Adam Houlahan: Mastering the Art of LinkedIn Engagement
By: Joshua Finley
Have you ever wondered how some LinkedIn posts effortlessly captivate and engage their audience? Are you longing for your posts to grab the attention they truly deserve, but don’t know where to begin?
Rather than trawl the internet for random advice we spoke with Adam Houlahan, Founder and CEO of Prominence Global, one of the world’s leading specialist LinkedIn marketing agencies. He shared some insider tips that go a long way to driving increased engagement on this increasingly important platform. That is if you want to use it to grow your audience and lead generation.
It’s a Long Way to the Top
Becoming a LinkedIn thought leader and influencer is no overnight success story. As Houlahan points out, crafting a compelling LinkedIn post that generates high audience engagement takes both knowledge and skill. It takes work. You have to invest time and energy into research and experimentation before you can expect your content to strike gold and reach a wider audience
But don’t allow that to deter you. Houlahan offered some practical insights with us that anyone who’s serious about LinkedIn can implement right now, so we’re sharing them with you here. Houlahan says if you follow these strategies you will be able to elevate your visibility and forge connections with key members of your target market.
Houlahan’s Six Insider Tips For Mastering LinkedIn Engagement
Houlahan maintains there are six essential elements that will drive engagement on LinkedIn and they need to be addressed in a specific sequence.
- Determine the purpose or objective of your content
- Identify your audience
- Develop a content strategy
- Generate and brainstorm content ideas
- Plan and draft your posts
- Use data analytics
We asked him to share some details on how to implement each of these key elements. Read on to see if you have everything covered.
Determine the purpose or objective of your content
The first step is to clarify your goals and the rationale behind your content. Are you aiming to establish yourself as a leading authority in your industry? Or perhaps generate leads and acquire new customers? Maybe your objective is to engage with existing customers and bolster their loyalty. Could it be to expand your network? Or possibly to exhibit your expertise to potential employers? While not every content piece needs to fit within this objective, being cognizant of the purpose behind your content creation can help you forge posts that strike a chord with your audience.
Identify your audience
Houlahan suggests that your audience will depend on the goal of your content. If you aim to acquire new customers or generate leads, your audience will mirror your brand’s ideal customer. If you intend to establish yourself as a thought leader in your field, your audience will comprise individuals in your industry. Irrespective of your objective, a deep understanding of your audience is crucial to crafting content that they will find appealing and engaging.
Houlahan adds, “This may sound obvious but you must be sure that your intended audience is actually active on LinkedIn. There’s not much point in putting in all this work if they prefer to consume content elsewhere. Moreover, it’s vital to grasp the type of content your audience finds interesting and engages with. Relevance is key.”
Develop a content strategy
Once you’ve established your goals and identified your primary audience, the next step is to develop a content strategy.
Houlahan recommends starting by creating a broad list of potential topics and scheduling deadlines for drafting, reviewing, and publishing your content. You will need to decide on the types of content to be produced (articles, videos, images, infographics, etc.) and consider allocating a budget for content creation.
He says It’s crucial to determine the ideal length of your posts and whether your posts will consist solely of text or include a blend of photos, videos, and infographics. How will you create these different types of content? Offering a diverse range of content types can help keep your audience engaged and interested. And the LinkedIn algorithm loves variety too.
Follow thought leaders in your industry. Take note of the types of content they are producing, the questions they are answering, and how they engage with their audience. Pay attention to the topics they focus on and try to identify opportunities to create your own unique content. Use this information to generate fresh and engaging content that resonates with your audience and serves a purpose.
Generate and brainstorm content ideas
There are many ways to develop specific topics for your LinkedIn posts. Here are a few that Houlahan believes any business owner can easily implement, even if you don’t do it yourself and prefer to delegate it to a team member.
Here’s a list of his thought starters for you:
- Celebrate wins.
- Share relevant industry data and provide your analysis.
- Share obstacles your brand faced and how you overcame them.
- Address common customer questions and concerns.
- React to industry news and articles.
- Share engaging stories about your brand, company, employees, or products.
- Share inspirational or motivational content.
- Discuss your industry and provide insights on trends and developments.
- Share your learnings from books, podcasts, webinars, or conferences.
- Offer advice and tips to your audience.
- Share personal challenges and how you overcame them.
- Repost interesting articles or content.
- Highlight significant milestones and accomplishments.
- Conduct interviews with team members, employees, executives, or customers.
- Share company news and product updates.
The possibilities for creating engaging content are endless. What matters is producing content that resonates with your audience, is informative, and relevant.
Plan and draft your posts
When crafting LinkedIn posts, it’s crucial to concentrate on text-based content as it tends to yield the ideal results. Even though LinkedIn allows a post to be as long as 3000 characters, many people just don’t read that much. Instead, aim for around 1200 characters. And of course, the first 2-3 lines play should grab attention since the remainder of the post will remain concealed until the viewer clicks on “see more.”
Houlahan also says a key to getting your posts read is to keep the language simple and the layout easy to read. Many people read this content on their mobile devices so don’t make them scroll too much if you don’t want to lose their attention. Break down the post into smaller paragraphs, ensuring adequate spacing between them.
Occasional use of emojis and icons is fine if you don’t overdo it and the same goes for hashtags. Three hashtags is generally all you need. Houlahan recommends placing hashtags at the end of the post, not in the body of the text as many people find that distracting and potentially annoying. Ensure that any references made in the post are authentic and credible.
And a final tip on this – Houlahan says you should always end your posts with a provocative question or a specific call to action.
Use data analytics
Houlahan noted that it is essential to periodically evaluate the performance of your content, using targeted analytics. That will tell you whether you’re reaching the right audience with content they want to consume. It will also serve as an invaluable guide to shaping your future content as well. Additionally, it is important to monitor the comments from viewers and engage with those comments.
It may come as a surprise that the number of followers you amass is not particularly significant. What truly matters is the expression of your voice and expertise that shines through and is reinforced in your content and posts.
In closing Houlahan maintained that your influence within your industry is not necessarily determined by the size of your audience or network. Instead, it is determined by the quality of individuals who read and engage with your content. “Quality over quantity” holds true in this case. If your network is smaller but actively engaged, shares your posts, and enhances your reputation as an expert, your content will achieve greater success.
If you want to know more about Adam Houlahan and his LinkedIn marketing agency Prominence Global you can reach out to him directly via his profile.
Published by: Khy Talara
