LinkedIn: Five Tips to Make Your Posts Shine

We’ve all seen the posts on LinkedIn that make us cringe a little. It could have been a motivational story that didn’t quite motivate or a post that felt like it was made in a marketing lab.

You probably shrugged it off and continued scrolling, but if you see enough of these from someone or from people at the same company, it likely impacted how you view where they work.

You’re not alone — job seekers are noticing too. A CareerArc study showed that 55% of job seekers find social and professional networks to be the most useful resource during a job search. It’s almost a given at this point that candidates are going to look up your profile and posts and those of anyone else at the company they interact with on their job search. 

In today’s market where many decisions about where to work are made without having met face-to-face, they are scanning you and your company’s digital footprint for signs of what it’s like to work there and what you value. And yes, that includes your personal LinkedIn.

It’s often overlooked, but this presents a huge opportunity to put your best foot forward with just a little extra effort. As recruiters, you’re often the first person a candidate interacts with — and the one posting about open roles.

Here are some tips that will help your LinkedIn posts shine and avoid turning candidates away. 

Be Personal

Make sure anything you post is authentic to you and your experiences. Did a certain company benefit really impact you or a recent candidate? Tell that story. No one likes to read posts that sound like they were written by a corporate marketing department. If your posts could have been written by anyone, it probably won’t perform well.

Highlight what’s different about your company

Everyone is “excited to announce” that they’re hiring for an “amazing” new role on LinkedIn. Textio research from over a billion documents has consistently shown that overused phrases and corporate cliches alienate audiences, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups. Instead, opt to share unique aspects of your company culture — use phrases and language that reflect your employee value proposition (EVP) and organizational values. 

Match Your Language With Your Values

As with job posts, using language that aligns to your inclusive values is critical. While most recruiters are aware that they should scrub references to “rock stars” and avoid overly gendered phrases (hint: try “people” or team” rather than “men and women”), people often miss opportunities to use their language more positively. Proud of your organization’s focus on lifelong learning, your spirit of teamwork, and your great collaboration skills? Say so!

Optimize Your Posts for the Algorithm

If you want more people to see your posts, you have to play by the rules. While there isn’t an exact science, there are some things I’ve experienced that helped me reach wider audiences.

Consistently post 2-4 times a week. Posts with pictures (not links) tend to perform better than those without. Use hashtags (and not just the obvious ones). Tag people when you can and reach their network. Engage with the posts of others to increase your profile.

Empower Your Teammates and Hiring Managers

We can only control our own posts, but how teammates show up in social media matters, too — if you and your team are consistent in how you talk about your company, it’ll really stand out.

The aggregate effect of the posts of all employees, not just recruiters, can serve as a true window into a company. When possible, align your team on the benefits of inclusive language and promote consistency in describing your company’s values and brand. Seed hiring managers with ideas of how to post about an upcoming role on their team and empower them to become advocates.

To win top talent in a competitive market, you must make sure you and your company are showing up in the best light in the places where candidates are already looking — and that includes your and your teammates’ LinkedIn posts.

When 92% of candidates say they would consider changing jobs if offered a role at a company with an excellent reputation, every post counts. Take the time to be intentional, assess how you’re showing up and empower those around you to showcase your unique employer brand. 

Authors

Kieran Snyder

CEO and Co-Founder of Textio. Long-time software product leader, accomplished data writer, recovering academic with a PhD in Linguistics and Cognitive Science from the University of Pennsylvania. Deep experience in product management, product marketing, pricing and licensing, and SaaS across the board, with specific technical strengths in natural language processing and data science.