"What's a good way to boost my networking efforts?"
I'm a big fan of LinkedIn's career potential, and so my answer usually boils down to: regular status updates, daily engagement with your feed, and LinkedIn posts. Hit the sweet spot of strong content and reader-friendliness, and your post can end up on one of LinkedIn's "Pulse" channels. Featured Pulse articles routinely rack up tens of thousands of views, and have generated millions in income and career opportunities.
Related: 5 Tips For Upping Your LinkedIn Game
Here Are Some Tips To Get Your Content Featured On Pulse:
1) Step Out Of Your Niche.
You need to find the intersection between your expertise and what a general audience would find interesting. How does what you do affect everyone? What challenges are you facing that anyone can empathize with? Writing for mass appeal is a must if you're serious about landing on LinkedIn Pulse.2) Content Length.
500-1000 words seems to be the sweet spot, but longer posts can (and do) often get featured which breaks this rule. Strong engagement from start-to-finish is the key. When in doubt, cut!3) Tag Your Post Correctly.
Do some research on the LinkedIn Pulse Channel you wish to target (visit this page and scroll down to "Channels"). Which keywords are frequently used by posts which are featured? Now cast a critical eye over your newest LinkedIn post and see if you can include some keywords which overlap. You can add keywords prior to publishing a post.4) Follow The Pulse Monthly Writing Theme.
If you only write one post a month (even one post can have a big impact!) then I suggest writing to Pulse's "Topic of the Month." This is a general topic which almost anyone can write a piece around and will automatically generate an uptick in views for your post. Be sure to add the topic within your headline (ex. "An Open Letter to...") as well as a hashtag at the bottom of your post (ex. #openletter).5) No Promos!
This isn't about selling yourself. This is about sharing something that you're passionate about, and encouraging engagement and discussion. Write in your own voice, deliver incredible value, and let the positive effects ripple outwards.6) A Strong Headline Is Essential.
Here's a tool I use to test out headlines prior to publishing: Aim for a minimum headline score of 70.7) Spread The Word Immediately After Hitting "Publish."
The moment you hit "Publish" every one of your LinkedIn connections will be notified (which is great).- Use the "Click to Tweet" option LinkedIn provides you upon publication to rack up more shares.
- Share your article with all appropriate LinkedIn Groups.
- Email everyone on your contact list who isn't on LinkedIn and send them a brief message with a link to the article, and politely ask if they'd be so kind as to like and comment if it resonates with them.
- Share the article across all other social platforms (Reddit, Facebook, and so on)
- Finally, send a tweet to @LinkedInPulse informing them of the post and what it's about.
