Should You Post Content on LinkedIn?

With over 830,000,000 members worldwide, LinkedIn is the most popular professional social networking website. It is an ideal platform for you to show your professional prowess. Your profile on LinkedIn can attract potential employers and prospects for your company. It allows potential employers to put a face to the name on a resume, or vet potential candidates. LinkedIn allows each user to build credibility and online behavior.

LinkedIn’s appeal is that it is easy to access (desktop webpage or smartphone application), and it is easy to use. If you can use Facebook, you can use LinkedIn. Like Facebook, adding content to your LinkedIn feed is a terrific way to share things with a larger audience.

So, you have decided to take part, now what sort of content do you post?

What Content Should You Post on LinkedIn?

As LinkedIn is a website for professionals- keep it professional! Always keep in mind that anything posted online exists even after you delete it. Before posting anything on LinkedIn you should ask yourself: Is this workplace appropriate? If it would not be acceptable in a work environment, then it is not acceptable content for LinkedIn. If you are unsure about content, seek advice before you post it. Here is a guide to what you should and should not post as content on your LinkedIn profile.

DO POST:

Things that are appropriate and relevant to your professional life
Tips, advice or information for other members
Personal matters, opinions, pictures and unapproved content
Professional celebrations
Academic achievements
Projects that have been approved by a superior
Collaborations
Pictures from work events
Congratulations, giving kudos or expressing gratitude
A lesson provoking conversation or experience
A story that reflects your or your associated company’s core values

DON’T POST:

Profanity, inappropriate or sexual content
Projects have not been approved by a superior
Personal information like addresses and birth dates
False information, fake news, ‘clickbait’ or gossip
Pictures of your pets, family, and food
#OOTD (outfit of the day) pictures and selfies
Unauthorized photos of other people

Helpful Tips for Your LinkedIn Posts

IGV mascot Iggy Vision redeyed tree frog with lightbulb above head We know that this was a lot of information, but here are some other helpful tips for creating professional LinkedIn posts to optimize your profile.

Consider using a browser extension such as Grammarly to make sure your grammar and spelling are correct
Add links to your work on other sites such as websites, blogs, portfolios, or other social media (note: this should not be a personal social media, but a business page)
Make use of hashtags; what sort of keywords are relevant to your post that might be searched by viewers to come across it?
Make use of the mention feature; if your post mentions another person or company, tag them with @ [insert name here]

What Should You Take Away?

There’s no doubt that LinkedIn is the biggest professional networking site out there. Thus, you should take care in creating a profile and posting content on it. It’s as easy to use as Facebook, and an asset to employers when researching you. Posting content on LinkedIn shows engagement in your career but be mindful of what kind of content you are posting. If you are not sure about a post, get a second opinion from a trustworthy person with wise judgment.

Remember, you only want to post content that is relevant to your career and that is appropriate for the workplace. Save the booty, baby, puppy, and foodie pics for your personal Instagram. Don’t share highly personal information such as your address or birthday. Never post a work project without the approval of your supervisor. LinkedIn should just used be for expanding your professional network and reputation- not ruining it. Finally, remember to always make sure you are being respectful, ethical and factual in your posts.

Now go on, good luck, and happy networking!