How to Think About That LinkedIn Offer

It’s important to ask yourself if you really need a new platform like LinkedIn. It won't be the last platform asking you to contribute content. |

Jeremiah Desmarais

May 9, 2014

A “Congrats!” email from LinkedIn lands in your in-box, inviting you to “publish” through them.Your initial reaction: “Cool! Now I’ve got another platform where I can publish myself!” But before you start banging away on your keyboard, save yourself valuable time by first following these steps:

Ask yourself: “Do I really need to publish on LinkedIn?”
If the answer is “yes,” map out your individual posts, using as your guide the 10 most frequently asked questions, or FAQs, you field from clients.
Finally, schedule when you’ll set aside time each week to do your writing.

Following these guidelines is a quick and simple way to get going -- if you decide to proceed. Do you really want to publish on LinkedIn? It might seem like a silly question. But I’ve coached businesses that have witnessed growth in their website traffic of more than 600% in 60 days using just a single medium. In other words, they didn’t use a social media platform or online targeted advertising, otherwise known as retargeting. They used email marketing. And let's be honest: LinkedIn's strategy here is no different from that of Google+. As with any smart platform, the real agenda is to get people to post valuable content through on LinkedIn. That helps a platform like LinkedIn to build interaction, nurture a community and promote engagement. The promise is: "If you write for us, people will find you more easily." As a result, more people will ultimately come to your website. But it’s still important to ask yourself if you really need a new platform like LinkedIn. It won't be the last platform asking you to contribute content. If LinkedIn fits your current marketing agenda, great. If not, fine. It’s a reasonable bet they’ll be around if you change your mind. Use your Top 10 FAQs as a writing guide No need to bang your head against the wall for material. Take five minutes and jot down the top 10 questions you get from clients on a weekly basis. Then write a clear answer to each question. Those will be your posts. Bang out as many responses as you can over a stretch of 20 minutes or so. You could probably handle about one question in five minutes. If you hate writing, dictate your answers to your phone's recording application, like DropVox or QuickVoice2Text Email. Then, find someone online to transcribe them. Fiverr offers a great service for $5. Once you get the transcript back, just edit, copy and paste away. You may be asking what to do once you’ve dealt with your top 10 FAQs. Move on to your so-called “should ask questions,” or SAQs. These are the questions your target audience should be asking, but aren't. The SAQs will help position you as a true expert, taking your audience to a new level of thinking. Schedule your posts To avoid getting overwhelmed, block out 20 to 30 minutes each week to do your writing. Choose a time when you've got a clear mind and are feeling “on your toes.” That's all there is to it – if, of course, you’ve decided to publish on LinkedIn.

Jeremiah Desmarais

Labeled “One of the greatest marketing minds in the insurance industry” by insurance executives and thought leaders, Jeremiah Desmarais is the top-ranked award-winning insurance marketing advisor, strategist and marketer with over 23 awards and recognitions for his revenue-boosting initiatives at companies such as Norvax/GoHealth, Applied Systems, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, and Allstate.