Why I Write on LinkedIn (and Why You Should Too)

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to start a blog.

I had wanted to write for a while, but didn’t know how to take what I knew about marketing, communications, and PR?—?particularly in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, where I’ve spent my entire career?—?and translate that into something that others would want to read.  

While I had been writing and editing for many years throughout my career, I wasn’t sure if the voice I used to write for others would be the one I would want to use when I wrote under my own name.

And, to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I could withstand the scrutiny of hundreds or even thousands of people around the world who, I imagined, would be poring over my every word, picking out flaws, and posting them as comments or on social media. 

But when LinkedIn opened up its blogging platform to its broader membership in early 2014, I decided to finally take the plunge. With the helpful nudge of a trusted mentor, I made a personal commitment to publish a new post every week.

I soon discovered that my doubts and fears were unfounded.

The more I wrote, the more ideas for new posts came to mind. Today, the list of topics I want to write about runs just as long as the posts I’ve actually published. I cite this as a source of frustration more than pride, frankly, because I wish I had the time?—?and the guts?—?to finish them all and hit publish.

After translating the invisible ideas swirling in my head to pixels on the screen that I and others can read, I’ve discovered how my thoughts sound on the page. I’ve discovered my writing voice.

And I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive feedback to my writing, whether it be a thoughtful comment written in response to one of my posts, or a private message I receive from a reader telling me that they learned something new, or that they felt inspired by something that I wrote.

Besides all of these “fringe benefits” of writing on LinkedIn, what draws me back to LinkedIn to share my thoughts with such a vast and very public audience is the desire to connect with people outside of my limited spheres of work and life. 

And I’ve learned that I’m not alone. 

Like me, I've discovered that people on LinkedIn have a strong desire to connect with other people who are living and working thousands of miles away from them, and have grown up under very different cultural, economic, and political circumstances than they have.

Writing on LinkedIn allows me to do just that. Writing about my experiences at work and home, and sharing some of the lessons I’ve picked up along the way, has enabled me to reach far more people, and engage with them in a more meaningful way, than I could by simply writing on my own fledgling blog and then sharing my posts on social media, or with my small but growing list of email subscribers.

Some people I’ve met on LinkedIn have built businesses off the back of their blogging. Others have found exciting new jobs. And while I admire what they’ve accomplished and cheer them on from the sidelines, it’s not why I write on LinkedIn.

I have a full-time job that keeps me busy enough during the week. When I sit down on the weekend to write a short post on LinkedIn, I take control of my thoughts for a few hours, articulate them in a way that I hope makes sense to myself and others, and then, with just a touch of a button, share them with thousands of people around the world who are seeking knowledge and inspiration that can help them move forward in their careers and their lives.

So in a nutshell, for me, writing on LinkedIn is a combination of public journaling and relationship-building?—?and on a very global scale. 

And what do I tell friends and colleagues who are thinking about writing on LinkedIn, but haven’t started yet?

I say this: the global LinkedIn community?—?vast as it is, and with so much being published by its members on a weekly basis already?—?can benefit from reading what you have to say about work and life. You have a unique set of experiences and perspectives that can benefit others, as long as you take a few moments to write them down and share them.

So think of a few topics that interest you. Start jotting down some sentences. And make sure you hit publish when you’re done. 

You might be pleasantly surprised by the response.

Why do you write on LinkedIn? And what have you learned from your experience writing here? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks for reading! Listen in on conversations with great writers on my podcast,  Write With Impact. And if you've read this far, I'd like to connect with you here on LinkedIn. I'm also on Twitter @glennleibowitz.