strategy by posting only other people's content. It’s time to step up your game and start creating thought leadership.
Kevin Nichols is a partner with The Oechsli Institute, a firm that specializes in research and training for the financial services industry. @KevinANichols www.oechsli.com
