LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 850 million members. With so many professionals on the platform, creating engaging content that stands out can be a challenge. An effective way to come up with relevant topics is to use other popular platforms like Reddit, Quora, and Facebook to identify what people are currently discussing.
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Why Go Outside of LinkedIn for Content Ideas?
While LinkedIn has no shortage of members discussing work-related issues, the conversations can sometimes feel a bit stale and corporate. Most members are focused on positioning themselves as experts or promoting their companies. The discussions don’t always reflect the latest trends or pressing matters that professionals care about.
Meanwhile, on sites like Reddit and Quora, people are discussing professional issues candidly, asking questions openly, and surfacing challenges they face at work. The vibrant conversations happen organically based on what the community cares about. As a result, the platform reveals intriguing topics and lived experiences around the future of work.
Additionally, other sites attract a larger general audience beyond just professionals. This gives a useful window into what mainstream discussions average people are having around workplace issues, careers, productivity hacks, and more.
In short, looking externally helps uncover discussion topics that feel more authentic, timely, and lively for creating content your LinkedIn connections would enjoy engaging with.
Also Read – What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make on LinkedIn?
Step-by-Step Process for Identifying Good Topics
Here is a step-by-step process to leverage other platforms to find relevant and popular topics for your LinkedIn content:
Step 1: Pick Platforms to Monitor
Here are some top platforms beyond LinkedIn to pay attention to:
- Reddit – One of the world’s most popular websites with over 430 million monthly users. Subreddits cover every topic imaginable from r/business and r/careers to job-specific groups.
- Quora – Q&A website with 300 million monthly visitors. Many professionals post work-related questions.
- Facebook Groups – Over 1 billion monthly users. Niche professional groups discuss career questions.
- YouTube – Video platform dominated by millennials. Creators make videos about careers, productivity, and self-improvement.
- Podcasts – A growing medium often focused on careers, business ideas, and self-development.
While we’ll focus on Reddit, Quora, and Facebook here, always consider what emerging platforms could reveal fresh topic ideas.
Step 2: Identify Relevant Subreddits, Quora Topics and Facebook Groups
Here are some examples to follow for work-related conversations:
- r/Entrepreneur
- r/Marketing
- r/Business
- r/Jobs
- r/CareerQuestions
- r/WorkOnline
- r/Productivity
Quora
- Work and Employment Questions
- Job Searching and Hiring Questions
- Career Advice Questions
Facebook Groups
- Digital Marketing Community Groups
- Industry/Job-Specific Groups (e.g. Teachers, Engineers)
- Local/City Professional Networking Groups
Look for groups relevant to your audience and industry. The group names are generally self-explanatory.
Step 3: Monitor Popular Discussions and Trending Questions
Once you identify good communities, start following popular threads and questions. Pay attention to:
- Which discussion topics receive lots of upvotes, replies, and engagement
- The questions posed reveal issues your audience cares about
- What many people are asking for advice about career or work-related struggles
Tools like Reddit search and Quora keyword tracking can help surface popular topics.
Step 4: Curate Good Topics for LinkedIn Content
As you monitor conversations, compile topic ideas that could work for your LinkedIn audience. Identify rising trends and concerns that professionals would likely connect with.
For example from Reddit and Quora you could find topics like:
- Struggles of Working Remotely Long-Term
- Is an MBA Still Worth It in 2023?
- How Gas Prices Are Impacting Commuters and Businesses
- Recession Preparation Tips for New Grads
- Should Software Engineers Change Jobs Every 2 Years?
Think about what discussions would interest your connections and have natural tie-ins to your industry or expertise. Save these ideas for creating posts or articles.
Step 5: Develop Content Expanding on the Topics
With promising topics identified, develop your own insightful LinkedIn content expanding on them. Here are some angles to consider:
- Share your unique professional perspective
- Provide concrete tips and best practices
- Highlight the latest research or surveys
- Explain the impacts on your industry
- Answer common key questions
The external platforms revealed people’s concerns but now you can drive an engaging discussion with your commentary.
Step 6: Promote Your Content to Match Keywords
Finally, when sharing your pieces on LinkedIn, be sure to use relevant keywords in the post text. For example, if writing about remote work struggles, incorporate phrases like “remote work challenges” or “in-person vs. remote work”.
Optimizing for the terminology used in trending external platform discussions can help surface your content to interested audiences already searching for that issue. Matching semantic keywords matters both for search visibility as well as psychologically hitting topics your connections actively care about right now.
Also Read – how to use LinkedIn for business development
Key Takeaways
- Leverage external platforms like Reddit and Quora to uncover authentic discussions revealing strong content topics
- Identify popular threads, questions, and groups aligned with your target audience
- Track trends and concerns to tap into issues your professional audience relates to
- Develop your insightful commentary around rising external conversations
- Use relevant keywords to promote content to audiences already engaged in those discussions
Curating ideas from real-world communities yields fresh, timely material perfect for LinkedIn. It fuels an endless source of captivating content that drives clicks and engagement.
Now put these tactics for mining external platforms into practice. Let the active discussions guide you to that next compelling article. What emerging trends can you spot and uniquely expand on to hit home with your peers? With so many digital communities chatting, popular subjects will never run dry.