Last month I wrote I am using LinkedIn to establish myself as a writer. The article generated a lot of interest. Since I just finished the LinkedIn30daysSprint with Tom Kuegler, it’s time to update you on what I learned.

First my achievements:

• I wrote 30 posts in 30 days and didn’t get stuck even a single time.
• My followers/connection numbers increased by 300, and it is at 1625 at the moment.
• I made several friends.
• I started a newsletter on LinkedIn, which attracted 500+ subscribers in 3 weeks.
• I announced a sprint of my own, ‘Write Your Book Sprint,’ and several participants enrolled for it, and I haven’t even written a sales page or designed the course yet.

I hadn’t envisioned I would achieve so much in 30 days. It is unbelievable what incredible results the focused effort can bring.

What did the Sprint Involve

The Sprint participants had to make two main commitments:

• Write a post every day.
• Engage with other participants’ posts.

Since the number of participants was very high, we were divided into three groups. Each day we commented on our group members’ posts.

You might think they were forced comments, but in fact, the activity generated some great discussions.

Reading 20–30 posts a day and then saying something helpful to add to the discussion was harder than writing my post and took much longer than anticipated.

Personal stories generated the most engagement for most of the participants.

Each day I spent close to two hours in engagement, and that was where I realized the strengths of LinkedIn is.

The Medium used to be like that previously but since the change of algorithm, reach has dwindled and so has the engagement from the readers.

LinkedIn has one great advantage over Medium; you can directly message the other person and make meaningful connections. If you take the sales out of the equation for a second, it is a great way to meet and stay connected to people with the same interests as you.

If You are a sparse LinkedIn User, these insights can help you do well on the platform.

1. Write a post every day. The LinkedIn algorithm favors the consistent creators (like all other platforms), and you are seen as an authority by your followers.
2. Publish your post early in the morning, preferably between 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM, US time. That is when most people are active on the platform if you miss that, later in the afternoon, between 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM and at night after dinner is the good windows to post.
3. Spend more time engaging with other people’s posts than writing your own. When you comment on someone else’s post, all the people from their network see your comment. If they like your comment, you can thank them and send a request to connect. This way, you can grow your network with like-minded people who already like your work.
4. Don’t use any scheduling software to post. LinkedIn prefers people type their posts in the interface. Scheduling software will adversely impact your reach.
5. Don’t batch write either. It takes away the spontaneity from your writing. Instead, write your posts the night before or the day you are going to publish.
6. Have a clear idea of your business and what you are offering. Then write your post in that niche.
7. Engage with people in your niche area, particularly those with a big following.
8. Follow the 80/20 rule. Give free advice 80% of the time, sell 20% of the time.
9. Practice copywriting. Say more with fewer words.
10. Experiment with different types of posts so you can see which ones feel right to you and which ones get the most engagement.
11. Be patient. Some posts will bomb, and others will skyrocket. So, learn by doing, show up daily, and let the algorithm work its magic.
12. Complete your profile because it helps the right people find and connect with you.
13. Store a few quotes to use on days you are too busy or too tired to write. Then, use the quotes as your posts on those days.
14. Focus on one area of improvement at a time. For your first week, you might focus on the top lines as engaging as possible. For another week, you might focus on how you format text in your posts. Later, you might ensure you end your post with something punchy. Don’t try to master everything all at once. Give yourself time to learn.
15. Have one place to put all your ideas for writing that you can easily access on the go. One participant suggested using index cards held together with a clip. I liked it very much and started using that. You could use a tiny notepad or Evernote etc.

How to approach writing on LinkedIn

My approach to writing on LinkedIn was different than most people’s.

• I didn’t go on the platform to impress anyone or make connections to sell them something. I concentrated on learning and getting better at writing.
• I asked for people’s opinions by polls and regular questions at the end of a post which helped me with my writing projects. People generally give you an honest opinion and are happy to participate in polls.
• I set aside 20 minutes each day to publish and close to an hour for engagement. I would have kept going had I not set myself a limit to writing comments.
• I noticed I had become a much better commenter from all the practice. NOw I am not afraid of leaving comments on viral posts or posts by well-known Industry figures.
• I realized it is much better to work in groups. Your group members support you, and you support them. You get to appreciate some very different perspectives. You get a daily appreciation for your work which keeps you going.

In Closing

Tom Kuegler is starting another sprint in March. It is worth participating in it, if you want to experience success quickly.

If you are already on LinkedIn and want to connect, my handle is www.linkedin.com/in/neeramahajan. I will be happy to engage with your posts if they interest me.

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