When the notice arrived that I was being invited to publish content on LinkedIn I had to give it some thought. I presently publish professional content on several of my blogs, slides on slideshare (owned by LinkedIn) and photos on Flickr. What was the value to me of publishing content on LinkedIn? And, after all, every LinkedIn participant currently can “share an update” in the form of a blurb and/or link to content residing elsewhere on the web. Where’s the gain?
A Win for LinkedIn
For LinkedIn, the value of published content was plain. Content is sticky. It keeps people on the LinkedIn site. The prevailing alternative of creating a social share of content does the opposite. It sends visitors away. Whatever one’s business model, sending visitors away doesn’t seem to be a good strategy. Additionally LinkedIn has been fighting being branded a recruiting/job seeking one-trick pony. Hence, LinkedIn has morphed into a more complete publishing platform. Good luck to them. What’s in it for you?
A Win for You
Even if you have a blog or other content manageable platform, publishing on LinkedIn is like going to a potluck dinner party – you share something of value and meet a lot of new people with common interests. It is yet another distribution channel for you to build network and establish your authority. This should pretty much mirror your objectives for using LinkedIn. Moreover, your published content becomes part of your profile as well as being shared with your network. And, of course, unlike a potluck dinner, your intellectual property can always be shared but never consumed.
What to Publish
My early thought is that the medium and the audience will define the content for me. For example, this Pulse exploration belongs on my blog. It would be less relevant in LinkedIn among a community already tuned in to this information. We’ll see. I’ll lurk a little but ultimately publish. Think differently? Send me a comment.
LinkedIn Pulse Nitty Gritty
The LinkedIn publishing environment is Pulse. Pulse is an evolution from LinkedIn Today & LinkedIn Influencer if you care and/or follow the brand names, interface evolution and strategies of LinkedIn. If you are not currently authorized to publish on Pulse, you can make a request to have this functionality enabled.
Sonny's Perspective on Digital Strategy & Marketing 