What motivates you to blog? It’s the desire for your writing to be seen and enjoyed by a wide audience, isn’t it? However, the reality is that your reach is often restricted by the number of people already following you.

Every day, people are inundated with more content than they could ever consume, and most of us are incredibly busy with the attention spans of goldfish (myself included!).

So, how can you maximize the reach of your content and ensure it resonates with a large audience?

Image via Reid Hoffman LinkedIn Pulse offers a solution.

What Is LinkedIn Pulse?

Think of LinkedIn Pulse as LinkedIn’s personalized news hub, also available as a separate app. It offers users a snapshot of the day’s most important headlines and trending industry news.

Recent data reveals that LinkedIn has more than 1 million publishers; over 150,000 posts are published every week; with the average post reaching LinkedIn users across 21 industries and nine countries.

On LinkedIn Pulse, you’ll encounter a blend of curated content, including:

• Stories shared by people in your network and/or industry.
• Trending articles from your extended network.
• Posts from LinkedIn’s publishing platform, encompassing “Editor’s Picks” and content created by influencers, publishers, and individuals.

For the remainder of this article, we’ll delve into the third category of content.

Why You Should Use LinkedIn Pulse

Publishing on LinkedIn should be an integral part of your content strategy, alongside your website and platforms like Medium. Why? Exposure.

Investing time and resources in creating content demands visibility, and publishing on LinkedIn expands the potential audience for your work.

However, success on LinkedIn Pulse, like any other channel, requires a strategic approach and dedicated effort to yield a worthwhile return on investment.

Depending on your connections, LinkedIn posts can easily garner hundreds or even thousands of views on average. Occasionally, LinkedIn articles achieve phenomenal reach, attracting 50,000, 100,000, or even millions of views.

Aspiring to achieve similar results? Here are 11 tips to help your content skyrocket on LinkedIn Pulse.

1. Craft Concise Titles

Excessively long headlines risk truncation on LinkedIn, leaving readers scrolling through the app or their feeds with only a partial view.

Prioritize conciseness without sacrificing essential elements that encourage clicks, such as relevant keywords, emotional hooks, and a clear value proposition outlining the benefits for the reader.

2. Captivate with Eye-Catching Images

When headlines fail to grab attention, a compelling article image becomes the next crucial factor in enticing clicks.

Steer clear of generic visuals like:

• Uninspiring headshots.
• Company logos.
• Anything that strains the eyes.
• Overused stock photos. You know the ones – road signs (Opportunity Ahead; Innovation, Next Exit), the overly enthusiastic and diverse team huddled around a computer, and the obligatory trust handshake.

Let’s illustrate with a captivating image:

Now, that’s an image that stands out and begs to be clicked!

3. Expand Your LinkedIn Network

Every LinkedIn post triggers a notification for your connections. However, maximizing impact requires a substantial network.

Actively seek new connections improving your LinkedIn profile (effectively promoting yourself) and expanding your LinkedIn network (connecting with acquaintances and new individuals alike).

Master the art of crafting compelling LinkedIn connection requests.

4. Maintain a Consistent Publishing Schedule

LinkedIn thrives on consistency. Sporadic posting every few months yields minimal results.

Aim for a minimum of two posts per week, ideally during weekdays within business hours, as LinkedIn’s professional nature dictates activity during those times.

My LinkedIn Pulse strategy revolves entirely around repurposed and syndicated content – no original pieces.

Don’t fret about duplicate content penalties impacting your search engine rankings. By transparently acknowledging previous publication with a link to the original source, Google can differentiate between the original and the republished version.

5. Aim for Channel Features

LinkedIn Pulse boasts over 100 individual channels, with popular ones focusing on Leadership & Management, Big Ideas & Innovation, Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Social Media.

Securing a coveted feature in one of these channels can significantly amplify your content’s reach.

While LinkedIn limits individual connections to 25,000 (a figure most users don’t approach), Pulse channels boast millions of followers.

To increase your chances of being featured in the Social Media channel (potentially reaching its 14 million followers), analyze the type of content that consistently gets featured and tailor your writing accordingly.

6. Embrace Basic SEO Principles

Optimizing your content is a simple yet effective way to boost visibility on Pulse Channels.

LinkedIn Pulse relies on text analysis to categorize content.

Think back to the early days of SEO, where strategically incorporating keywords in titles and throughout the post was paramount.

7. Directly Pitch Pulse Editors

Seeking a feature on LinkedIn Pulse? Twitter is your unlikely ally.

A friendly tweet to @LinkedInPulse can work wonders:

8. Give Your Post a Paid Push

While channel features provide excellent exposure, they often require an extra boost.

After securing a feature, drive immediate traffic to your post to propel it to the top of the channel, as opposed to languishing in a lower position.

Allocate a modest budget (around $50) to promote your post on Facebook and Twitter.

The LinkedIn Pulse algorithm rewards content that generates swift traffic and engagement.

The beauty? This paid promotion acts as a temporary catalyst. Once your article ascends to the top, traffic becomes self-sustaining as LinkedIn users flock to their favorite channels for trending content.

9. Promote Your LinkedIn Page

Although LinkedIn limits individual connections, there are no restrictions on followers.

Leverage existing content to promote your LinkedIn page. For instance, link to your profile from your Twitter bio.

Consider the possibilities: thousands of monthly profile visits on Twitter can translate into increased LinkedIn visibility if even a small fraction click through.

10. Don’t Shy Away from Reposts

LinkedIn doesn’t penalize content reuse within its platform.

If a previously published post underperformed, consider giving it another shot with a fresh title and a more compelling image.

11. Syndicate Strategically – Focus on Your Gems

Not every piece of content deserves a spot on LinkedIn. Avoid syndicating everything, especially if you maintain a prolific publishing schedule.

Prioritize high-performing content that has resonated on other platforms, generating significant traffic or engagement. Proven success elsewhere increases the likelihood of similar performance on LinkedIn.

In a Nutshell

If LinkedIn isn’t already a cornerstone of your content strategy, it’s time to reconsider. Implement these 11 tips to harness the power of the LinkedIn Pulse algorithm and propel your content to new heights.

While on the topic of content amplification, Medium deserves an honorable mention. Its approach to trending content shares similarities with LinkedIn, with the added benefit of a more meritocratic system where influence is earned, not bestowed.

Ready to explore the potential of LinkedIn Pulse? Don’t delay!