By Sara Grillo
A common question I get from financial advisors is, “I’m posting to LinkedIn and getting crickets.” Contrary to what is taught, success on LinkedIn isn’t about how great your posts look, what time you posts, or many of the superficial factors. Let’s explore what you can do if you’re not getting the engagement you want on your LinkedIn posts.
Initial engagement matters
First let’s talk about some LinkedIn basics.
Now, I don’t work for LinkedIn and I don’t program the algorithm. But one thing I have noticed over and over again is that posts with the highest initial engagement do better because LinkedIn tends to boost them up after the first hour of them being live.
In other words, the more engagement you get during the first hour, the more likely it is that LinkedIn is going to take that post and show it to more people within your first degree network. And then if they like, share, or comment on it, you may even get visibility to some of their connections – or your second degree network.
Remember this simple rule.
When you help LinkedIn, LinkedIn helps you back.
When you get people to pay attention to their platform, LinkedIn is going to show your content to more people and get more attention for it. Think of it that you want to work as a team with LinkedIn.
Your network matters
Many financial advisors don’t have extensive LinkedIn networks, or they have other financial advisors/analysts following them. This isn’t that helpful in terms of reaching your target base, so you have to reach other people through LinkedIn messenger, connect with them, and build your following in your target base.
If you want to learn more about how to use LinkedIn messenger to reach your ideal prospects without sounding like a washing machine salesperson (as about 99% of advisors do), please read my blogs about LinkedIn messenger and my Two Sentence Rule.
How to get engagement during the first hour
Let’s assume you are posting at the high activity times which are usually between about 11 AM and 2 PM in the time zone where your followers live. I know I shouldn’t have to say this; but I see people posting at 7 PM and there’s no point because everyone is eating dinner.
Here are the common misconceptions that everyone has about how to get attention on LinkedIn.
· It’s not about showing off and impressing people.
· It’s not about being the smartest/best.
· It’s not about portraying yourself as the most virtuous.
· Bragging about your educational or athletic achievements.
You’ve seen all these postings and quickly scrolled past.
Here’s what it is about:
· Provoking thought
· Getting people to feel satisfied by responding with words to what you said
· Helping people adopt a piece of knowledge in their everyday life
· Challenging the way that people typically see something
· Making people feel curious to know what other people thought about a particular issue
If you can do this you’ll get engagement in the first hour, and LinkedIn will keep pushing up your post to more people, and they’ll keep commenting, and then LinkedIn will push up your post to more people, and on and on.
Do you see how posts go viral?
Engagement triggers
Let’s imagine a scenario. Have you ever been to a social gathering where people gathered but it was random and they didn’t really know each other, yet they had to act very properly?
Did you ever have a cousin who got married?
Remember when you got seated at a table with your cousin’s husband/wife’s family and you had no idea what to say? You’re all sitting around the table waiting for the chicken casserole to arrive and you’re trying to make conversation. There’s that uncle talking about his real estate business and how it’s a great time to buy a house.
You want to say something, but what?
Imagine if you said something like, “I went from being a busboy at the local restaurant to owning it in five years!”
Or, “I’m so excited to announce that I was a recipient of XYZ 30 under 30 award this year!”
Crickets.
Awkward silence and uncle is still droning on in the background.
Now instead imagine you say:
· I heard you are from Tennessee. What was it like growing up in a completely landlocked state?
· Does anyone know what the best app on the iPhone is to take pictures of this event? I’m frustrated by the editing feature on my current one.
· I wonder how many people at this wedding are losing money in crypto without knowing it while they are dancing the Markarena tonight. Does anyone have an opinion on this?
See what I’m doing here? I’m not awkwardly jolting them with a one sided statement about myself; I am transitioning them into talking to me by guiding them in with a topic they are familiar with.
You’re taking a piece of their life and trying to link it to yours. You’re trying to find common ground, find a link to take them from something they know about to something you also know about.
Here is an example of a conversation that went well. Many different perspectives are voiced.The energy is multidimensional. It allows people to respond in a variety of ways other than just saying, “Congratulations on getting on the 30 under 30 list this year!” It’s the difference between a conversation falling flat, like you are shouting out into the Grand Canyon, and being a song that makes people dance.
In one conversation I am igniting thought in others and in the other one I am trying to tell people what I think and force them to adopt it.
Which one would you rather participate in?
Sara’s upshot
LinkedIn is a magnificent gift if you use it the right way. See it as a tool that allows you to start intriguing debates and conversations and listen to what people think.
Make them say “good question” and feel excited about the fun of responding and hearing what other people say, and you’ll be a success on LinkedIn. Just get them to talk and when you get good at it you will find all sorts of people piling the attention on.
To learn more, please read my ebook about LinkedIn messenger or join my membership. Or you could just reach out to me on LinkedIn and say “hello” and I’d be glad to meet you!
-Sara
Sara Grillo – CFA is a financial author, podcast host, and keynote speaker – is a top financial writer with a focus on marketing and branding for investment management, financial planning, and RIA firms.
https://saragrillo.com/