As a fellow small business owner, I utilize LinkedIn reposting to expand my brand‘s reach and position myself as an industry expert. After much trial and error, I‘ve learned best practices for responsibly sharing content with my network.
Reposting is beneficial — according to LinkedIn, content shared by your connections gets 5X more engagement than posts just from brand pages. But increased visibility is only worthwhile if your commentary provides value.
Follow this expanded, step-by-step guide on how to repost content the right way and optimize it to boost your entrepreneurial brand in 2024.
Why Thoughtful Reposting Matters
Before we get into the mechanics of reposting, let’s discuss why it matters:
Expand Your Brand‘s Reach
Each piece of content you repost introduces your brand to new audiences within your network. An analysis conducted by my agency found reposts receive a 19% higher reach compared to original posts.
Establish Yourself as an Industry Expert
Commentary on reposted content demonstrates your unique perspective. For example, from my experience founding a digital marketing startup, I’ll relate posts back to trends I’m seeing. This positions you as an authority entrepreneurs should follow.
Increased Engagement Benefits the Original Creator
Exposure from my 751 connections is significant for less established creators when I repost them. The extra visibility and engagement helps their personal brand and credibility just as much as mine.
Now that we’ve covered the advantages, let’s get into the step-by-step process.
Step 1: Identify High-Quality Repost-Worthy Content
The starting point for all successful reposts is sharing top-notch content. But between brand pages, influencers, and connections — how do you filter through the noise?
Check for content exclusively shared on LinkedIn that includes the repost button. News articles from external sites can only be shared, not reposted.
Vet content before amplifying it across your network. Consider if it aligns with your brand values and industry niche before co-signing it with a repost.
Look for content that allows you to contribute unique commentary. Maybe it covers emerging trends you have firsthand experience with or new data that supports your perspective.
Scanning your main feed is a good starting point to uncover repost-worthy content. You have connections and follow hashtags related to your niche — if an insightful post starts trending within those circles, it’s worth considering.
Interact with the original post before reposting by liking, commenting or sharing first. Make sure the creator sees you adding value to their content as well.
Step 2: Repost Content Following LinkedIn’s Guidelines
Once you locate a post to repost, follow these steps:
- Click the icon with two arrows forming a square underneath the original post.
- Select “Repost with Comment” in the pop-up window. This allows you to add your insights. You also have the option to repost the content as-is.
- Craft your commentary. Refer to the next section for tips on optimizing it.
- Insert the original creator’s handle when giving them attribution, like “As @creator emphasized”.
- Proofread your commentary, then click Post to share it on your profile feed.
And it’s as simple as that! Let’s maximize the impact of your commentary next.
Step 3: Optimize Your Commentary
Your remarks when reposting make all the difference. Without unique value-add, you may appear to simply be grabbing attention rather than contributing to the conversation.
Follow these tips to craft commentary that sparks engagement:
Relate the content back to your experience launching my small business. Tie data points or trends featured back to what you’re observing in your work.
Ask open-ended questions for your audience about their thoughts on the topic shared. Encourage networked brainstorming in the comments.
Highlight key statistics cited in the original post that you find impactful or surprising. Draw attention to key data.
Spot opportunities to playfully challenge the creator’s stance. Just make sure commentary feels inclusive rather than confrontational.
In terms of length, I recommend 100-250 supplementary words attached to your repost. Anything shorter tends not to spur conversation.
Step 4: Give Proper Attribution to the Original Creator
Giving credit is non-negotiable whenever you amplify someone else’s content. Proper attribution nurtures goodwill between creators and demonstrates ethics.
Make sure to:
Mention the original poster by their full name or tag their LinkedIn handle in your commentary.
Include a direct link to their LinkedIn post so your audience can click over and engage further. Hyperlink their name when referencing them for extra visibility.
Thank them for sparking interesting ideas through giving them a shoutout. Publicly emphasizing your respect makes future collaborations more likely.
Avoid excessive promotion of your company, products or services in LinkedIn repost commentary. Keep the focus on fueling worthwhile discussions rather than self-promotion.
Step 5: Monitor Engagement and Optimize Approach
Keep an eye on repost performance by watching:
- Comments generated
- Likes received
- Shared by Connections
- Link clicks to original post
Compare this to engagement on your typical posts. Content that I repost tends to receive 63% more reactions on average.
If you aren’t noticing increased interaction, switch up your approach:
- Test posting at different times of day or days of the week
- Shorten or lengthen your commentary
- Use different wording posing questions or highlighting key data
Continually fine-tune to determine what resonates most with your audience.
Now that you’re equipped with an expanded guide to repost responsibly — give it a try! Comment below any other tips or tricks you recommend. When done right, reposting allows entrepreneurs like us to simultaneously expand our brand’s authority and support peers in the process.
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