LinkedIn Pulse is a publishing platform built into LinkedIn that allows users to publish long-form content. With over 900 million users on LinkedIn, LinkedIn Pulse provides a great opportunity to establish thought leadership, increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive traffic to your website.
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What is LinkedIn Pulse and How Does It Work?
LinkedIn Pulse is a blogging platform built directly into the LinkedIn platform, allowing users to publish long-form articles and thoughts. It was originally a standalone blogging platform called Pulse that was acquired by LinkedIn in 2013.
With LinkedIn Pulse, you can publish articles just like on Medium or any other blogging platform. The key difference is that your Pulse articles appear directly in the LinkedIn feed, allowing you to reach your professional network organically.
When you publish a Pulse article, it will appear in the feeds of your LinkedIn connections just like any other update. LinkedIn’s algorithm will also distribute it further based on engagement and relevance. This gives your posts a tremendous opportunity to gain visibility and reach the right audience.
Here are some key things to know about how LinkedIn Pulse works:
- The posts appear in both the LinkedIn feed and on your profile under the “Posts” section.
- You can write posts of any length up to 50,000 characters.
- Articles can include text, images, videos, hyperlinks, and more.
- Engagement tools allow readers to like, comment, and share the posts.
- Articles are discoverable via search on LinkedIn and Google.
- You can cross-promote posts on other platforms by sharing the public URL.
Overall, LinkedIn Pulse operates very similarly to Medium, except it is seamlessly integrated with the LinkedIn platform. This provides a major advantage in reaching your existing professional network.
Benefits of Publishing on LinkedIn Pulse
There are many potential benefits of using LinkedIn Pulse for content marketing. Here are some of the top advantages:
Reach Your Existing Network
With nearly 1 billion users on LinkedIn, publishing here allows you to tap into your existing network of professional contacts. Your posts will appear organically in the feed of your 1st-degree connections, allowing you to reach your target audience without having to build an audience from scratch.
Increase Brand Awareness & Thought Leadership
Consistent publishing establishes your brand as an industry thought leader. As your connections engage with your posts, it strengthens your brand authority in the feed.
Generate Leads & Site Traffic
Calls-to-action within your posts along with search traffic and shares can result in lead generation and increased site traffic.
Improved SEO
Pulse posts are indexed by Google and can rank well when optimized properly. This improves your overall SEO presence.
Build Relationships
Commenting on other people’s posts and participating in discussions is a great way to make new connections and deepen existing ones.
Low Barrier to Entry
Publishing on LinkedIn Pulse is free and integrated natively into your LinkedIn account. There is a minimal barrier to getting started.
Metrics & Analytics
LinkedIn provides analytics on views, clicks, likes, comments, and shares. This allows you to assess what content resonates best with your audience.
Also Read – Using Visuals Effectively in LinkedIn Posts
Who Should Use LinkedIn Pulse?
Here are some examples of who can benefit from utilizing LinkedIn Pulse:
- Business owners – Promote your brand, products, or services by establishing thought leadership.
- Consultants / Agencies – Attract new clients by showcasing your expertise.
- HR professionals – Share career advice and talent acquisition tips.
- Startup founders – Build brand awareness and connect with investors.
- Marketing professionals – Discuss the latest trends and industry insights.
- Sales professionals – Share sales strategies and tactics.
- Recruiters – Provide hiring and career advice to attract talent.
- Educators – Establish authority and connect with students or peers.
- Industry experts – Comment on your industry to build relationships with followers.
- Job seekers – Demonstrate expertise and thought leadership to attract opportunities.
The key is to create content that provides value for your target audience. Consistent publishing helps establish authority over time.
LinkedIn Pulse Usage Guidelines
When publishing on LinkedIn Pulse, it is important to follow their guidelines closely to avoid any issues. Here are some key things to keep in mind:
- Post authentic, original content – Do not plagiarize or scrape content from other sites. All posts should be your own unique ideas and perspectives.
- Cite sources properly – If quoting or referencing other content, be sure to cite your sources.
- Follow copyright laws – Do not post content or images you do not have rights to use.
- No self-promotion – Avoid blatant self-promotion. Focus on providing value rather than sales pitches.
- Be professional – Posts should follow LinkedIn’s professional environment guidelines. Avoid offensive language.
- Transparent sponsorship – Disclose any paid sponsorships transparently.
- Follow promotion guidelines – Limit your self-promotion posts to no more than 1 for every 4 non-promotional posts.
- No misleading headlines – Headlines should accurately represent the content of your posts.
Following these rules helps maintain the integrity of the platform and keeps your account in good standing. LinkedIn provides full details on their publishing guidelines here.
How to Create a LinkedIn Pulse Post
Publishing on LinkedIn Pulse is very simple. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Click the “Write an article” button on your LinkedIn homepage. This will open up the LinkedIn Pulse editor.
- Add a compelling headline and sub-headline. These will appear in bold text on your post.
- Write your article in the body editor. You can write up to 50,000 characters. Use clear headings and paragraphs to organize your content.
- Insert any images or videos you want to include in your post. Make sure to use high-quality visuals.
- Add hyperlinks where relevant. This improves the overall quality of the content.
- Select your name or company name as the Publishing Author.
- Marking it as a Cover enables it as your featured image for the post.
- Add a publication topic to help determine the target audience.
- Click “Publish article” to submit your post and make it live.
That’s the basic process! You can always go back and edit published posts at any time as needed.
LinkedIn Pulse Post Optimization
Optimizing your LinkedIn Pulse posts will help them gain more visibility and engagement. Here are some key tips:
Compelling Headlines
Your headline will be the first thing that grabs attention. Conduct A/B testing of headlines to see which resonates most.
Relevant Thumbnail Image
A compelling image helps catch the eye. Use relevant images and make sure they are high resolution (at least 1024×512 pixels).
Well-Written Intro
The opening paragraphs are critical for pulling readers in. Make it interesting and demonstrate the value provided.
Scannable Layout
Use clear headings, bullet points, lists, and bold text to make your posts easy to scan.
Multimedia
Include relevant videos, gifs, and graphics. Studies show posts with multimedia get more engagement.
Clear CTAs
Calls-to-action gives readers a clear next step. This could be to comment, share, visit your site, subscribe, etc.
Keyword Optimization
Use relevant keywords naturally in your post for discoverability. Check Google Keyword Planner for ideas.
Engaging Conclusion
End your posts with a summary of key points and an open-ended question to spur discussion.
Spending time optimizing each element results in higher-quality posts that engage readers. Test and refine based on what performs best.
Also Read – LinkedIn Pulse: The Complete Guide to Publishing on LinkedIn’s Platform
Promoting Your LinkedIn Pulse Content
Creating awesome content is only the first step. You also need to promote your LinkedIn Pulse posts to maximize reach.
