It seems now most people have access to the magic LinkedIn pen icon that displays ‘Create a Post’ when you hover your mouse on it.
What is the LinkedIn Pen Icon?
Well, from about February 2014, LinkedIn rolled out to all users the ability to write and publish their own Posts.
It’s like being given your own publishing or media platform to express your ideas, thoughts and information to get noticed, and to become influential!
When you publish a post on LinkedIn:
- Your original content becomes part of your professional profile. It is displayed on the Posts section of your LinkedIn profile.
- It’s shared with your connections and followers.
- Members not in your network can now follow you from your post to receive updates when you publish next.
- Your post is searchable both on and off of LinkedIn.
The power of the LinkedIn Pen is the ability to win your own Followers.
Followers are people who are not part of your network but they are following you because they want to listen to what you’ve got to say, and enjoy reading your words of wisdom and stories.
When a LinkedIn member Follows you, this is highlighted in the Newsfeed. This update can grab the attention of other LinkedIn members who are not connected with you, wanting to Follow you because they just saw their own connection Following you. This shows how quickly and easily you can amass a huge following.
With the new Followers, you can connect with them, build relationships with them, and influence them with your ‘thought leadership’.
They too will work on your behalf as they are highly likely to share your post with their own network of connections. This is amplification of content at it’s best.
What I gained from publishing LinkedIn Posts!
It has generated a flurry of Profile Views, and connection requests but most importantly I am developing a steady stream of Followers who fit my ideal target audience or client persona.
I am growing my reach and elevating my professional brand with a focused approach, and it has afforded me a whole new group of Followers with whom I can start building relationships with, and start influencing with my ‘thought leadership’.
Here are my Top 5 gains:
1. Propel Reach
Using LinkedIn’s ‘blogging’ or publishing platform I am able to create relevant and helpful posts that gets distributed to my built-in audience of professional connections and Followers.
Followers are following you because they want to, and my reach has extended wide and far.
2. Build Professional Brand & Awareness
The publishing tool is a fantastic way of building and promoting your brand across a wider audience.
I am able to reach audiences of seniority and rank in the industry I like to connect with, and raise my profile awareness. This helps elevate my professional brand across existing connections and to new Followers.
3. Gain Credibility
Your credibility starts with the power of influence, and getting the trust and respect from your peers, and other professionals in the network.
The fact that people are listening to me, and following my posts is a big plus to my credibility status.
4. Get relevant content amplification
To be able to create customised content for your Followers, and have it reach far and wide, is a great way of amplifying your worthy content.
It is about creating content that is relevant, wanted, helpful and informative, and one that resonates with your professional audience.
5. Thought Leadership Credentials
There is no other better way to build your professional brand than by being recognised as a subject matter expert on your chosen industry market or topic.
Building and growing your thought leadership sky rockets your credentials, and I have found LinkedIn’s publishing tool allows users like me to do so easily, and allows me to earn the respect and recognition from my professional peers and business associates.
So, what has LinkedIn’s publishing tool done for you, or what do you think it can do for you?
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