What's Better? Article VS Post VS Reshares?

I like Data - more specifically, I like INSIGHTS from Data.

Over the last 3 months, I've unknowingly been conducting an experiment.

Each week I share something on LinkedIn. Tuesdays, 9 am. Like clockwork. I've made a commitment to do so, and I truly try to meet this self-imposed deadline. It's typically my personal musings on the Industry I make a living from. It's usually about things that I've learned over my 25+ years as a business owner. If I had to put a label on it, my outlook is kind-off Seinfeld(ish). I observe what is around me and share. I try to be authentic and I always want to find the humour in my words.

It doesn't always happen, and for that, I apologize. But nevertheless, I try.

A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.

Hugh Sidey

Last week, I was feeling uninspired. I made a commitment to post weekly, but the week had been crazy and I hadn't really had time to identify a theme or plan my words. So I resigned myself to not posting that week. I was ready to give up. But that turned out to be harder than actually posting. Some people might use the word "Guilt", but 5 minutes later - and 30 minutes before my internal deadline, I decided to put in some effort.

Looking for inspiration, I opened up The Hustle, and skimmed through the day's news highlights to see if anything related to my industry caught my attention. I found something, an article on Browsers that resonated with me. For 10 whole minutes, I organized my thoughts and crafted a message to reflect my context and perspective. Because the post seemed "thin" and because this 10 minutes of effort felt very different than the 2-3 hours I usually spend massaging my words, I added a poll to my post. The polls inspiration? Browser related... whenever I use my wife's computer she has what seems like 300 tabs open. In her words, (please don't close them - they are "All important"). I decided to poll if this behaviour was normal, or if my wife was going to end up on a show for the internet browser equivalent of "Hoarders".

Then I hit "Publish", Mission accomplished. Guilt alleviated.

Because I didn't spend much time on it, I can't say I felt good about the post. But I resigned myself to do better next time.

Back to the Data INSIGHTS stuff...

You've heard of Pareto's Principle, right?

The?Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, states that for many phenomena 80% of the result comes from 20% of the effort.

Shortly after posting last week, my phone started blowing up. People commented. People liked. People participated. It raised my curiosity and got me thinking about how the post compared to the last 3 months of effort. That one post got lots of attention.

2500 Views? Way more than a typical post. Reaching 250 Executive Directors? I wanted to know how it compared.

So I Dug In!

I compiled a spreadsheet of my last 3 months' activities and evaluated the Performance of Articles vs Posts vs Reshares. Below are some insights...

Firstly - the Articles...

These are the ones I spend a few hours mulling over. These are all original thoughts. I observe things in my life and then relate them to marketing. These don't generate a tonne of traffic, but they do seem to facilitate conversations. Anecdotally, it seems the ones that resonate the most are also the most personal. They are not just stats or commentary, but a reflection of my personality.

Secondly - the Reshares...

Reshares are exactly that - someone posted something I appreciated, and I want to shine a light on what's being said. My intentions are promotional, to help others succeed.

The insight here is that the value of these activities is in the sharing itself.

Lastly - the Posts...

My posts are typically 1-2 paragraphs - and are based on something I've seen or read. I typically provide a bit of context. They tend to get more eyeballs (views), and they also reach outside my own network of contacts.

But what about the insights?

Take a look at the highest 3 posts by views. They are ALL Polls. These are the ones that send my phone a buzzing on Tuesday Mornings. So, either LinkedIn favours this kind of content OR they simply resonate more with my Audience. In either case, it seems like a good strategy to use Polls in your posts.

The takeaway here is that no matter how you are participating on LinkedIn, Knowing what works and doesn't for your audience is important.

What I've Learned.

1. My personal voice and opinions resonate MORE than if I was just sharing generic content.
2. Polls have a much broader reach, create engagement and resonate with my Audience.
3. Resharing good content isn't about padding your stats, it's about being a better LinkedIn Citizen.
4. Effort does not equate with better performance. The?Pareto Principle Applies here as much as anywhere.

Effort does not equate with better performance.