Why Should you Comment on LinkedIn?

I get asked the wrong question all the time. People want to build up their influence on LinkedIn and want to know how often they should be posting. Once a week? Once a day? Once an hour?

But this is the wrong question. The right question is, "How often should you be commenting on other people's posts on LinkedIn?"

Here’s why - there are some limitations on how much you can effectively post on LinkedIn. The rule of thumb is about once a day. You can post twice a day if you put at least four hours between each post. This means once in the morning and once in the evening max.

If you post more often than this, LinkedIn will hide your second post from the vast majority of your network. Think about it as an art gallery. LinkedIn wants to ensure that everyone gets a chance to show off their content, thus it limits how often your content is placed in front of your network. Like putting out a piece of art from each creator, and then rotating the art so everyone gets equal time.

But there is no such limit when it comes to comments. And comments function very differently on LinkedIn than they do on the other popular social media platforms.

Fundamental differences between LinkedIn and other social media networks

When you engage with a post on a different social media platform like Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, the original creator of the post is the primary recipient. Whether you click Like or leave a comment, your engagement is an affirmation that you saw their content and you are giving them public recognition. But that is about the limit of the exposure.

But on LinkedIn, it is the exact opposite. When you comment on a post, not only is the original creator notified that you commented, but LinkedIn takes your comment and inserts it into the feed of your network. It shares with your contacts your comment. Even if you are commenting on someone completely disconnected from your other contacts, LinkedIn will still share your comment and their post in the feed of your network.

This means you have the opportunity of placing yourself, your ideas, and your insights in front of a much wider audience that extends far beyond the limits of your own network. Your comment is carried along in the expanding conversation. And because it is a comment, it causes the LinkedIn algorithm to amplify the original post even more, because LinkedIn rewards those posts that receive comments.

What You Should Say In Your Comment

Now that you understand the impact and spread your comment will achieve, it is extremely important to begin thinking about what you are saying and how it is being received. 

So often I see a comment that says,

“Well Done!”

or

“Thanks”

There is no context nor is there anything that is being added to the conversation. It is a golden opportunity squandered because of a bad habit learned from other social media platforms. We forget we are talking to our entire network and not just the individual who posted the message.

While the individual believed they were addressing their content creator, they were unaware that their comment is being carried to hundreds and even thousands of people who have no idea what you are talking about because there is no context to the comment.

Instead, craft your comment like a mini-post. Acknowledge the original content to give your followers context, and then add your insight and expand the conversation. Now when your network and the network of the original content creator see your post, they see a self-contained message that carries a specific purpose and reinforces your personal brand.

This is especially powerful for sales teams working together on social media. Let me give you an example.

Sathish shares a post about how his particular solution helps businesses in the manufacturing market, specifically around automobiles. But you sell into the Govt, a seemingly completely different industry/market/message.

As Sathish shares his post, you have the opportunity of commenting in the following manner:

“Sathish, excellent post (Be sure to tag Sathish’s name). I can see how this solution would be beneficial for your industry. For me, working in Government, we have encountered a different challenge. (Now go on to explain the challenge your clients face) and the approach to a solution has been different in the execution, but similar in the outcome. Great insights and thanks for sharing”

The above example demonstrates that you can fill in the details of your own specialty and you can add to the conversation with content that is relevant to your audience. 

A word of warning. Avoid directly pitching or selling your services in this manner. It is easily transparent that you are simply using the comment section as an advertising platform. This will damage your brand. Instead, bring genuine insight and make a significant contribution. 

A second method of making a contribution with the comment is to ask the original content creator a question to clarify a point. And make sure the question is something that will allow them to expand on their original post.

To use the above example, you could ask Sathish if he feels his solution and approach could work in other industries and were there any surprises he discovered along the way.

This allows Sathish to keep the conversation going, adding more comments, and being rewarded by LinkedIn with an ever-increasing audience.

Summary

Causal engagement on Social media is a habit we have learned from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. It isn’t where we usually engage in serious business conversations. But LinkedIn, with the focus on building your business network, is designed to expand your voice, your presence, and your personal brand, Helping you participate in a wide range of topics and conversations. 

When you are thinking about sharing something on LinkedIn and wondering how to be more impactful, remember to go find something to comment on and participate in those conversations where you want to have influence and you will be rewarded with a growing influence in your own network.

Post Credit:Richard Bliss