LinkedIn articles...really?

I find writing cathartic. If you had told that to my 16 year old mountain climbing rugby playing self then he would have laughed. But, I find expressing myself via written word as enjoyable as it is relaxing and, in terms of articles, it helps achieve my social media goals.

These goals involve sharing knowledge on a 'take it or leave it' basis. If I use articles to do this then I add as much value as my network recognizes in the content of my writing. I am very glad to say that the amount of genuine interest in my articles appears to be growing.

But, if you don't share my goals, why would you invest the time to write an article when you could (quickly & easily) read and share someone else's work in a post?

Firstly, any LinkedIn activity (within reason) is good activity. But, when you create a post you have made something that can only be shared on LinkedIn. However, an article can be copied to other platforms (Twitter, etc.) meaning it has a far greater exposure potential.

Posts are also limited to 1300 characters. Communicating complex concepts with the context required to 'land' the message can be difficult if confined to 1300 characters (250 words). An article has 125000 characters, which gives 96x the descriptive opportunity of a simple post.

Also, don't confuse LinkedIn with Facebook. Today's posts may be tomorrow's virtual chip-paper; but this is not the case with an article. The fact is that your online digital footprint is being used to define your credibility, and articles are actively used to qualify your relevance.

An article also offers a far greater chance to build trust with the reader by demonstrating that you understand their challenges and can offer a solution. If the reader realizes this then there is a higher likelihood of them embracing a call to action, and channeling attention your way.

Lastly, creating thought leadership content compliments your professional development. We all know that extensive reading is required to stay at the top of any discipline. Publishing articles will act as a catalyst for the critical thinking and research required to lead the way.

In summary, I know that we are all time poor. So, why not take an honest look in your diary and ask yourself if what you see would give the same professional return as publishing an article*? If you decide that the bigger return sits with an article, let me know how it goes...

*Everyone is different but, for me, an article takes about an hour of my time (this one took less). That is usually spread over a few days and includes drafting, amending, proofing, etc.