Redefine Consistency with Your 2023 Content Strategy

Here’s what you can expect from this issue:

• Redefining Consistency for Engagement
• Content Year in Review
• Content Spotlight
• Gold Standard Content Creators
• #TLBClub Tip
• How Heather Helps
• Calls to Action??

Redefining Consistency for Engagement

122,250. That’s the number of impressions my LinkedIn content had in the last 365 days (Dec. 26, 2022 - Dec. 26, 2023). That’s a huge number, which means that more people have seen my content this year than the entire stadium capacity at the University of Michigan. I also didn’t post on LinkedIn AT ALL between June and October of this year (2022). What does that tell us?

Consistency has more than one definition. I used to think that consistency meant you had to pick a cadence and stick to it to achieve desired results, whether three times per week, weekly or monthly.

These numbers tell a different story, and numbers don’t lie.

Consistency has more than one definition.

As of this newsletter’s publishing, I have 2,274 followers on LinkedIn, 1,700 of whom are first-degree connections. That shows me 25% of my followers are following me because they like my content, not just because they know me as a professional. I hope to expand that ratio in 2023 as I continue my content creation journey.

By the way, did you notice this was my first LinkedIn newsletter since April? Probably not, since LinkedIn has so much content to consume. But if you did notice, let me know via direct message so I can thank you for following my content closely. As of this publishing, I have 672 subscribers to my LinkedIn newsletter from my first three editions. Don’t forget to subscribe here if you haven’t already

I hope you can find inspiration in my content creation journey, no matter how often you post content of your own. If you have yet to post any original content on LinkedIn, here’s a prompt for you:

What Are You Looking Forward to in 2023?

Tag me in your post so I can engage with it! You can say something like, "Answering this prompt from Heather Epstein 's December 2022 newsletter, Golden Nuggets in Content Strategy."

Content Year in Review

This year was the first that I started to take my content creation on LinkedIn seriously. I posted almost every day from January to March 2022, and while I had a notable gap in content from May to October, I returned to posting towards the end of this year. Here are my top-performing posts from 2022:

National Spouses Day - Published Jan. 26

Promotion Announcement - Published April 1?

Take your PTO days! - Published Nov. 21

In each newsletter, I select one of my posts to highlight various tactics for maximizing engagement. Below is some more analysis of my Nov. 21 post.

Content Spotlight

In November I returned from a trip to New York after taking a few vacation days, resulting in my third-largest-performing post of 2022. Read the full post here.

The Strategy

Remind your audience what they need to hear.

Why it Works

According to The Grossman Group and reiterated in several other sources, a person needs to hear a message seven times on average to take action. This rule of seven, often applied in marketing, also works for any situation where reminders are helpful, be it your business offerings, universal truths, or your values. In this case, the main message is reminding people to use their paid time off, or PTO days.?

Additional Considerations

Most of the users that engaged with this post work at my current employer, Honda, which might be related to the fact that I mentioned Honda in my post specifically. This might also be attributed to the large number of colleagues I have in my network compared to other companies, but in checking some of my other recent posts the company demographics are more diverse.

What the Numbers Say

IMPULZE is now Peakaboo, LLC , a LinkedIn analytics tool co-founded by D A N I E L H. and Nancy Debra Barrows M.S. CCC-SLP . Peakaboo helps you visualize all comments, mentions, hashtags and engaged attendees from any LinkedIn post, consolidated into an easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet. The tool also shows how much time users are spending on your content, which can really add up over time. The best part is that the only thing you need to get the data is the post URL.

Thank you to the Peakaboo team for this wonderful tool!

My post from Nov. 21 had 18 comments according to Peakaboo. I also learned users spent around 12 and a half minutes engaging with this post. In total, this post received 138 reactions (110 likes, 16 hearts, 11 claps, 1 support), and 7,071 views.

Gold Standard Content Creators

In each newsletter,? I feature three people in my network who from my perspective are putting out the gold standard for content on LinkedIn.

1. Joharys Torres

I connected with Joharys through a LinkedIn Audio Event about workplace wellness hosted by Felipe Cofi?o and Sumana Jeddy. Jojo is an amazing bilingual (English and Spanish) writer and content creator who is passionate about STEM, Sustainable Development Goals and DEI. I admire Jojo because she speaks her mind on LinkedIn, which comes across as extremely authentic. She also does speaking engagements, learn more here!

2. LIAM DARMODY

I originally met Liam through Clubhouse, and Liam was one of the first content creators who taught me the benefits of posting content on LinkedIn.

I follow Liam’s content because he posts frequently about technology innovations, notably in #web3, which I am interested in staying up to date on. Like me, Liam takes an interest in exploring new tools and social media platforms, which is how I learned about Post so early. To see an example of Liam’s content, check out his most recent post here.

3. Sam Swirsky

Sam created The Great LinkedIn Resource Guide, a compilation of more than 200 free resources to level up your LinkedIn game. Sam brands himself as the Content Creator Encourager, so if you enjoy posting content on LinkedIn, Sam is definitely someone to follow.?

One of the most underrated powers of LinkedIn in my opinion is discovering new connections and content creators through your first-degree connections.?I attribute my involvement on Clubhouse to getting connected with so many LinkedIn power users, and just earlier this month it was because of our mutual first-degree connections that I discovered this invaluable resource from Sam.

#TLBClub Tip

This tip was shared in reference to preparing for one of the Thought Leadership Branding Club ’s weekly community calls for TLB Club Community Leaders.?

“If it’s not in a document, then it’s only in your head, and that’s not a plan,” - Bobby Umar ?

As you plan for 2023, make sure to put your ideas on paper (physical or digital).?

Learn more about the Thought Leadership Branding Club here.?

How Heather Helps

Here are three ways I can help; feel free to send me a direct message with your ask:

1. Resume review
2. Introduction to someone in my network
3. Referral to my employer, for a specific role you are interested in https://www.honda.com/careers

Calls to Action

? Don’t forget to?subscribe here!

??Follow?#HeatherHelps?to see more of my content!

??Share this newsletter?with two connections you think would gain insight from it.

??Engage with Me! Comment below with questions you have about content strategy.?

??DM me! See a piece of content on LinkedIn you think is awesome? Send it to me via LinkedIn messenger so I can take a look!

??Follow me?on other social channels including?Twitter,?Instagram, Post?and?Clubhouse!

Stay Golden?