It allows you to reach beyond your current network, to get your name and your ideas in front of thousands of people who care about the same issues you do.
It takes fewer than 15 minutes a day. And anyone can do it with the free version of LinkedIn.
What is this magic trick?
Commenting on posts written by thought leaders!
The practice of interacting with and commenting on posts from recognized thought leaders — people who are aligned with your mission and who have built an audience of thousands or even millions of followers — is a great way to get your ideas in front of the right people and build your own audience.
Statistics show there has never been a better time to up your LinkedIn game. LinkedIn reported seeing a 55% increase in conversations among connections and a 60% boost in content creation in 2020.
Read on for a blueprint that shows you how to get more engaged with others on LinkedIn and boost your overall presence on the world’s largest professional networking site at the same time.
Start with LinkedIn Influencers
The first step is to locate thought leaders to engage with. Luckily, LinkedIn offers a short cut. They have designated a group of people as “LinkedIn Influencers.”
LinkedIn Influencers are professionals who are prominent in their chosen industry and respected by a large audience. They typically have a robust and engaged network and are active on LinkedIn with regular posts and articles.
You can recognize a LinkedIn Influencer by the little blue “in” icon on their LinkedIn profile.
LinkedIn doesn’t provide a list of these people, but we have built one. It currently has 650 names, and we’ll be sharing that list during our webinar on October 28. If you would like a copy, please join us for the webinar!
Sign up here: Double Your Influence: How to Break Out of Your Bubble and Get Seen on LinkedIn
And while “Influencer” is an official designation LinkedIn bestows on certain people, you don’t have to engage with only these thought leaders. There are many people without the designation who have large networks and who are active, worth listening to, and engaging with.
You probably know quite a few. They might be consultants, bloggers, association executives, or thought leaders like yourself.
You can build your own list of people who you want to engage with. Locate them on LinkedIn, and then “follow” them to put their posts into your LinkedIn news feed so you can easily start commenting.
LinkedIn Influencer Examples
Here are some LinkedIn Influencers whose posts are easy to comment on:
Adam Grant
Melinda French Gates
Simon Sinek
Janice Bryant Howroyd
Clara Shih
Jim Citrin
Gretchen Rubin
Why Comment on Influencers’ Posts?
When you comment on Influencers’ posts, you join interesting conversations with well-known thought leaders — and the people who follow them. Being part of these conversations helps improve your level of engagement with others on LinkedIn, which is one of the key goals you should have for using the platform.
By commenting on Influencers’ posts, you can bring yourself to the attention of the person who made the post. Everyone keeps an eye on who is paying attention to them. Even Influencers who don’t manage their own social media accounts receive reports on what is being done. And an interesting comment is likely to be featured.
Their followers, which could be more than 100,000 people, can see your comment too.
Your network, and the people who visit your profile, can see that you are engaging in these conversations with well-known individuals. Many will find that impressive, and if they find the topic relevant, they may join the conversation.
We have had clients get invited to speak at events as a result of an interesting comment. Comments have also generated leads, job offers, and partnership opportunities.
Tips to Catch an Influencer’s Attention
When engaging with someone outside your network — especially an Influencer — you want to stand apart from other LinkedIn users. Here are a few tips to help you differentiate yourself:
- Instead of liking the post before you comment, consider using one of the other icons: Celebrate, Support, Love, Insightful, or Curious. This works especially well when there are already a few hundred comments. Often, people will click on the icons to see who said Celebrate or Curious.
- Like a few other comments on the post, and maybe comment on those comments. People are notified when you like or comment on their comments, so this is a good way to introduce yourself to some of the other people who found the post worth engaging with.
- Consider inviting the most relevant people who liked or commented to connect with you. Many of your invitations will be accepted if you say something like “I really liked your comment on [name’s] post the other day. Would you like to connect?”
How to Maximize Results
Your goal should be to post a comment that people find interesting enough that they want to know more about you.
Optimize your profile so they can start learning right away — before they even click on your name. Start with a high-quality headshot and an interesting headline that contains relevant keywords.
Once people get to your profile, the first thing they see is your header background graphic. Use a graphic that sells your credibility — perhaps a photo of you giving a keynote address or speaking on a panel.
You will want a rich Experience section and a compelling story in your About section, so people can feel like they know you and appreciate how you can help them.
Your Featured section should have links to articles, videos, or podcasts that provide visitors with an opportunity to learn more about you and your business.
Finally, make sure your profile is keyword rich. Put keywords in your headline, job descriptions, and everywhere else you can squeeze in them organically — don’t just pack them in.
Consider inviting some of the people who viewed your profile (the ones who are an ideal fit for you) to connect with you.
How to Measure Your Success
How do you measure results from commenting on others’ posts?
The first place to look is the number of views on your profile. Viewing your profile is the first step — it shows that the person found you interesting and gives you a starting point to begin a conversation.
Clients have told us that commenting increases the number of people who view their profile by 30% to 100%. That’s a huge increase, and it’s separate from any work we have done on their profiles.
Commenting on Influencers’ posts is an incredibly powerful action to put into practice, yet few people do. Make this a weekly part of your LinkedIn engagement strategy, and watch your profile come alive with activity.
Learn More
To learn more about how to comment effectively, join us on October 28 for our webinar Double Your Influence: How to Break Out of Your Bubble and Get Seen on LinkedIn. You’ll get tips on crafting the kind of comments that make an impact, and you’ll receive a list of 650 LinkedIn Influencers.