Creating Sponsored Content Posts That Earn EngagementTips from LinkedIn’s top performing posts in NAMERJuly – September 2016

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“What are the best practices for promoting content on LinkedIn?”

A search for “LinkedIn content best practices” returns over 40 million results on Google. Promoting content on a social platform does not have to be that complicated. These 5 examples of top-performing sponsored content posts provide tips you can use to earn engagement in the news feed of a busy

(and aspirational) audience.

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MethodologyThe following sponsored content posts:

• Targeted an audience in the NAMER region• Served at least 25K impressions

• Achieved a top engagement rate (NOTE: engagement rate includes clicks + social actions)

The top posts are broken out across the following categories:• Overall• Education• Technology

• Medical/Healthcare

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5 Key Takeaways1. Video is becoming a popular

content format, including on LinkedIn. YouTube, Vimeo, and SlideShare videos all play natively within the LinkedIn newsfeed, which allows you to tell your story and engage your audience.

2. Case studies or third party reports are a great way to establish your company as a leader in your space. Highlight the positive impact your service has had on your clients’ business.

3. Interactive content, like quizzes, are a fun way to engage your audience. Leverage this type of content to drive awareness and

engagement.

4. Show and tell. Leverage photo or video posts to show your audience your product, in addition to highlighting key features.

5. Leveraging stats in your posts is a great way to grab the attention of your audience.

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Tip #1: Leverage video to engage your audienceVideo is a great way to tell your story, showcase your product, and highlight

success stories. Because Vimeo, YouTube, and SlideShare videos all play natively within the LinkedIn feed, the user experience is seamless. Here, Boeing uses video

to showcase their new Dreamliner and AIG shows how to use new technology to survey locations for insurance purposes.

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Tip #2: If you have third-party support, use itIf content is being created about your company (and not necessarily by

your company), use it. Here, GiveCampus sponsors an article from the Washington Post that highlights how universities have leveraged

GiveCampus to raise money while Autotask leverages a Gartner report to support their product.

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Tip #3: B2B content doesn’t have to be boring

Incorporating interactive and fun content, like quizzes, can be a great starting point for your audience to engage with your content. It’s also a

nice compliment to your repertoire of e-books and white papers.

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Tip #4: Show and tell

Leveraging the larger format photo posts will allow you to show your audience what your product offers. Highlight key features in the copy.

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Tip #5: Stats get attention

Consider using powerful statistics in your posts to gain attention and engagement with your posts

Education

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Tip #1: Discuss what matters to your audienceApproach your content as a reader – what would you find valuable,

what sparks your interest, what do you enjoy reading? Kellogg School of Management does a great job addressing leadership. Here, they

discuss key ways to lead a high-impact team

Tip #2: Address ChangeThe way people learn has changed over time and is continuing to

evolve. How does your school/business address this changing ecosystem? Here, Pluralsight offers their expertise through a

downloadable guide.

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Tip #3: Use real people

Showcasing your alumni and their successes is a great way to inspire new/potential candidates. Be sure to use pictures of real alumni to

emphasize the authenticity of the story.

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Technology

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Asking a question is a great option to engage your audience – it implies the start of a conversation. Here, Aha! Labs poses a broad question,

which encourages the reader to move farther down the post.

Tip #1: Ask a question

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Tip #2: Show what your product/service can doLeveraging video allows the viewer to see the benefit of using your

product or service. Here, TaskEasy understands the busy lives of professionals and shows how an unruly front yard can transform into a

groomed lawn through their service.

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Tip #3: Leverage third party validation

Leveraging third party research reports, such as Gartner, is a great way to showcase your company as a leader in your space. Just be sure to

use reports that are as recent as possible.

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Medical/Healthcare

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Tip #1: Show the productShowing your product isn’t just a good idea for tech companies. The complex medical field also benefits from showing what your product

does. Highlight the technical advances of your company through visuals.

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Just because you’re in the medical/scientific field doesn’t mean everything published has to be chock-full of jargon. Leveraging lighter-weight content like quizzes will bring a human element to your content.

Tip #2: Relate to your audience

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Your content doesn’t always have to be about you. Here, Healthgrades shares an Atlantic article about a budding relationship between ride-

hailing services and hospitals. The article doesn’t mention Healthgrades, but as a company that provides information to

consumers on healthcare providers, this is a great article to share in order to build trust and reliability.

Tip #3: Be helpful

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