We’re three days into 2024 — is it too early to stop talking about resolutions?
In fact, let’s skip the whole resolution thing, and go for something more realistic, strategic, and with straightforward steps to success. I’m excited about the possibilities of this year, and I don’t want to waste a minute of it — for myself or our clients.
Our clients tend to be CEOs and senior executives, especially of SaaS companies, and their work plates are loaded with the big issues facing companies today — fundraising, attracting talent, scaling with sustainability, and more. While they recognize the value of social media, deploying it often falls low on their priority list.
Until that is, they learn how using LinkedIn consistently and strategically can help them with fundraising, attracting talent, scaling with sustainability, and so much more. And using LinkedIn well doesn’t mean wasting time on rabbit holes or frivolous posts. Using LinkedIn well requires a plan and a calendar (keep reading for step-by-step instructions) — but not hours of your time.
Here’s a simplified version of how to make LinkedIn work for you that will quickly jumpstart your planning and posting.
Step #1: 60-Second Assessment
Quickly — and without judgment — assess your current level of activity on LinkedIn:
- What’s your presence: Invisible? Posting weekly? Monthly? Randomly?
- What are you talking about on LinkedIn: Reporting breaking news? Sharing company posts? Thinking aloud?
- How often do you engage with others’ posts?
Step #2: 10-Minute Goal Setting
Now that you know where you are, let’s talk about where you want to be at this time in 2025 — or sooner. This is a super-fast step because you already know your goals — they are the ones you’ve set for your professional life, your company, and your personal life. For example:
- Raise another round of funding
- Hire a ____________________
- Create a culture where employees are inspired and collaborative
- Become better known as a thought leader in your industry
- Get a conversation with ____________________
- Build a relationship with ____________________
- Set a new personal record in ____________________
Putting LinkedIn to work for you can positively impact almost any goal, so go big as you draft your expectations for the coming year.
Step #3: 30-Minute Strategy Session
From your goals in Step #2, decide where you want to focus your LinkedIn activity. Remember this good news: LinkedIn is not Facebook, Instagram, or X. Its 950+ million members come to the platform with business on their minds, and chances are, most of your stakeholders are among them. Act accordingly!
Also, remember that your LinkedIn activity is visible to multiple groups of stakeholders simultaneously, so keep your messages positive (always) and never share confidential information. You can speak to a specific group in a post but know that the message will be seen by all.
For ideas, skim this blog with insights for planning your communications strategy in 2024, and consider these themes, which all CEOs should be sharing:
- Stories—talk about your vision and about experiences, examples, and evidence that validate it. Let people see who you are and why they should learn more about you.
- Data—use numbers, polls, and science to emphasize the importance of the problem you solve and how you can help your readers with their problems.
- Anecdotes—compare your solution to other ways of solving the problem, so people see why they should engage with you.
- Culture—showcase your team’s success and activities, to build morale and so potential talent sees why they want to work with you.
- Milestones—rather than posting randomly, orchestrate the release of positive information and accomplishments to show steady flow and traction.
Choose four themes and integrate them with the posting options to ensure your posts align with your overall goals. For example:
- If you want to become a thought leader in a specific industry, start posting about it. Tell stories that show your experience and expertise in the field. Write about a problem and how you think it could be solved. Perhaps start with a blog on LinkedIn, then break the article into three shorter posts to be shared.
- If you’d like to impress investors, demonstrate your company’s steadiness and traction with regularly scheduled posts about milestones and wins. More on timing in Step #5.
- If you want to recruit great talent, showcase your company’s culture and achievements. Share stories that highlight your team’s collaboration, innovation, and successes. Post about unique benefits, career development opportunities, and real testimonials from current employees — but make them original posts from you, not just shared posts from your company’s page.
Step #4: 15-Minute Calendar Creation
Map your posts across a monthly calendar. Post at least once a week, though twice a week is better. And, if you’re already posting twice a week, add another one. The payoff for consistent, frequent posting will amaze you. Here’s a sample month for posting twice a week:
Mixing and remixing themes and options means you’re never boring, and you’re consistently offering original content and insights. You can always share a company post, too, but don’t let that be your only contribution to the LinkedIn community.
Timing: There are multiple studies and posts about the ideal time to post on LinkedIn, and they rarely agree with each other. The general consensus is not on Mondays (people are busy triaging their messages and work from over the weekend) or Fridays (people are rushing and wrapping up). For best results, choose times and days that work for your audience and post consistently at those times. As your network and influence grow, people will come to expect and look for your posts.
Response: Set your expectations about the response to your posts. Engagement on LinkedIn tends to be much lower than on other platforms, and most people who read your post won’t like or comment. The LinkedIn algorithm discourages posts going viral, but it values:
- Longer dwell times (how long people stay on your post, so make it interesting, longer, and easily consumable)
- People remaining on LinkedIn (put outside links in the first comment — not in the post)
- Legitimate response (ask your team to like and comment on your posts within the first hour and to repost it (rather than share it)
Step #5: 20+ Minutes Per Week Execution
The amount of time you spend per day executing the plan and calendar is really up to you. You can skim your newsfeed and post an update in about 10 minutes. For two posts a week, you’ll be done in just 20 minutes.
But, if you invest 5-15 minutes more each week, you’ll discover the magic of LinkedIn. Use those extra minutes to enjoy and engage on the platform:
- If there are people you’d like to know, follow them and respond (like, comment, share) to their posts. Because fewer people engage on LinkedIn, those who do grab the attention (and sometimes a reply) of the individual posting. These responses can turn into conversations and relationships.
- Conversely, when someone responds to your posts, acknowledge them, too.
Making a Habit of Success
These five steps can build tremendous momentum and presence for you on LinkedIn and drive progress on your goals. But, how can you make them a consistent practice — a habit?
For advice, I turn to James Clear, the renowned author of “Atomic Habits,” which has had a profound impact on my life. The book, available at most booksellers and highly recommended, emphasizes that small changes in habits can lead to remarkable results over time and outlines these strategies:
Make It Obvious: Incorporate “habit stacking” by pairing checking LinkedIn with an existing routine, like your morning coffee. Each time you have your coffee, make it a point to check LinkedIn. Additionally, design your environment for success by placing a sticky note on your computer or setting a daily reminder on your phone as a cue to engage on LinkedIn. This visual prompt will help keep your LinkedIn interaction at the forefront of your mind.
Make It Attractive: Use “temptation bundling” to make LinkedIn engagement more appealing. For instance, skim LinkedIn while listening to a favorite podcast or music that you love. Also, join a few LinkedIn groups where regular posting and interaction are the norms. Being part of such a community can motivate you to engage more frequently and enthusiastically.
Make It Easy: To make engaging on LinkedIn easier, prepare your posts or comments in advance. This reduces the effort required to share content. Implement Clear’s Two-Minute Rule by setting a small initial goal, like spending just two minutes a day on LinkedIn, perhaps liking a few posts or writing short comments. You can also automate your LinkedIn activity using scheduling tools for your posts and setting up notifications for the types of content you wish to engage with, making the process more streamlined and less time-consuming.
Make It Satisfying: Reinforce your LinkedIn habit by rewarding yourself after spending time on the platform — like a small treat or a break, something that makes the activity more enjoyable. Keep track of your LinkedIn activities using a calendar or an app, marking each day you engage with the platform. Remember, if you miss a day, make it a priority to engage the next day. The “never miss twice” rule will help you maintain a steady habit of LinkedIn interaction, ensuring consistent engagement over time.
Make 2024 the Year LinkedIn Worked for You
These steps are a great starting point, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. As a busy CEO or senior executive, you know how valuable your time is. Our agency specializes in helping leaders like you use LinkedIn effectively, without impacting your busy schedule. We offer deeper, more tailored services to ensure LinkedIn works for you, helping you achieve your goals faster.
If this sounds like the boost you need, let’s talk. Reach out to me on LinkedIn or schedule a quick call today, and let’s start making LinkedIn a powerful tool in your communications arsenal.