LinkedIn introduced over 200 new features in 2023 alone, so you can be easily forgiven for not knowing them all.
Ayo Abbas and I went live on LinkedIn to highlight some hidden features and tools to help power up your B2B content’s impact.
Some may be completely unknown, and some we think are underused.
Given how much content there is out there vying for attention, we believe these are great tools to help you stand out and forge better connections with your audience.
Here’s a topline summary of that discussion. If you want the full-fat version, which includes screen grabs and audience questions, scroll down for the video replay.
Creator mode
This was launched a while back to give users more access to content tools and better analytics. It also gives users more control over the appearance of their profile.
Not everyone qualified for creator mode, and you had to ‘switch it on’ in your profile, but LinkedIn has recently announced that it is changing creator mode and making the features more widely available.
Content power up:
💡 You can choose which type of content you want to spotlight on your profile.
So, for example, if you create a lot of videos, you can choose to highlight videos first.
💡 You can curate your own featured section. Ayo has created some whizzy artwork for hers in Canva:
💡 Content tools like live events and newsletters (see below) only available in creator mode will become more accessible.
Events tab
If you go to the home page on LinkedIn (desktop), you’ll find the ‘events tab’ in the left-hand column. If using the app, click on your profile pic.
Here, you will find details of all the video and audio events you’ve ‘clicked’ to say you’ll attend. Plus, if you are hosting or speaking at a LinkedIn event, it will be listed here.
You’ll also find the events archive so you can catch up if you missed something or want to rewatch (video only).
💡 Use it as an event promotional channel.
You can create an ‘event’ even if it’s something you are hosting offline or elsewhere. It means you’ve got a snazzy post promoting your event, which you can share easily on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn events (video)
Hosting a live online event on LinkedIn is a fairly low-cost, easy-to-set-up option at a time when a lot of conferences are pay-to-play.
It’s an event in which you control the theme/topic, format and timing. And you may already have an engaged audience on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn lives can be hosted on personal pages or company pages.
You have to use one of LinkedIn’s approved streaming platforms. We use StreamYard, which has different levels of subscription – we pay about £200 a year.
Content power up
💡Being on video builds connections, breaks down barriers, and allows you to interact with your audience in real-time via the comments.
It can get conversations started.
💡 You can stream to multiple platforms, including YouTube and Instagram. Some streaming platforms also let you stream as a webinar.
It means you can reach different audiences in different places at the same time.
You can also use the live stream to build up different audiences without hosting separate events.
💡 The replay lives on LinkedIn (and YouTube, etc), so it’s not a one-off event.
💡It’s easy to create a whole bunch of content to use across different platforms from your live video.
For example, download the video to cut into shorter, social media-friendly clips. Download the audio and turn it into a podcast or audiograms.
I run the audio through Otter.ai to generate a transcript, which I use as the base for posts like this.
Downside: Because you have to use an external platform to stream, LinkedIn treats the event post as if it’s got a weblink, which can impact its reach.
We use the invite function to get the event details in front of more people.
LinkedIn audio events
If you are familiar with Clubhouse, then audio events are a similar concept. You broadcast live but audio-only.
You can invite people ‘up on stage’ as speakers or to ask their questions. Think of it as a live, interactive podcast.
Audio events don’t require an external streaming platform, which means event posts get more reach than video events.
The algorithm seems to be favouring audio events at the moment, so it could be a good time to give it a go and build up an audience more easily.
Audio events have similar content benefits to video, except that currently, there is no replay option via LinkedIn.
Some people have found a workaround to get a recording and repurpose it.
Confession: Ayo and I haven’t actually tried hosting an audio event yet, mainly because of the recording issue.
But once we’ve sussed out the ‘hack’, we will give it a go.
Newsletter
This is another content tool available in creator mode that is being rolled out.
You don’t need to use an external provider like Mailerlite or MailChimp, so other than your time, it’s a no-cost content option.
It’s really easy to create – choose ‘write article’ from the start a post box and follow the steps.
You can create a newsletter from your personal or company profile.
Content power-up
💡The first newsletter you publish gets pushed hard by the algorithm, so it’s easy to build subscribers.
The growth does slow after that initial push, but without any promotion, I have reached 1,000 subscribers in just a few editions.
Ayo started her newsletter earlier than me and now has more than 1,500 subscribers.
One engineering firm produces a monthly LinkedIn newsletter which has more than 66,000 subscribers.
💡You get access to different data, including how many people have viewed your newsletter article rather than just the impressions.
Although the analytics are not as detailed as you’d get from an email newsletter provider.
💡 A LinkedIn newsletter doesn’t necessarily mean creating brand-new content.
Ayo and I run our LinkedIn newsletters in parallel with our email-based newsletters. We simply edit and reuse the content.
Alternative types of LinkedIn posts
Most posts on LinkedIn are text or text and image, but there are other options which can make your content stand out and boost reach.
Just click the three dots in the ‘Start a post’ box to see the different options. Polls and documents are our favourites.
Polls
These are easy to set up and generally get really good reach.
Ayo likes to build polls around a personal conundrum or a client question. Sometimes, a poll will be linked to the topic of a LinkedIn live event that is coming up as part of the promotion.
It’s an easy way for people to engage with your content and can be a good conversation starter in the comments.
Document posts
These are sometimes called carousels or sliders but are posts which have slides you can click through.
I create the slides in Canva and then save as a PDF. I imagine you can do similar with PowerPoint.
You simply upload the PDF as a ‘document’.
Aside from being different from the usual posts, clicking through the slides encourages engagement and dwell, which can boost reach.
Pro tip: Don’t include too much text on each slide, as it can be difficult to read, particularly on a phone. And don’t go crazy with too many slides.
You don’t necessarily have to create a brand new piece of content for a document post. Try repurposing something you already have.
For example, pull out a handful of key points from a thought leader article or piece of research and make each point a slide.
How many of these LinkedIn features have you heard of? Which ones are you going to try?
Every two weeks I publish my B2B Content Clinic newsletter, which is packed full of tips and ideas for content marketers and comms professionals. Sign up for free, click here.
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