There are many private branding suggestions, like:
- “Put up 5 instances per day”
- “Put up extra video content material”
- “Put up at 8:27AM PST!”
Nevertheless, I haven’t seen any current to assist many of those claims.
Till now.
I analyzed 100 LinkedIn influencers in addition to every influencer’s three prime performing posts (for a complete of 300 posts) to reply questions like:
- How typically do prime creators submit?
- What number of prime performing posts are reposts?
- What are the highest performing varieties of posts (picture, video, carousels, and so on.)?
On this submit, I’ll share what I realized from this knowledge and the way you should utilize it to develop on LinkedIn.
About The Information Used To Develop These LinkedIn Private Branding Stats
First, I acknowledge that 100 LinkedIn profiles and the highest three performing posts (for a complete of 300 posts) is a really small pattern of knowledge.
Sadly, LinkedIn has strict limits, making it troublesome to scrape a bigger pattern dimension.
Nevertheless, even a small pattern of knowledge lets you see dominant developments.
Due to this fact, this knowledge isn’t designed to ship laborious and quick guidelines. As an alternative, it make clear a number of developments that may allow you to enhance your LinkedIn private branding technique.
As for the information itself, we solely analyzed LinkedIn profiles who:
- Earn no less than a median of 40 feedback per submit
- Put up no less than 30 instances previously six months
- Have lower than 500,000 followers
The minimal requirement of 30 posts within the final six months and fewer than 500,000 followers helped us remove “enterprise celebrities” (i.e., well-known entrepreneurs/executives with thriving private manufacturers outdoors of LinkedIn).
These necessities enable the information to light up ways and techniques anybody can use to develop on LinkedIn.
For instance, Sam Altman might submit something on LinkedIn, and the submit would obtain excessive engagement merely due to his model outdoors of LinkedIn. But should you copied his precise submit format, type, and tone, it in all probability wouldn’t carry out as effectively just because he already has a wider community than the typical entrepreneur or skilled.
I additionally seemed on the three prime performing posts from every influencer. We outlined “prime performing” because the posts with essentially the most engagement previously six months and in the end collected an information set of 300 posts.
To gather all of this knowledge, we used the Chrome Plugin Creator Match and manually entered the information from every LinkedIn influencer right into a spreadsheet.
1.) 91% of LinkedIn creators submit no less than as soon as each three days.
There’s no query that posting frequency is essential.
- 91% of the LinkedIn creators submit no less than as soon as each three days.
- 72% of LinkedIn creators submit no less than as soon as each two days.
- 20% of LinkedIn creators submit no less than as soon as per day.
As talked about within the knowledge assortment technique, I solely included LinkedIn influencers who had posted no less than 30 instances throughout the final 180 days to stop together with “enterprise celebrities” (i.e., individuals who already had a model and would, due to this fact, generate engagement no matter their LinkedIn savviness.)
Nevertheless, I used to be shocked to see that ALL individuals we included within the examine (influencers with a minimal common remark per submit of no less than 40 and fewer than 500,000 followers) posted no less than as soon as each 5 days.
To be exact, solely two of the 100 influencers randomly chosen for this examine posted much less steadily than as soon as each 4 days.
The primary takeaway from this statistic is that posting steadily is essential to LinkedIn private branding success.
Many individuals agonize over content material high quality and spend an excessive amount of time crafting the right submit if you’d see a greater ROI should you steadily submit one of the best content material you may produce in a restricted time.
So sure, spending hours, days, or weeks on an impressive piece of evergreen content material for a channel like search engine marketing or YouTube may make sense, however for LinkedIn, the important thing to success is posting steadily.
TL;DR: Simply begin posting! And submit extra typically!
2.) Over half of the content material posted (59%) was picture primarily based.
We checked out the entire LinkedIn posts from the 100 influencers included within the examine, and the information set in the end consisted of 12,184 posts.
Pictures had been by far the preferred, as greater than half (59%) of posts had been picture primarily based posts.
Right here’s the complete breakdown of submit varieties (be aware that numbers had been rounded):
- Textual content primarily based posts made up 12% of the overall
- Video posts made up 11% of the overall
- Carousel posts made up 17% of the overall
- Picture posts made up 59% of the overall
- Polls made up >1% of the overall
- Newsletters made up 1% of the overall
I used to be shocked that the majority creators rely closely on picture primarily based posts. Loads of Linkedin creators encourage video and carousel posts as they could produce larger engagement, but picture posts are the bread and butter for many creators.
I assume it’s because, as referenced by the primary level, posting frequency is king.
As carousels and movies take extra time to create, picture primarily based posts are the bread and butter for many creators’ technique.
Takeaway #3: 67% of the highest performing posts had been picture posts
After seeing that a lot of the prime performing posts had been picture primarily based, I used to be curious to see what sort of submit carried out one of the best.
So we seemed on the prime three highest-performing posts (outlined by “highest engagement” – a mix of essentially the most feedback, likes, and shares) from every creator previously 180 days.
From this pool of 300 prime performing posts, we discovered that picture primarily based posts had been nonetheless the highest performers:
- 16% had been carousel posts
- 67% had been picture posts
- 9% had been textual content posts
- 8% had been video posts
Once more, I used to be just a little shocked by this knowledge at first.
I assumed that movies and carousels would be extra participating, and due to this fact, even when creators didn’t submit them as typically, they’d nonetheless be the highest performers.
Nevertheless, there are a number of different the explanation why picture primarily based posts nonetheless proved to be the highest performers:
- The ROI On Luck: After all, you probably have extra textual content primarily based content material, there’s a higher probability that certainly one of them will take off. However I feel these subsequent components have extra of an affect.
- Content material Substance Trumps Content material Medium: It’s straightforward to fixate on the content material medium slightly than the substance of the content material itself. However should you simply cured most cancers and defined how you probably did it, that content material would carry out effectively, no matter whether or not you selected to make a video, a carousel, a graphic, or a text-based submit. Deal with enhancing the substance of your content material slightly than fixating on hacks or mediums.
- Instantaneous Comprehension: A graphic can show an idea extra instantaneously, whereas movies and even carousels require extra time for individuals to get into the content material and “get the purpose.” Particularly on social media, instantaneous comprehension is essential for comprehension.
In the event you’re curious to see how the highest performing posts in comparison with the overall posts, right here’s a breakdown:
Takeaway #4: 16% of the posts that had a picture or video weren’t unique
Many individuals don’t submit on LinkedIn as a result of they don’t need to rent a designer or create their very own movies.
Nevertheless, it seems that you just don’t must create distinctive graphics or movies.
The information reveals that 16% of the highest performing picture and video posts had been graphics or movies that the creator borrowed (with permission) from one other creator.
Right here’s an incredible instance of how Reno Perry used (after which credited) a graphic from one other creator to make his submit extra participating:
In some instances, you may even piggyback off another person’s complete thought and artistic (so long as you credit score them).
Right here’s an incredible instance of this technique from Kyle Poyar:
We already established that publishing frequency is among the most essential indicators of success on LinkedIn, so should you’re in a pinch and must provide you with one thing shortly, contemplate borrowing one other creator’s graphic or video and provides them credit score.
Many of those creators truly admire that you just share their content material, and it may be a good way to construct extra relationships.
Takeaway #5: 37% of the highest performing picture primarily based posts had been professionally designed graphics
I anticipated a lot of the prime performing picture posts to be prime quality, professionally designed graphics, although I discovered that the majority of them had been simply cellphone footage of the creator.
For instance, this was the picture for certainly one of this creator’s prime performing posts.
Keep in mind that LinkedIn is before everything a social media platform, so posting life updates and together with footage of your self is a good way to extend engagement.
That mentioned, the high quality of engagement may be larger should you submit graphics illustrating blueprints or suggestions as that may entice your preferrred viewers, although private pictures may also assist construct belief together with your viewers.
Takeaway #6: 17% of the highest performing posts had been reposts
Once I began combing by means of the information, I spotted lots of the three prime performing posts had been reposts. Right here’s an instance:
Due to this fact, I excluded any reposts from the primary knowledge set of 300 posts for the sake of analyzing what makes a submit an outlier, however we later went again and checked out simply how lots of the prime three posts for any given creator had been reposts.
And the reply was 17%.
The takeaway is to periodically repost every of your prime performing posts.
In truth, the reposted content material typically outperformed the unique model.
This can be as a result of the creator had extra followers when the reposted model was revealed.
Nevertheless, it nonetheless reveals that the majority of your followers might not see (or keep in mind) your content material, so there’s a major profit in reposting your outdated content material.
Right here’s a full breakdown of the repost statistics:
- 17% of the highest performing posts had been reposts
- A repost was among the many prime 3 performing posts for 36% of the profiles analyzed.
- Over half of the reposts (67%) truly outperformed the unique submit.
Takeaway #7: Engagement dramatically decreases as your follower depend will increase
Right here’s the breakdown of common engagement charges at completely different follower counts:
- 0.51% is the typical engagement price for influencers with 200,000 to 500,000 followers
- 0.91% is the typical engagement price for influencers with 100,000 to 200,000 followers
- 0.92% is the typical engagement price for influencers with 50,000 to 100,000 followers
- 1.38% is the typical engagement price for influencers with below 50,000 followers
This statistic was a shock, however it reinforces the purpose above, which is that it’s important to repost your content material as your follower depend grows, as a result of most of your followers in all probability don’t see your whole content material.
This statistic additionally reinforces the significance of rising a e-newsletter, as electronic mail is among the few channels the place you personal the viewers and may ensure that every subscriber sees your viewers.
Takeaway #8: 8AM PDT or 11AM EST is the commonest publishing time
The most typical publishing hour is 8AM PDT or 11AM EST.
I didn’t acquire particular location knowledge on these LinkedIn influencers, although it was a world pattern, and anecdotally, I seen that the majority of them had been in the US.
Takeaway #9: Solely 17% of prime performing posts tag different LinkedIn creators/corporations
Tagging different individuals and collaborating may be a good way to encourage engagement.
This submit referenced knowledge created by Rand Fishkin and illustrated how he leveraged the information to enhance his course of is a superb instance of how one can embody different influencers in your content material.
In consequence, Rand commented on the submit and it organically earned extra attain.
Nevertheless, this statistic is an effective reminder that whereas many of those frequent LinkedIn suggestions (i.e., tagging influencers) can assist you enhance attain, you may waste time overoptimizing your content material if you’d see a greater ROI merely posting extra steadily.
I additionally need to be aware that the utmost variety of individuals tagged in a single piece of content material was not more than two.
I discovered this stunning as I assumed that roundup posts, just like the one under, would generate extra engagement.
Nevertheless, the takeaway is that high quality content material and natural relationships trump “engagement methods.”
Takeaway #10: 88% of High Performing Posts Had Zero Hashtags
LinkedIn hashtags appear to be much less essential (or just much less utilized), as 88% of the posts didn’t comprise any hashtags.
And, even when individuals did add hashtags, most solely used one hashtag.
Of the posts containing hashtags, solely 34% had greater than three hashtags, and solely 20% had greater than 5.
So use hashtags sparingly. And, they doubtless aren’t as essential as they as soon as had been.
Takeaway #11: 14% of the highest performing posts contained a gated supply
You’ll typically see gated LinkedIn posts the place individuals should remark to obtain a free useful resource.
Right here’s an instance:
Due to this fact, I anticipated these gated posts to make up a big proportion of the highest performing posts.
Nevertheless, solely 14% of the highest performing posts had been gated.
Gating posts can assist you construct a listing however use it sparingly.
In the event you gate your content material, attempt to seize the individual’s electronic mail tackle.
The LinkedIn algorithm controls who sees your content material, and it could actually ban you at any second. Nevertheless, capturing emails allows you to personal your viewers and you may guarantee every follower receives your content material.
Takeaway #12: 18% of prime performing posts contained exterior hyperlinks
Some social media platforms lower attain should you embody a hyperlink within the submit, although we seen that 18% of the 300 top-performing posts contained exterior hyperlinks.
So, your posts can nonetheless carry out effectively should you embody exterior hyperlinks.
Extra Anecdotal Observations
I manually collected the information myself, and listed here are some anecdotal observations I gathered from the method.
Whereas I couldn’t put a quantitative worth to those observations, I really feel they’re nonetheless priceless sufficient to incorporate on this examine.
#1: Every individual has their very own posting type
I initially created a column referred to as “Put up Sort” and deliberate to assign every of the 300 top-performing posts to a selected class, corresponding to “blueprint” or “private failure story.”
Nevertheless, I shortly realized that there have been far too many classes and kinds of posts. And, many posts might belong to a number of classes.
Nonetheless, I did discover that the highest three performing posts for any creator tended to be very related.
For instance, Amanda Natividad’s prime performing posts are all very related:
She takes a standard greatest apply and provides her personal contrarian viewpoint to the topic. You’ll see that also they are simply easy textual content posts:
However, Jacob Klug is wildly profitable giving freely blueprints of cool initiatives they’re engaged on. Listed here are two of his prime performing posts:
I’ll offer you yet one more instance. Two of Gina Sapien’s prime performing posts are simply lists of corporations to work for:
The redundant nature of the highest performing posts is probably going as a result of every creator discovered a method of content material they had been good at creating.
So don’t attempt to simply copy a single creator’s content material type. There are a whole bunch of submit codecs that may work, so experiment till you discover one that you just get pleasure from creating.
Nevertheless, it’s a good suggestion to ultimately develop a daily content material format and elegance, not simply to make the content material creation course of simpler for you, but additionally as a result of your viewers will doubtless gravitate in direction of a selected type of content material.
In the event you hold altering the type of content material (e.g., tremendous tactical to “really feel good” wellness content material), you’ll in all probability see low engagement charges as not your whole viewers will like the varied vary of content material.
#2: Engagement doesn’t account for follower or relationship high quality
Controversial posts and even common psychological wellness posts are inclined to carry out very effectively, however they received’t essentially allow you to construct a following of prospects.
For instance, this submit generated quite a lot of engagement. However did it truly assist this individual generate income? In all probability not.
Certain, you may sprinkle in a number of posts like this to assist enhance complete attain and permit your followers to get to know you, however it doubtless received’t show your trade authority to prospects, that means it in all probability received’t allow you to construct income.
Get Extra Assist Rising Your Private Model
Maybe crucial takeaway from this lesson is that crucial factor to do is to easily submit extra content material.
Nevertheless, it may be lonely attempting to determine how one can enhance your private model.
That’s why we created Copyblogger Academy. It’s a course and neighborhood for entrepreneurs and facet hustlers constructing on-line companies. There are programs overlaying search engine marketing, content material advertising and marketing, electronic mail advertising and marketing, private branding, and different advertising and marketing abilities that may allow you to develop sooner.
You’ll even have the chance to attach with different likeminded people locally, attend accountability periods, and ask seven determine entrepreneurs (myself and my companion Charles Miller) particular questions.
