How to Create Engaging and Storytelling Techniques for LinkedIn Posts for B2B Marketing

LinkedIn has become an essential platform for B2B marketing. With over 722 million users, it provides unparalleled access to a highly targeted professional audience.

However, simply having a LinkedIn presence is not enough. To truly capitalize on LinkedIn’s B2B marketing potential, you need to create engaging and compelling content. This is especially true for LinkedIn posts, which serve as a gateway to your brand and content.

In this comprehensive guide, we will cover actionable tips and strategies to create powerful LinkedIn posts that capture attention and drive engagement for your B2B brand.

Why LinkedIn Posts Matter for B2B Marketing

Create Engaging and Storytelling Techniques for LinkedIn

Here are some key reasons why crafting engaging LinkedIn posts should be a top priority:

Reach a targeted audience: 722 million LinkedIn members means access to your ideal B2B buyers. Posts allow you to get your brand and content in front of them.
Increase brand awareness: Well-written, valuable posts position you as an industry thought leader. This builds brand credibility and trust.
Drive website traffic: Compelling posts attract readers and motivate them to click through to your website or offers.
Generate leads: Quality engagement on posts can convert casual readers into leads and sales.
Establish relationships: Post interactions allow you to build rapport with prospects on a more personal level.
Amplify other content: Posts give you a platform to highlight and distribute your best content.

For any B2B brand, succeeding on LinkedIn requires going beyond basic company updates. You need to create posts that spark engagement and discussion within your target audience.

Also Read – What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make on LinkedIn?

How to Structure Engaging LinkedIn Posts

The structure and formatting of your posts have a big impact on engagement. Here are some key ways to structure posts for maximum impact:

Keep Posts Concise

LinkedIn posts have a tight word limit – make every word count.
Get to the point quickly – don’t make readers scroll endlessly.
Condense tips and advice into scannable bullet points.
Include only essential information – additional details can live in links.

Optimize Post Headlines

Strong headlines attract readers and get clicks. Spend time perfecting them.
Ask provocative questions, highlight benefits, use emotional hooks, and more.
Leverage the first 2-3 lines visible in the feed – make them irresistible.
Use powerful words that compel readers to click (discover, learn, free, new, secrets, etc).

Break up Long Blocks of Text

Paragraphs should only be 2-4 sentences long. Anything longer will lose the reader’s interest.
Use subheadings, numbered lists, and bullet points to divide up text.
Embed relevant images and videos to add visual interest.
Ask questions and make the post skimmable for easy scanning.

Include Engaging Visuals

Posts with images receive 98% more engagement than text-only posts.
Select images that are eye-catching, high-quality, and enhance the content.
Create informational graphics and visuals – infographics, charts, diagrams, etc.
Feature people using your product, infographics, and quotes as visuals.
Ensure images are properly sized for LinkedIn’s feed.

Check Post Length

Analyze top performers in your industry – what lengths drive the most engagement?
Test both long-form (1300+ words) and short-form (300-500 words) posts.
Longer posts allow you to dive deeper into a topic with more context.
Shorter posts provide faster consumption for busy readers.

Crafting Engaging Post-content

Now let’s explore specific types of engaging content to include in your LinkedIn posts.

Humanizing your brand with stories makes content more relatable and memorable. Types of stories to feature:

Case studies from clients
Behind-the-scenes company stories
Customer success stories
Employee interviews and profiles
Stories from industry events, conferences, and tradeshows

Give ‘How To’ Advice and Tips

Instructional posts that solve problems or teach skills are highly engaging. Use this formula:

Introduce the skills/knowledge gap
Provide 5-10 practical, actionable tips
Share examples and illustrations
Close with a call to action

Ideas: How to craft a B2B social media strategy, top sales prospecting techniques, guide to nailing an elevator pitch, etc.

Readers look to thought leaders for news, analysis, and insights on industry trends. Make observations on:

Emerging technologies disrupting the industry
New market research and survey data
Big mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships
New products, services, and features from competitors
Predictions and forecasts for the future of the industry

Highlight Content From Your Blog and Website

Repurpose and promote your best content by sharing:

Key data points, stats, or takeaways from in-depth reports and guides
Condensed versions of popular blog articles
Examples and excerpts from long-form content
Links to landing pages, tools, calculators, or resources

This gives readers a preview while driving traffic.

Pose Thought-Provoking Questions

Question posts encourage discussion and deeper engagement in the comments:

Ask for feedback on hot industry topics
Poll readers on controversial issues and debates
Spark conversation around trends and challenges
Seek input on hypothetical situations or scenarios

Interview Industry Influencers and Experts

Feature Q&As with respected leaders to provide unique perspectives:

Reach out to clients, partners, and influencers for interviews
Prepare 5-10 thoughtful questions on industry themes
Promote interviewee insights, quotes, and links
Combine text Q&A with an audio or video interview

Balance self-promotion with value by positioning updates in context:

Frame new products/features in terms of solving customer problems
Compare version changes – what’s improved?
Explain the motivation, research, or origin behind launches
Share client success stories from using your solutions

Curate Rich Multimedia Content

Multimedia stands out in the LinkedIn feed. Embed and share:

Slideshare Presentations
YouTube Videos
Infographics and ebooks
Podcasts
Webinars

Multimedia content typically sees 90% more views than text-only posts.

Give Sneak Peeks and Go Behind the Scenes

Satisfy reader curiosity by providing exclusive access:

Show product demos and prototypes in the works
Take readers behind the scenes at events and tradeshows
Spotlight employee volunteers and company culture
Share photos from team meetings and brainstorms
Tease upcoming announcements and releases

Optimizing Post Engagement

Driving high engagement on your posts is crucial. Here are some key ways to get readers to like, comment, click, and share your content.

Engage With Your Audience

Reply to every comment and message on your posts.
Ask follow-up questions to commenters to keep the dialogue going.
Share reader comments with colleagues mentioned.
Give recognition and thanks when followers share your posts.

Promote Your Posts

Share posts across other company social profiles.
Ask employees to amplify their own networks.
Repurpose post content into other formats.
Consider sponsored posts to extend reach.

Analyze Performance

Track engagement metrics on each post – reactions, clicks, shares, etc.
Identify topics and content types that perform best.
Review commentary for additional insights into reader needs.
Use these learnings to refine future post strategy.

Post at Optimal Times

Monitor when your followers are most active on LinkedIn.
Test posting at different times of day and days of the week.
Adjust your timing to maximize exposure among your target audience.
While timing matters, compelling content drives engagement no matter when it’s posted.

Join Relevant LinkedIn Groups

Search for groups focused on your industry, products, and buyer personas.
Contribute thoughtful comments and content within relevant groups.
Share your LinkedIn posts and invite followers to engage further.

Create LinkedIn Showcase Pages

Produce Company Pages and Showcase Pages on hot topics and products.
Cross-promote your main Company Page and satellite Pages.
Feature different, targeted content on each Showcase Page.

Monitor activity from competitors, partners, and brands in your space.
Comment and add value to their discussions.
Get new ideas and observe content resonating with your shared audience.

The more value you deliver, the more success you’ll see. Spend time understanding your audience’s pain points and preferences. Use their feedback to constantly refine and improve your LinkedIn content strategy.

LinkedIn Post Ideas and Topics That Perform

Here is a summary of some of the very best types of LinkedIn posts for B2B brands based on proven engagement:

Industry Analysis Posts

Emerging tech trends in 2023
Cybersecurity threats to watch out for
Predictions for the future of digital marketing
How 5G will transform manufacturing
Big shifts in the remote work landscape

Advice & How To Posts

A step-by-step guide to creating an effective sales funnel
7 cold email templates that generate more B2B leads
How to deliver an impactful webinar presentation
10 tips for negotiating B2B contracts
What makes an effective case study?

Behind the Scenes Posts

A tour of our new state-of-the-art facilities
Highlights from our annual leadership retreat
Introducing 3 new members of our marketing team
The magic behind our popular video explainers
A day in the life of our support team

Storytelling Posts

The origin story of our company’s first product launch
How we pivoted our manufacturing in the pandemic
Why we’re so passionate about empowering female founders
An interview with a long-time client on our partnership
The side hustle that inspired our company’s culture

Thought Leadership Posts

A CEO perspective – the #1 leadership mistake to avoid
What we learned from 1,000 CTO surveys
Exclusive insights from our State of Sales report
Our predictions for the top cybersecurity threats of 2023
How AI will impact marketing roles in the next 5 years

Video Posts

A factory tour showing how our products are made
Our team brainstorming new product features
A new customer testimonial video
Highlights from a recent conference presentation
A demo of our latest product update

Company Updates

We’re excited to announce our Series B funding
Check out the new features added to our platform
Introducing 3 new integrations to our product lineup
We’ve expanded into 5 new international markets
Say hello to the newest member of our leadership team

Industry News Posts

Roundup of top stories from CES 2023
3 major funding rounds in B2B SaaS last month
Highlights from the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant
Key takeaways from the new State of Social Media report
Our analysis of the Salesforce – Slack acquisition

Using a mix of these post types will result in an engaging LinkedIn content calendar. Always focus on delivering value, educating your audience, and starting meaningful discussions.

Now let’s look at some specific examples of stellar LinkedIn posts from leading B2B brands.

Examples of Highly Engaging LinkedIn Posts for B2B Brands

Here are real-world examples of compelling LinkedIn posts from B2B companies that drove significant engagement:

HubSpot – Behind the Scenes Company Culture Post

HubSpot gave a fun behind-the-scenes look at their team painting office murals and decorating for the holidays. It humanizes their culture.

MongoDB – Playful Advice Post

MongoDB used humor and pop culture to make an advice post on debugging more engaging. This post broke LinkedIn engagement records.

Drift – Storytelling Post

Drift told the origin story of their popular product ‘Conversational Marketing’ to showcase their mission.

Mailchimp – Video Post

Mailchimp created a hilarious rap video to showcase their “Mailchimp vs Mandrill” product comparison. Video posts see high engagement.

Moz – Industry Trends Post

Moz analyzes the latest trends and data around SEO and keyword research to provide value to their audience.

Drift – List Post

Drift included emotions and GIFs in this list post on effective sales follow-up emails. This made it entertaining and engaging.

Divvy – Customer Success Story

Divvy highlighted a customer’s success story with their expense reporting software. This helps build credibility.

Ann Handley – Expert Advice Post

Marketing influencer Ann Handley gives expert advice on improving LinkedIn engagement with data and humor.

The common ingredients in all these top posts are quality content that educates, entertains, or inspires audiences. Spend time understanding your followers’ interests and challenges to craft content that meets their needs.

Now let’s look at some tips for writing compelling post headlines that grab attention.

Also Read – What are you doing to improve your interviewing skills?

Crafting Attention-Grabbing LinkedIn Post Headlines

Your post headlines have to instantly capture interest as they appear in the crowded LinkedIn feed. Here are proven formulas for writing magnetic headlines: