How to Leverage Content Marketing Strategies on LinkedIn to Attract Qualified Prospects

1. Curating and Sharing Relevant Content with Your LinkedIn Target Audience

One of the most effective content selling strategies on LinkedIn is curating and sharing relevant and valuable content with your target audience. Research shows that curated content can generate up to 33% of overall leads, demonstrating its effectiveness in sales prospecting. But the most important reason to curate content vs create content is time and need. 

• Pros: Curating content is less time-consuming than creating original content, allowing you to maintain a consistent presence on the platform and cover a broader base of topics.
  
  In my own research I’ve found that sharing valuable content from others helps you establish connections with industry influencers, spark conversations with your audience AND begin to position yourself as a valued information resource and potentially a Thought Leader.
  
  But most people, especially introverted salespeople and business development executives don’t need to position themselves as a Thought Leader. They just need a conversational catalyst to get things started. 
  
  
• Cons: While curating content can help you stay visible, it does not (in my opinion) produce the same level of credibility and authority as original content.
  
  To truly ascend to the level of THE RESOURCE on any given topic, and to create competitive separation (for those selling ideas, concepts, strategy or insight), creating unique content not found anywhere else is essential. 

2. Creating and Sharing Unique Content: Blog Posts vs. LinkedIn Articles

Creating and sharing your own unique content on LinkedIn and elsewhere on the Internet, is a perfect content marketing strategy for introverts because of its asynchronous conversation starting ability. We live in a content overload world that can quickly feel like an echochamber because far too often it is. 

Because it’s so easy to curate and share content on social media, people do it too often and with too little thought. They just scan a headline or maybe read the introduction and then hit SHARE!

This creates a world of sameness. Which is why, creating your own content imbued with your unique point-of-view, tone and style sets you apart and helps potential prospects quickly figure out which parking spot to place you in their mind. And, because you share a piece of you in every article, blog post, video or podcast you create, they quickly form an opinion as to your compatibility as a supplier or products or services. 

For most of you, deploying the best LinkedIn content marketing strategies for introverts, will consist of blog posts hosted on your website. But articles published directly on LinkedIn might be a more effective way to share your content. According to a study, native LinkedIn articles receive 2.5 times more views compared to external blog post links shared on the platform, emphasizing LinkedIn preference for keeping its users on the platform vs sending them to your platform. 

I‘ve been testing this idea myself over the last few months and I have to agree, the early data strongly suggests I’m receiving more engagement from a wider variety of prospects and connections when I share my content as a LinkedIn article vs a native blog post hosted on my website and then shared via a LinkedIn post. 

But there is an argument to be made for posting your unique content on your own website vs just donating it to LinkedIn. 

Blog Posts Hosted on Your Website:

• Pros: By hosting content on your website, you drive traffic to your site, increase your search engine visibility, and encourage readers to explore your other offerings. 
  
  Also, if you use marketing automation software like SharpSpring (the one I use) you can begin tracking sales prospects’ content consumption to discover hidden buying signals.  
  
  
• Cons: As noted, sharing links to your blog posts on LinkedIn may result in lower engagement rates compared to native LinkedIn articles, as users are less likely to leave the platform to read external content and/or LinkedIn’s algorithm throttles how many contacts see the post.
  
  

Posting Content as a LinkedIn Article:

• Pros: As I’ve seen, publishing articles directly on LinkedIn can lead to higher engagement rates, as users can read and interact with your content without leaving the platform. This can help you build a stronger presence on LinkedIn and attract more prospects and ultimately drive a higher ROI for your content creation efforts. 
  
  I’m also seeing more sharing of articles vs when I share a blog post. So, overall, I’ve switched to loaning all or part of my content to LinkedIn for each new post. 
  
  
• Cons: While LinkedIn articles can boost your visibility on the platform, they won’t contribute to your website’s search engine optimization efforts. And you lose control of your “list” since LinkedIn really owns that connection between you and a follower, unlike a blog with a dedicated email subscription list, which you own.
  
  And of course, you have less tracking data from a LinkedIn article vs a blog post hosted and tracked on your own website. 

3. Tips to Improve Content Virality on LinkedIn

To maximize the reach and impact of your content on LinkedIn, consider implementing the following strategies:

• Leverage eye-catching visuals: Including images, infographics, and videos in your content to increase engagement and make your content more shareable. Numerous research studies found posts with images receive 2-3 times more engagement than those without.
  
  
• Write attention-grabbing headlines: Crafting a powerful, curiosity-inducing headline can significantly increase the chances of your content being viewed and shared. If you stink at that, like I do, use something like ChatGPT to help you out. Honestly, it’s pretty darn good at it, especially if you pay for the access to GPT4 and practice writing prompts that generate the most creative and attention-grabbing headlines. 
  
  
• Use LinkedIn analytics: Monitor your content’s performance using LinkedIn analytics to identify which types of content resonate most with your audience. This data can help you optimize your content strategy for maximum impact.
  
  
• Recreate & Repurpose content for LinkedIn articles: It’s not a zero sum game. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. 
  
  Write and publish your content on your own blog. Then, repurpose some or all of it as a LinkedIn article. That’s what I’ve been doing now for a few months. 
  
  I’ll switch a few things up. If it’s really long, detailed or helpful article, I will post most of it on LinkedIn as an article and then at some point require the reader to hop over to my website to finish the article.  

By implementing these content marketing strategies, introverted professionals can harness the power of LinkedIn to attract prospects and achieve business growth. Remember that as an introvert, your unique strengths, such as deep listening, empathy, and attention to detail, can be leveraged to create content that truly resonates with your audience. Embrace these qualities and let them guide your content creation process.

Leveraging the Conversation-Starting Power of LinkedIn Content for Introverts

Finally, LinkedIn offers a world of opportunities for introverted professionals, especially those who dread cold calling or cold outreach. By utilizing the conversation-starting capabilities of shared LinkedIn content, you can let others initiate a dialogue in the form of a comment or question. This approach allows you to engage in comfortable, helpful, and engaging conversations that feel natural and authentic, instead of forced.

By embracing your introverted strengths and focusing on creating and sharing valuable content that resonates with your target audience, you’ll attract prospects who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. These interactions can effortlessly evolve into meaningful connections and potential new customers or clients.

So, go ahead and tap into the power of LinkedIn content marketing to create opportunities for comfortable, engaging conversations that showcase your expertise and unique qualities. Then listen deeply and use what you hear to connect authentically with others. Use your natural strengths to your advantage and watch as your professional network flourishes and your business thrives.