Break the Gram: LinkedIn

Let's dive into how LinkedIn, the go-to professional networking site, is trying to make waves on Instagram. Are they nailing it or missing the mark? Let’s find out!

*This analysis is from January to April, 2024.

Key Takeaways:

Posting Frequency

There’s no clear posting schedule. They generally post 8-10 times a month with no specific timing.

Content Formats Used:

• Memes

• Reels

• Carousels

• Static Posts

Content Breakdown

Educational Content

LinkedIn is all about helping you get ahead in your career. They share clips from their podcasts or videos packed with tips and advice to help people navigate the workplace, land their dream jobs, and stay ahead of AI trends.

For example:

• Why is it important to ask dumb questions?

• Upgrade your AI prompt game

• 3 most in-demand skills of 2024

• About AI in workspace

They also share trends and reports, which is very on-brand for LinkedIn. Being the number one professional social media platform, sharing charts and stats from reports fits well with their audience and brand identity.

Entertainment

Every now and then, LinkedIn loosens its tie and posts memes or filler content. These posts are a hit or miss, sometimes feeling like a random experiment. Sure, they might get a chuckle, but it seems like they’re still figuring out the entertainment game.

Feature/Product-Related Content

LinkedIn announces new features, shares commercials, and offers LinkedIn Premium tips to make your professional life smoother. They highlight the perks of the premium version, subtly nudging you towards a subscription. 

Some of the features discussed include:

• Games on LinkedIn

• LinkedIn premium 101 - Top Applicants

• Recruiters only mode

• Premium AI message

• AI-powered recommendations

• Collaborative articles

Channel Collaboration

LinkedIn has collaborated with other LinkedIn channels like LinkedIn News and companies like Microsoft to share news, reports, and trends. I like how they use real people in the videos to add a human touch and establish some form of connection with the audience.

Holidays/Trend Content

LinkedIn loves a good monthly theme. 
They roll out content for themes like Women’s Day in March and Black History Month in February. These themed posts blend education with user-generated content, making them both informative and engaging. 

I could find only one festive post, which was for Ramadan, where they shared how to support Muslim coworkers who are fasting.

UGC Content

As a people-driven platform, LinkedIn already has a lot of user-generated content. So, they repurpose it and re-share standout posts from their users, along with photos and names, to highlight and appreciate their community. 

It’s a smart way to put the spotlight on their users and keep the content genuine.

That’s all from LinkedIn.

Overall consensus

Despite the effort, LinkedIn's Instagram content feels generic and low effort, which is surprising for such a big name. 

Their carousels, for example, could be more engaging by prompting the audience to interact or share their thoughts. It feels like they’re posting just to stay active rather than having a clear, engaging strategy to build a thriving community. 

As a social media giant, LinkedIn has so much potential to create amazing content and keep its users engaged beyond its own platform.

What can they do? 

If I were to create content/ strategize for LinkedIn, here’s what I would do:

1. Post more reels 

Instagram loves reels, and so do users. We can explore and post more video content to leverage the algorithms and reach more people.

2. Create more relatable and fun content

While users might not switch to Instagram to learn about LinkedIn, they would definitely love to laugh and say "so true" every now and then. So creating engaging and relatable content that focuses on workspace and LinkedIn humor could be the best way to build a growing, loving audience.

Take a page from LinkedIn India’s book—they're rocking fun reels on Instagram.

3. Highlight the team behind LinkedIn

Many people create on LinkedIn, but more people lurk, and some make fun of LinkedIn on platforms like Instagram and Reddit. One thing they all have in common is an interest in knowing who is running the scene.

People love seeing the faces behind brands. LinkedIn can take inspiration from Instagram, where Adam Mosseri humanizes the brand by being its public face. The LinkedIn team can do the same by sharing more behind-the-scenes content, introducing team members, and creating "meet the team" content.

4. Create User-oriented Product-related Content

• Go deeper with app features. Show how-tos, and share examples to make the features more accessible.

• Launch an analysis series to help users improve their profiles and posting strategies with detailed, engaging videos. Mix learning with a bit of fun to keep the audience hooked.

• Collaborate with LinkedIn experts and creators who can be the face of the Instagram handle. More user-generated content can make the platform feel alive and personal.

And that’s a wrap! Check out their page and tell me what you think. 

How would you tweak their strategy? What kind of content would you love to see more of on their Instagram handle? Let’s chat!