Lightning Fast LinkedIn Articles in 20 Minutes
How to whip up content for your LinkedIn in record time: A detailed breakdown.
Personal and Company brands have massive value in the modern world.
Organic reach is free marketing
The more that people see you, the more they trust you.
BUT.. building one up takes time
Life is busy, we don't have time to spend writing all day on social media.
So how do we combat this?
We follow a simple structure.
Make it skimmable.
Don't dwell too much on the nuances - nobody is perfect.
And honestly, in a world of fake personalities, making a few mistakes just adds to your authenticity.
People appreciate realism.
Remember: Done is better than perfect.
Right, let's get into the meat and potatoes:
Most articles follow a 5 step structure:
Using the outline structure, we can easily jot this outline down and fill in the blanks.
Yesterday, I used this same structure to write my article: 'Mastering Certifications with Strategic Study Hacks'.
Today, I used it to write this article.
Let's write an example article together and I'll walk you through my thought processes as we go.
In this example, let's say you wanted to write an article about how your business helps it's customers secure their networks with Cybersecurity in line with the Essential 8.
(Shameless plug; like we do here at Corp IT)
This can be a complex subject, but let's break it down:
First, let's think of a reason why someone would care about this topic.
Interesting hook:
First, jot down a four to five different potential article titles and return to them later with fresh eyes.
This moves things along quickly.
People get too hung up on writing the best hook before even starting the article contents.
Remember; your hook is what gets people interested.
Re write each of those hooks two or three times until you find one that hits hard.
Again, don't spend an absurd amount of time on this.
Right, moving on;
Say we've been through this process and landed on:
'Unlocking the Fort Knox of Cybersecurity: Why Your Business Can't Afford to Overlook the Essential 8'
Now let's add our framework:
Introduction:
What makes the Essential 8 so important?
Start with a brief definition of what the Essential 8 is, in layman terms.
Remember to keep it skimmable.
Don't just survive in the cyber wilderness - thrive with the Essential 8 as your virtual shield, ensuring unparalleled protection for your company's invaluable assets.
Add a captivating story, quote, anecdote, or question that relates to why your customers need to look to implement the Essential 8 in today's online world of ruthless cyber criminals.
This is a great place to add in some personality and real client horror stories.
Discuss the significance of the opening lines in capturing readers' attention.
Body:
This is the largest part of writing an article, don't be daunted, keep it simple and follow the '3 point method':
Three is the sweet spot.
Break down your message into three brief paragraphs highlighting important summarized points of why the topic is important and why it applies to the reader.
Three points is enough to be interesting, but short enough to avoid being just a long list of fluff.
Here is also a great spot to add a nice image, to soften the readers eyes from the massive looming wall of text:
Admittedly this topic is quite intense, my examples below may be longer than most topics, but you get the idea.
In this example, we could use the following three points as our body content:
'Proactive Defense Against Evolving Threats:
In the relentless landscape of cyber threats, where the only constant is change, the Essential 8 stands as a beacon of proactive defense for businesses.
Cyber adversaries are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting vulnerabilities that evolve at an alarming pace.
The Essential 8 doesn't merely react to known threats; it anticipates and neutralizes potential dangers before they manifest.
By embracing this comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, businesses can shield themselves from the unpredictable landscape of cybercrime.
The Essential 8 empowers companies to not just keep pace with evolving threats but to outmaneuver them, ensuring a robust defense that is always one step ahead in the perpetual cat-and-mouse game of digital security.
Holistic Protection for Every Business Layer:
The cyber battleground extends across every layer of a business, from the intricate networks to the human element interacting with them.
Herein lies the transformative power of the Essential 8 - a cybersecurity paradigm designed to provide holistic protection for every facet of your enterprise.
From application whitelisting to diligent system patching, the Essential 8 orchestrates a symphony of security measures that collectively fortify your organization.
This framework isn't a mere checklist;
It's a strategic defense blueprint, addressing vulnerabilities comprehensively to create an impervious shield.
By adopting the Essential 8, businesses not only secure their digital infrastructure but also ensure that each layer contributes harmoniously to an impenetrable defense, leaving no room for cyber threats to infiltrate and compromise vital assets.
Business Continuity and Reputation Safeguard:
In an era where the aftermath of a cyber incident can be as damaging as the breach itself, the Essential 8 emerges as the guardian of business continuity and reputation.
A cyberattack not only jeopardizes sensitive data but can disrupt operations, leading to financial losses and eroding the trust of clients and stakeholders.
The Essential 8, however, goes beyond prevention - it ensures a swift recovery, minimizing downtime and preserving the integrity of your business.
By investing in this comprehensive cybersecurity framework, businesses not only protect their bottom line but also safeguard their hard-earned reputation.
In a digital landscape where trust is paramount, the Essential 8 becomes the insurance policy that not only prevents the worst but ensures a resilient and trusted business continuity, even in the face of unforeseen cyber challenges.'
Essential 8: Transforming cybersecurity into an unwavering symphony of resilience, protecting not just data, but the trust and continuity that define your business.
Phew, that was a mouthful...
领英推荐
But keeping it brief with three important points containing relatively short paragraphs within keeps it brief, but yet still informative.
Let's move on.
Transitions and connecting ideas:
Now some articles may not require this section as it may not be relevant.
But let's dive into what this may look like in our example anyway.
Your goal here is to ensure a smooth and coherent flow between ideas and paragraphs while leading into a conclusion.
This section helps guide readers through the logical progression of your thoughts, making it easier for them to follow your main points.
In our example, we could use the following:
'In the dynamic world of cybersecurity, think of the Essential 8 as your business's superhero cape - always ready to ward off digital villains and keep your data safe.
It's not just a checklist; it's like having a reliable sidekick that anticipates and tackles threats before they become a problem.
From securing your network to keeping your team informed, the Essential 8 is your trusty companion in the ever-changing digital landscape.'
You could argue this is a conclusion in itself, however a transition lacks certain elements of a conclusion.
Let's look at the conclusion now.
But first, another image to break up the text:
Conclusions, summarizes the main points or arguments:
A conclusion should do what it says on the tin; summarize and close the article.
Some points to include:
Again, let's put this into practice in our Essential 8 example:
'From network security to user awareness, the Essential 8 provides a comprehensive shield, leaving no stone unturned in its commitment to your business's safety.
So, in the ever-changing digital landscape, let the Essential 8 be your business's guide a seamless, harmonious approach that ensures you thrive securely, confidently, and ready for whatever the digital world throws your way.'
As you can see it ties each topic up nicely and puts a little bow on top.
Now the readers are primed and ready for your call to action to close off the article.
Let's dive into that now.
Call to action, encourages readers to take action or engage:
This is my favourite part.
The 'Call to Action' is where all the juicy bits are.
A good CTA will leave the reader with absolutely no choice but to follow you recommendations.
You can either call the reader to sign up, contact you or whatever you need to close a deal, earn a subscriber or more.
Most of the time, when writing on LinkedIn you'll want to call a reader to follow you, sign up to your email list or download a whitepaper that will be of huge value to them.
Let's craft three (rule of 3 at it again) in our Essential 8 example:
'Fortify Your Business Today: Reach out to us and we'll provide a free security audit and get you on the right path to achieving the Essential 8 standard.'
This pushes the reader to reach out, potentially starting a business relationship with a more salesy direct contact response.
'Explore Your Cybersecurity Resilience: Take the Essential 8 Quiz'
A simple old school call to action, the idea is to bring your prospect through a pre qualifying questionnaire which helps narrow down the prospects that you may want to reach out to.
'Stay Informed: Subscribe to Our Cybersecurity Updates'
Maybe you just want to build your email list and establish authority via the inbox?
Simply prompt the readers to sign up to your newsletter in exchange for something valuable.
Once you've drafted a few CTA's, find one that you think will achieve your end goal accordingly.
Secret bonus point 6:
References or Citations:
If you're writing a research paper or an essay of some kind (which this article quickly turned into somehow) it's always important to provide your references.
Just as you would in Uni or any other formal study.
Okay, that's it.
We're finally at the end.
I know this was a monster of an article.
Thank you for getting through it, I hope you took notes!
And yes, I contradicted myself - this one did NOT take 20 minutes to write.
But this one was a different situation, I swear!
Normally you wouldn't need to write a post that's more than 3000 characters or an article that goes on for this long...
However;
If you bookmark this article and jot down the framework with notes for each point.
The more you practice with this, the quicker you will write articles with ease.
I promise you, it'll pay off in the long term.
"Consistency breeds confidence. Keep showing up, even on the hard days." - Unknown
Thank you for sticking through this one with me, I hope you gained massive value from it.
Let me know if you write this way or if you're going to change up the way you write in the future!
Also, did you learn about the Essential 8?
Surprise!
I am going to publish that example article in it's entirety tomorrow or maybe the next day - just so you can see how it all comes together in a live post, without the commentary.
Be sure to follow me and stay tuned for tomorrow's article;
'Unlocking the Fort Knox of Cybersecurity: Why Your Business Can't Afford to Overlook the Essential 8'
Cheers!
-Mike.
P.S. One absolutely final tip before I go; having a notepad handy to write your outline really makes a huge difference and helps with creative flow.
Below is an example of how I created the outline for this article:
Now you don't HAVE to do this, but I personally enjoy the process.
Okay, now I'm really going.
Bye!