Category: Social media

Content marketing, Social media, Writing tips

Writing LinkedIn posts: 3 different styles of opening lines

Photo by Nik Shuliahin 💛💙 on Unsplash

The first two lines of your LinkedIn post are critical for stopping the scroll and drawing readers in.

If it’s boring and doesn’t grab attention or intrigue, people will scroll on by.

There are many ways to write an attention-grabbing opening line on a LinkedIn post. Here are three examples using this post I wrote about the dangers of relying too heavily on one social platform.

1. My original opening line

What would you do if you couldn’t post to one or more of your social media platforms?

It happened to me recently.

I started with a question that would (hopefully) give pause for thought and intrigue – ‘What would I do?’ ‘How does my strategy compare?’ etc.

Followed by the start of a personal anecdote to add to the intrigue and make it relatable.

2. Less direct/conversational

I could have gone for something that didn’t involve ‘you’, which I know makes some B2B content creators a bit itchy because it’s more conversational and direct:

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Content marketing, General, Social media

How to avoid B2B content creation overwhelm and be strategic

With so many different types of content and so many channels, how do you decide where to put your content marketing time and energy?

This was the topic of a LinkedIn live stream and webinar discussion comms pro Ayo Abbas and I had.

We covered a lot (and answered a lot of audience questions) but here’s are some edited highlights. There’s a link to the replay of the full discussion at the end.

How do you decide what type of content to create?

Ayo Abbas You’ve got to make sure that you move away from perfection. Sometimes getting it done and getting it done to a decent standard is better than nothing at all.

When it comes to what type of content I want to create, I think about what the story is I want to tell and what content works for the story.

Or what have I not done for a while? Sometimes people aren’t posting certain types of content, so maybe doing that makes you stand out from the crowd.

Me I think it’s important to focus on where your audience is. Is your audience watching 15-second videos on TikTok? Then that’s probably what [your content] should be.

But if they’re not, then maybe that isn’t the type of content you should create.

[Caveat] Don’t forget new audiences. It’s very easy to get stuck into doing one type of content, but is there a new audience you want to reach, and are they consuming different types of content rather than the type you’re creating?

AA I interviewed an architect from BVDs. And he talked about finding the channels that you really enjoy. He loves talking, as does his partner, so they do podcasts.

Is it OK to stick to one type of content?

Me Yes and no. Yes, because it’s better to do one thing and do it well rather than trying to do lots of different things and not do anything particularly well.

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Content marketing, Social media

How to get your LinkedIn activity growing your business

Can LinkedIn be a low-cost marketing tool for B2B businesses?

Ayo Abbas, who hosts the Built Environment Marketing Show podcast recently invited me as a guest to talk about how to get your LinkedIn activity firing on all cylinders.

Ayo Abbas and Stacey Meadwell about to go live on LinkedIn to talk about…LinkedIn

Among the points we discussed were whether LinkedIn can help you grow your business, the best approach to get traction and what to post about.

It was recorded as a Livestream on LinkedIn, and you can watch the video replay below, or it will be available as a podcast on 21 October 2022.

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Content marketing, Social media, Video, What journalists want

Marketing on a budget: ways to be more visible

How do you increase your visibility and (personal) brand awareness outside of social media without spending a lot of money?

Screen shot of me mid flow, talking to Trisha Lewis via Zoom for her Make It Real podcast. The Make it Real logo and episode title: Visibility on a budget appears in the centre of the screen between the two of us.
Me in full flow during my chat with the brilliant Trisha Lewis

Trisha Lewis is a communications and presentation coach I’ve got to know on LinkedIn. We’ve chatted in the comments on each others content and DM’s.

She asked if I would be a guest on her Make It Real podcast and talk about using different channels to build visibility.

So, things like guest blog posts and comment pieces on targeted websites and publications, being on panels at events, as well as posting on social media platforms like LinkedIn.

How I came to be a guest on her podcast reflects a point I made during our chat about the benefits of letting people hear you speak and see you on camera.

I’ve been creating videos on LinkedIn for a while, started doing LinkedIn Lives, and posted links to webinars I’ve chaired.

It gives potential podcast hosts and event organisers a chance to see what I’m like ‘in action’ and showcases my areas of expertise.

Below is a teaser for our conversation, and you can listen to the full podcast episode here on Apple Podcasts or search for Make It Real with Trisha Lewis on your preferred podcast platform.

Some of the things we cover in the episode include:

🎧 What journalists are looking for so you can pitch effectively.

🎧 Ditching the corporate tone using your authentic voice to stand out.

🎧 Using video and audio as part of a content plan

Teaser clip from my chat with Trisha Lewis on her Make It Real podcast

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Content marketing, Social media

How to make social media work for B2B businesses

Social media is a big part of many businesses marketing strategy, and it can be really effective if used well. But if it isn’t, it can be a huge drain on time and resources with minimal return.

Screen shot of LinkedIn Live session. Ayo Abbas, Stacey Meadwell and Emma Drake are on screen. Banner across the stop says It's a B2B comms thing - How to make social media work in '22

In the latest It’s a B2B comms thing LinkedIn Live with fellow B2B comms professionals Ayo Abbas and Emma Drake, we discussed using social media for B2B business, what’s hot, what’s not and how to use it effectively.

Here are some edited highlights, and you’ll find a link to the full discussion, which includes audience questions at the bottom of the post.

Why are you and your business on social media?

Emma: I see lots of businesses chasing social media accounts with no real idea of what they’ll share or are trying to achieve. I use LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

I use LinkedIn for finding interesting people and engaging with them, connecting after or before meetings and events, and keeping in touch – it is really good for that.

Twitter I use pretty much solely for [promoting] podcast content, and I’m a bit more cheeky on there. I think we all feel we have to be a bit better behaved on LinkedIn for some reason.

But it’s completely different people engaging on there, and it’s good for generating traffic to my podcast.

I do have a Facebook page for the podcast, and their analytics are really good for directly targeting people.

Me: I only use LinkedIn for business. I have a work Twitter account as a hangover of my days as a journalist, but I don’t really use it.

I’ve fallen out of love with Twitter over the last few years. And if I’m going to be on there, I need to invest a lot of time, and I’ve just not got the time or energy.

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