How To Start Producing Content Online...Without Dreading It

How many people wish they had been first to the California Gold Rush?

Or one of the first investors in Facebook, Uber or Instagram?

Being first in an uncrowded market is...well...everything.

Being first is what separates the winners from the losers. What if I told you you had that opportunity right now? To get in on something before anyone else? Would you take it?

You do, by posting to LinkedIn. Let me show you...right now there are 134.5 million daily LinkedIn members globally. They log on every day to scroll, read, network and learn.

How many out of that 134 million share content? In 2022, only 3 million. ?? In a crowded room of 134 million humans, only 3 million were making any noise. Pretty good chance of your voice being heard don't you think?

What does this tell us?

1. There are a lot of lurkers. 131 million to be exact. People who read content but don't post their own.
2. Your chance of exposure on the platform is massive. But the good times won't last, industry leaders are flocking to the platform.

I'm often asked, "How can I make the most of my LinkedIn?" My next question is, "How much time do you have?" While I can't corner everyone into a full day workshop here are the essentials I would do today...

Optimizing Your LinkedIn

???? Step One: Turn on Creator Mode.

I don't understand why people don't turn this on. It's free, gives you extra bells and whistles and the LinkedIn algorithm favors those who have it. If you don't have it turned on, take 4 minutes and watch this short video where I walk you through turning it on step by step.

???? Step Two: Figure out what to post.

Choose topics you genuinely enjoy talking about. Disclaimer: This does not have to be what you do every day. Work in sales but love AI? Post about AI! Work in advertising but love digital design? Post your best design tips!

Your ideal content zone will be the overlap between:

• What you could talk it about for hours
• What you enjoy learning about
• What you're naturally good at

If you want to start immediately but have trouble narrowing down your “zone”, try lazy engagement. Like, comment, ask questions, or tag a friend in posts that catch your attention. 

This still counts as original content and any kind of posting is better than none.

How To Create A Realistic Schedule 

Everyone says, "Create a schedule!" when it comes to content. However, they often forget a key word...a realistic schedule. We can all say, "I'm going to do XYZ five days a week!" But are you really?

Starting something new means big ideas, lots of ambition and a bad habit of biting off more than you can chew.

Set aside time to review your calendar. When is your weekly can't-miss team call? When do you pick up the kids? When are your check in's with your team?

Find a time you can realistically commit to creating content. It can be anything from 30 minutes once a week to 15 minutes on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's after your lunch break.

Build your consistency muscle with small, frequent time blocks. Mark this time block in your calendar and treat it like a meeting with yourself. 

? Copy My Homework: Apps like Dropbox, Notion, Asana, and Evernote are great for staying organized. 

When Do I Post?! 

Fish where your fish are. Live in New York City? Post in the morning on East Coast Time. Live in Sydney? Post in the morning on AEDT. Monday through Thursday around 8 AM to 9 AM in your time zone (or the time zone your largest audience is in) proves to be best. 

? Saturdays and Sundays are dead. Posting on these days is like wearing a great outfit when not enough people saw it...you have to wear it again.

Copy Other People's Homework:

If you're a visual learner like me seeing inspiration in real time is everything. Here are some people you should check out. I divided them by the type of content they excel in creating.

???? Long Form Content: If you enjoy long-form content check out these LinkedIn Newsletters. These creators push out content on consistent schedules. Evaluate each creator: how long are their articles, how often do they post, what do you like about what they do?

• Gemma Leigh Roberts
• Tatiana Kolovou
• Ryan McCrary

???? Video Content: Love recording in front of the camera? These will be your go to creators to see how they are leveraging video on the LinkedIn platform. Evaluate each creator: how long are their videos, do they have a consistent editing style, do they use captions?

• Jessica Chen
• Selena Rezvani
• Brittney Castro
• Codie Sanchez

???? Text-Only Content: Is punchy, witty commentary your love language? If so, these creators deserve a deep dive. Evaluate each creator: how long are their captions, what does it visually look like, how are they storytelling?

• Justin Welsh
• Terry Rice
• Jennifer Welsh

? If you love a little mix of everything - follow me. (Shameless plug!) Each week I mix up using video, polls, newsletters and going Live on the platform.

2 Big Content No No's

There are two things that almost always make your content perform poorly. 

1. Giving a Solid Takeaway. Before you post, ask, ‘Can someone share this over dinner and look smart?’ For example, don't just post about a book you're reading. Instead post about the book and the three biggest takeaway's you've learned. Later, someone can take your takeaways and share that over dinner. They seem like an expert and all they had to do was read your post. You've become a go-to source for them
2. Overusing hashtags. Using too many hashtags confuses the algorithm. LinkedIn has said this themselves. Use three hashtags max & be done with it. 

?? BONUS TIP ??

Keep it short. The average attention span is 3 seconds. Aim to use the fewest words possible to get your point across. Edit yourself ruthlessly.

Getting More Views

The insider secret to getting more views on your content? Engage with trending LinkedIn News articles. The ones that show up on the right hand side of your homepage. Pick a topic from the LinkedIn News section, comment on it directly or share it in your feed with your own take or response.

You may get picked up by the LinkedIn Editorial Team! 

Content from users who engage with LinkedIn News has the potential to go far. Hop on the trend now – no telling how long this will last!

If you're eager for more tactical tips I compiled 10 tips you can implement immediately - Sharing Your Expertise Online. Each video is 60 seconds or less and packs a powerful punch. 

Extra Credit: Block time on your calendar to create one piece of on LinkedIn. Tag me in it so I can support you! If you need help with ideas here are 30 I compiled – feel free to steal any of them.

? If this has been helpful to you, pass it on to a friend or tag them in the comments below. Sharing is caring. I look forward to hearing from you!

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