Create content that is a conversation starter, think networking rather than broadcast. (AI-generated image)
Writing readable LinkedIn content is, of course, important, but writing to encourage engagement or action on your LinkedIn post is an increasingly important strategy.
LinkedIn wants genuine and meaningful interaction with content. It’s not merely about broadcasting anymore; it’s about conversation and value.
The platform increasingly seems to reward posts that get people talking and valuable content that people want to save, share and send to others.
So how can you write to encourage engagement that goes beyond a simple ‘like’?
First of all, think of it as striking up a conversation with your peers and potential clients as you would at a networking event.
💡 Comment on other people’s posts. Aside from being great for visibility, showing goodwill and a willingness to have a conversation is more likely to be reciprocated.
💡 Don’t just share company news, share a view or observation about something happening in your industry.
Outdoor pavilions at the UKREiiF property trade show in 2025
Trade shows and B2B conferences are expensive to attend, but there are ways to start leveraging the value in the weeks before by using content.
Here’s a content strategy and ideas for what to publish in the 5-6 weeks leading up to the event opening, and how it might help you once you are at the show.
Why create content in the run-up to a trade show or conference?
• Good content can position you or your team as experts and the people to talk to, opening the door to meetings. It can shift your position from simple attendee to authority.
• It can help get the conversation started before you go, and once there, it can give people an easy reference point when meeting up: “I read your LinkedIn piece on…”
• The algorithm rewards early movers, and you benefit from the rising tide of search and interest in the weeks before the event.
• If your LinkedIn profile pic is clear and up to date, pre-show activity on the platform can make you easily recognisable.
What content should you publish/post in the run-up to a trade show or conference?
Make sure your content is specific, and showing a bit of personality can help amplify its effect. Here are some content ideas for any trade show or conference:
Thought leadership series
Harness your expertise or that of your senior spokespeople and develop a series that creates a talking point, for example:
• Something that no one or not enough people are talking about.
• A contested issue or a different approach to solving an industry challenge.
Panel events and podcasts are powerful platforms for raising your profile as a thought leader to a broader network, expanding your brand reach beyond your own social media connections and email list.
These powerful formats help your audience connect with you or your team’s expertise on a more personal, human level. It can help build connections and brand trust, and open doors to other opportunities and conversations.
Panel events and podcasts foster brand storytelling in a way that builds trust and familiarity, especially compared to more polished written communications.
But you and your business want to come across well and get the most out of the experience or event. Here are just a few tips to get you started.
Invited guest: Delivering your message effectively
Tip 1: Align your messaging with the theme and audience
Do some preparation ahead of your panel or podcast appearance. The audience has turned up or downloaded the episode to hear a conversation on a specific topic, so make sure your messaging aligns with the overarching theme.
If you go off topic or fall into a marketing pitch, you risk damaging audience engagement or, on a podcast, being edited out.
Equally, to engage the audience, make sure you are speaking their language. What is their level of technical knowledge? Use plain English with a clear point of view, as it will always land better than jargon.
Tip 2: Give the right answer
Listen carefully to the question you are asked and answer that. There is a danger of being overprepared and answering a question you anticipate rather than the one being asked, or giving too much away too soon.
Four months into the new UK government and more detail on its agenda is emerging, but how can you use B2B content to engage with that agenda?
Speaking ahead of the budget, I went live on LinkedIn with co-host Ayo Abbas of Abbas Marketing and special guest Shirin Iqbal of Shirin Iqbal Consulting to talk about how to get involved, align your content strategy, boost visibility and position yourself as a sector expert.
We all work with built environment clients, so our examples come from that sector, but the overarching strategies apply to any industry.
Here are the edited highlights of our conversation and you can watch the replay which includes our budget predicitons here.
What channels are available for built environment firms who want to share their knowledge and expertise?
Ayo: You have to understand which areas you care about and where you can add to the conversation – which parts of the story you want to focus on.
Then, look at who is talking about these issues and championing causes. For example, in the past few years, Architects Journal has talked about retrofitting rather than knocking down buildings.
Then there are associations and campaigning groups like the London Society and non-government groups like Business First.
The government also puts together expert panels such as the New Homes Accelerator. Who’s on those panels, and how can you join that conversation? Plus, there are consultations where they ask what the industry thinks.
It’s all an opportunity for you to join the conversation.
Shirin: There are also thought leadership articles, trade press, panels, conferences and podcasts.
Add your voice, not just to add to the noise, but to add value to the conversation and really showcase your expertise.
For the September episode of the B2B Comms Breakdown, built environment marketing expert Ayo Abbas and I went live online to discuss how you can use paid, earned, shared and owned media channels effectively.
Here are the edited highlights of that discussion and you can watch the full chat here on Ayo’s YouTube channel.
The graphic below gives much more detail, but a very short and simple explanation is paid = advertising etc, earned = media coverage etc, shared = content distribution via things like social media, and owned = blogs and newsletters etc.
Our conversation focused on three main questions starting with:
Have magazines had their day (earned media)?
STACEY: Ad revenue has fallen through the floor and most publications have got slimmer or even disappeared. Obviously, there’s still an online presence, but are they worth trying to get into?
I would say yes; I think there is still great value in having that third-party endorsement from these publications.
It can help in building trust if you are quoted or your comment piece is published.
A lot of publications are under-resourced at the moment; they need good content, so there’s an opportunity if you are producing good quotes and pitching in really good, pithy, punchy comments.
Quality is the key, it’s got to be good, and you do need to put your head above the parapet a little bit, particularly with opinion pieces.
AYO: When I started out in PR in 2000, industry publications were a lot chunkier; they were full of ads. And now, when you look at the print editions, they are flimsy.
But there is newer media, like Substack, where you can pay £150 for a year and get the content you want from particular writers. There are some amazing writers, and you’re happy to pay for that.
So, there is still a market for quality writing, but the format of how we get content is different.
Have magazines had their day? Yes and no.
STACEY: There are also other earned media avenues to explore. A lot of publications also have podcasts and host panel events and conferences.
Those are opportunities to pitch for and an opportunity for third party endorsement.
What other avenues are open for getting more traction for your content (paid and shared)?
AYO With social media, you can be your own publisher. If you look at LinkedIn, you could go to town if you use it to full effect.
There’s a reliance on just posting once and thinking it’s done. But instead think: ‘How can I get more bang for my buck from wherever I’m pushing this piece of content?’
