Mastering LinkedIn Content Marketing: Strategies and Best Practices for 2024

LinkedIn has emerged as the premier platform for B2B content marketing, and its importance only continues to grow. With over 850 million members worldwide, including 65 million decision-makers, LinkedIn provides unparalleled access to a highly engaged professional audience.

Consider these statistics:

• 95% of B2B content marketers use LinkedIn for organic content marketing (Content Marketing Institute, 2023)
• 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn (LinkedIn Business, 2023)
• LinkedIn is the #1 platform for lead generation, with 277% more effectiveness than Facebook and Twitter (HubSpot, 2023)

As competition for attention on the platform intensifies, however, marketers need to be strategic and creative in their approach to LinkedIn content. It‘s no longer enough to simply post and hope for the best.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive into the key strategies and best practices for mastering LinkedIn content marketing in 2024. From developing a targeted content strategy to leveraging the latest features and trends, you‘ll learn how to create content that resonates with your audience and drives meaningful business results.

Developing Your LinkedIn Content Strategy

The foundation of any successful LinkedIn content marketing effort is a well-defined strategy. Before you start creating and sharing content, take the time to:

1. Define your goals: What do you want to achieve with your LinkedIn content? Common goals include brand awareness, lead generation, thought leadership, and community building. Be specific and measurable. For example, "Increase website traffic from LinkedIn by 25% in Q2" or "Generate 50 new sales-qualified leads per month."

2. Identify your target audience: Who are you trying to reach on LinkedIn? Go beyond basic demographics and create detailed buyer personas that include job titles, pain points, content preferences, and buying behaviors. The more specific you can be, the better. For instance, instead of targeting "marketing managers," you might focus on "SaaS marketing managers at companies with 50-200 employees who are responsible for lead generation."

3. Conduct a content audit: Analyze your existing LinkedIn content to see what‘s working and what‘s not. Look for patterns in engagement, topics, and formats to inform your future content creation. Use LinkedIn Analytics to track key metrics like impressions, click-through rates, and follower demographics.

4. Create a content calendar: Plan out your LinkedIn content in advance with a mix of content types and topics. Use a tool like Google Sheets or Trello to organize your ideas and schedule. Aim for a consistent posting frequency, such as 3-5 times per week, and optimize for the days and times when your audience is most active.

5. Optimize for the LinkedIn algorithm: LinkedIn‘s algorithm prioritizes content that sparks conversation and drives engagement. Focus on creating valuable, relevant content that encourages likes, comments, and shares. Use eye-catching visuals, ask questions, and respond to comments to keep the conversation going.

"A documented LinkedIn content strategy is essential for keeping your efforts focused, consistent, and measurable. It ensures that every piece of content you create is purposeful and aligns with your business goals." – Luan Wise, LinkedIn Marketing Expert and Author

At G2, we developed a simple framework called the "LinkedIn Content Matrix" to help guide our content planning. We plot our content ideas on a grid with "Informative vs. Entertaining" on one axis and "Promotional vs. Educational" on the other. The goal is to have a balanced mix of content that spans all four quadrants. This ensures we‘re not just promoting our products, but also providing genuine value to our audience.

Best Practices for LinkedIn Content Formats

LinkedIn offers a variety of content formats for marketers to choose from. Here are some best practices and examples for each type:

Text Posts and Articles

Text is still the backbone of LinkedIn content. For maximum impact:

• Keep posts under 1,300 characters for 40% higher engagement (LinkedIn Business, 2023)
• Use attention-grabbing headlines with keywords
• Include a clear call-to-action
• Add line breaks and emojis for visual interest
• Publish long-form articles with LinkedIn‘s publishing tool

Examples:

• How-to and listicle posts: "5 Proven Strategies for Increasing Your LinkedIn Engagement"
• Opinion pieces on industry trends: "Why AI Will Never Replace Human Marketers"
• Personal stories and lessons learned: "What I Learned from My Biggest LinkedIn Mistake"
• Case studies and customer success stories: "How Company X Used LinkedIn to Drive $1M in New Revenue"

One tactic that has worked well for me is creating "LinkedIn carousels" – a series of images stitched together into a slideshow format. These work especially well for list-style posts and how-to guides. Tools like Canva make it easy to create visually appealing carousels that stop the scroll.

Images and Infographics

Visual content stands out in the LinkedIn feed and communicates information quickly. Best practices:

• Use high-quality, eye-catching visuals
• Pair images with short, compelling copy
• Include branding and visual consistency
• Make infographics informative and easy to understand

Examples:

• Data visualizations and charts: "The State of B2B Marketing in 2024"
• Quotes and tips overlaid on images: "3 Tips for Better LinkedIn Profile Photos"
• Behind-the-scenes and team photos: "A Day in the Life of Our Sales Team"
• Product images and demos: "Introducing Our New CRM Integration"

At HubSpot, we‘ve found that posts with images get 2x more comments than those without. We make it a point to include a relevant visual with every LinkedIn post, whether it‘s a stock photo, custom graphic, or GIF.

Videos and Live Streaming

Video is the fastest growing content type on LinkedIn, with live streaming increasing by 89% in 2023 (LinkedIn Business). To leverage video:

• Optimize videos for mobile viewing
• Use captions since 80% of videos are watched without sound (Verizon Media, 2023)
• Include a strong hook in the first few seconds
• Broadcast timely content with LinkedIn Live
• Repurpose video content into smaller clips

Examples:

• Expert interviews and Q&As: "Ask Me Anything with Our CEO"
• How-to and tutorial videos: "How to Create a Killer LinkedIn Profile"
• Event and webinar recordings: "Highlights from Our Annual Conference"
• Company culture and recruitment videos: "Why Our Employees Love Working Here"

When it comes to video length, shorter is generally better. LinkedIn recommends keeping videos under 3 minutes for maximum engagement. That said, long-form content can work well for in-depth tutorials or interviews. Just make sure to break them up into chapters or add timestamps for easy navigation.

Polls and Surveys

Interactive content like polls and surveys are great for sparking conversations and collecting valuable insights. Use them to:

• Encourage engagement and commenting
• Gather data and feedback from your audience
• Inform future content and product decisions

Examples:

• Industry trend and opinion polls: "What‘s the biggest challenge facing marketers in 2024?"
• Customer experience and NPS surveys: "How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or colleague?"
• "This or That" and entertaining quizzes: "Which type of marketer are you?"

At G2, we run a weekly poll on our LinkedIn page to gauge our audience‘s opinions on various topics. We then use the results to inform our content calendar and product roadmap. It‘s a simple way to encourage engagement and gather valuable feedback at the same time.

Content Type	Best Practices	Examples
Text Posts	– Keep under 1,300 characters – Use attention-grabbing headlines – Include clear CTAs	– How-to guides – Opinion pieces – Personal stories
Images	– Use high-quality visuals – Pair with compelling copy – Include branding	– Data visualizations – Behind-the-scenes photos – Product demos
Videos	– Optimize for mobile – Use captions – Include a strong hook	– Expert interviews – Tutorial videos – Event recordings
Polls	– Encourage engagement – Gather feedback – Inform content decisions	– Industry trend polls – Customer experience surveys – Entertaining quizzes

Maximizing Content Distribution on LinkedIn

Now that you‘ve created an amazing piece of content, how do you get it in front of the right people? Here are a few tactics:

1. Optimize for search with hashtags (up to 3 per post), relevant keywords, and ALT text for images. LinkedIn posts are now searchable on the platform, so it‘s important to make your content easily discoverable.

2. Tag relevant people and companies mentioned in your content to expand reach. They‘ll get a notification and potentially engage/reshare with their own networks.

3. Share content in relevant LinkedIn groups where your target audience is active. Don‘t just drop links – add commentary and invite discussion. Groups are a great way to build community and establish thought leadership.

4. Consider paid promotion for high-performing organic content to increase its lifespan and reach. LinkedIn‘s Campaign Manager allows precise targeting by demographics, interests, and behaviors, so you can get your content in front of the right people.

5. Encourage employees and colleagues to engage with content by liking, commenting, and sharing to their own networks. Employee advocacy can greatly increase organic reach and credibility. At HubSpot, we use a tool called Smarp to make it easy for employees to share pre-approved content.

Measuring and Analyzing LinkedIn Content Performance

To continually optimize your LinkedIn content strategy, regularly dive into your analytics and performance data. Key metrics to track include:

• Engagement rate: Total engagements (likes, comments, shares) divided by impressions
• Click-through rate: Clicks divided by impressions
• Follower growth: Net new followers over time, segmented by demographics
• Content type performance: Engagement and click metrics by content format (images vs. video vs. text, etc.)
• Referral traffic: Visits to your website from LinkedIn
• Leads generated: Form fills or conversions attributed to LinkedIn content

Use LinkedIn‘s native analytics in your company page admin view, as well as third-party tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, or Shield for more advanced insights. Look for content themes that resonate and optimize based on your findings.

At G2, we create a monthly "LinkedIn Content Report" that aggregates all of our key metrics into one dashboard. We then hold a team meeting to review the data and brainstorm actions for the following month. This regular reporting cadence keeps us accountable and ensures we‘re always improving.

Case Study: Drift‘s LinkedIn Thought Leadership

Marketing and sales software company Drift is a master at using LinkedIn for thought leadership and brand building. The company‘s CEO, David Cancel, is particularly active on the platform, regularly sharing his insights on entrepreneurship, leadership, and marketing.

One of Cancel‘s most popular LinkedIn series is his weekly "Friday Five" posts, where he shares five quick thoughts or lessons learned from the week. These posts are short, digestible, and always end with a question to encourage engagement.

By consistently providing value to his audience and engaging with commenters, Cancel has built a highly engaged following of over 180,000 on LinkedIn. His thought leadership has also helped to position Drift as a trusted authority in the sales and marketing space.

Takeaway: Encourage executives and subject matter experts to build their personal brands on LinkedIn. By sharing authentic, human insights, they can help to build trust and credibility for your overall brand.

Future Trends and Predictions for LinkedIn Marketing

As LinkedIn continues to evolve, here are some content trends and opportunities to watch out for:

1. Continued rise of video content, especially short-form, mobile-optimized videos under 2 minutes. With the popularity of TikTok and Instagram Reels, expect LinkedIn to further prioritize snackable video content in the feed.

2. Growth of LinkedIn newsletters as a way to build engaged subscriber bases and owned audiences. Newsletters allow you to deliver content directly to users‘ inboxes and build a loyal following over time.

3. More gated content and in-platform lead generation tools as companies focus on capturing leads directly on LinkedIn. The platform has already rolled out features like Lead Gen Forms and will likely continue to expand its lead capture capabilities.

4. AI-powered content creation tools like ChatGPT to assist in idea generation, writing, and optimization. As AI technology advances, expect to see more marketers leveraging these tools to scale their content efforts.

5. Increased importance of personal branding and employee advocacy in B2B marketing. People want to connect with people, not faceless brands. Empowering your employees to build their own thought leadership will be key to standing out on the platform.

To stay ahead of the curve, experiment with new content formats and features as they roll out. Be open to testing and iterating based on performance, and don‘t be afraid to take risks.

Putting It All Together

Mastering LinkedIn content marketing requires a combination of strategy, creativity, and continuous optimization. By developing a targeted content plan, experimenting with a variety of formats, and leveraging distribution tactics, you can build an engaged following and drive meaningful results for your business.

Remember, the key is to always provide value to your audience. Focus on creating content that educates, inspires, and sparks conversations. Keep an eye on your analytics and make data-driven decisions to optimize your approach over time.

With these best practices and a commitment to quality, you‘ll be well on your way to LinkedIn content marketing success in 2024 and beyond.

As the famous marketer Seth Godin once said, "Content marketing is the only marketing left." And in the B2B world, there‘s no better place to focus your content efforts than LinkedIn.

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and start creating!