What does it mean to be you?

To think like you do or to behave as you do? What defines you? 

These are the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself when it comes to personal branding, especially if you want to create a content plan.

You might be thinking ‘what the heck is that?’

Or you might be confident that you know what branding is; ‘it’s the type of perfume I use or the bank I’m with, not to mention my preference of fizzy cola drinks!’

Right?

Not quite.

While many brands may feature in your day to day life –  some may even feel inseparable from your character – personal branding is less about the products and more about the person behind them.

So, if you’re ready to look inward, keep reading to learn about personal branding and how you can use it in your life.

This blog will cover:

• What is personal branding?
• Examples of personal branding
• Why is personal branding important?
• Is personal branding just for influencers? 
• What is a personal brand statement?
• Step by step process for building a personal brand
• How to manage negative backlash online
• How to monetise your personal brand

What Is Personal Branding?

Personal branding is a way of marketing yourself.

A personal brand explains who you are, what you do and informs people why they should care about you.

Through your personal brand, you can curate a deliberate identity for either your professional or personal life, both on and offline.

The brand you present is typically a combination of your experience, skills and personality which creates a persona for you and influences how you are perceived by other people.

Personal branding is a unique person-centered approach to business and has become one of the most effective ways of creating a point of differentiation between yourself and others, in a content-saturated world.

So, whether you use your personal brand for a job interview, for someone to hire your services for their company or to get cast in a TV show – personal branding is front and centre of successful marketing communications.

Spending time developing your personal brand will help you to present yourself, your work and your skills in the best possible way. 

And getting this right is essential if you want to create a PR plan for yourself and your business.

Examples of Personal Branding 

There are excellent examples of impactful personal branding in every sector from politics to pop culture. 

Business Leader and best selling author Tony Robbins has curated a personal brand that motivates and inspires individuals and businesses around the world. 

His approach to self-help and positive thinking has helped individuals in the public eye from politicians to sports stars, all the while earning the moniker of ‘The CEO Whisperer’. 

If it’s good enough for his 5.8 million instagram followers, it’s good enough for us!

Bestselling author, podcaster and business guru Tim Ferriss has curated a successful personal brand through his committed approach to sharing his lifestyle optimizing tips and work week hacks. 

With 700+ Million downloads of his podcast The Tim Ferriss Show, the former entrepreneur and angel investor now shares insider knowledge and advice from world-class business performers. 

Why Is Personal Branding Important?

A strong personal brand can have a big impact in your professional life, bringing multiple benefits, such as helping to develop an online audience, drive sales or get traction in a campaign you are running.

Through personal branding, you can focus on things you are passionate about as well as using it as a space to promote your achievements.  You can excel in thought leadership.

In fact, the best personal brands don’t just shout about how good a person is, they share value and insight and become known for standing out from the crowd and making a difference. 

People connect more when someone is being honest and open about successes or failures and what they’ve learnt from those experiences.

Personal branding can also be instrumental in getting your next job.

Your online profile is readily available for the public and future employers to see so you need to make sure it gives the best first impression.

We’ve all heard horror stories of people being denied life changing-jobs after an employer looked on social media and found inappropriate comments or images from their mis-spent youth. 

Developing an authentic personal brand where you can present an honest, engaging persona, sharing your style, your values or your skills, will get you ahead.

Is Personal Branding Just For Influencers?

It’s true that if you want to be considered influential, a strong personal brand is essential for your success. 

Many people associate personal branding with influencer marketing and, alternatively, influential people in the public eye, because they represent a niche interest, skillset, area or audience. 

Influencers are able to utilise the public desire for role models and aspirational values in every field and sector.

From fashion and fitness to motivational speakers and scientists, social media influencers with professional skill sets epitomise the aesthetic and practical values of personal branding success. 

This is because they speak to an audience who are actively seeking advice, tips and ultimately, easy ways to be the best you can be.

However, personal branding should not just be seen as the territory of influencers. In fact, just about anyone with an audience can reap the benefits of personal branding. 

Many of us do this already, probably subconsciously, via the posts, images and ideas that we share on social media. 

With character limits and profile pics, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn provide the perfect opportunities to present yourself in a socially conscious and concise way. 

Whether you’re looking for a new job or wanting to engage with a wider network, curating a personal brand and streamlining your online presence can help you get on the path to success, whatever that may look like to you. 

What Is A Personal Brand Statement?

A personal brand statement is a short (1-3 sentences) bio stating who you are, what you do and why that is important. 

From it, people should be able to understand your skills and experience as well as what you have to offer. 

You want to aim for something that is not only short and sweet, but passionate, personal and professional at the same time.

Providing enough information about yourself to get someone interested, but leaving space for them to want to know more. In which case, they’ll have to get in touch. 

Alongside your online profile, your personal brand statement is a way to grab people’s attention online.

Having a strong presence online can attract opportunities from the employers that you want, and even those that you didn’t know you needed. 

If you’re already in a job you love, it’s worth remembering that many companies will appreciate your presence as a brand ambassador for them, it will support their digital PR work.

See how you can incorporate building a personal brand with the resources and networks that are readily available to you.

Building A Personal Brand Step-By-Step

1. Clean up your online profile – Have you got a long lost MySpace, Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr lurking in a dark corner of the internet with thoughts and images from your former self? It might be worth revisiting this ancient history to check there’s nothing out there that could be damaging to your personal brand.
2. Figure out what you want your brand to be – This could be governed by how you envisage your interactions with other people. Think about whether you anticipate social or professional interactions and craft your online presence in a way that reflects this. 
3. Find your niche – There’s nothing wrong with doing the same thing as the last guy or gal, but it’s not going to make people sit up and take notice of you. Finding a niche area of your sector or tapping into a gap in the market is going to make you, your skills and your ideas hot property and full of potential.
4. Write your personal brand statement – Write something that’s short, sharp and sexy to bring your professional skills and personality into one key idea.
5. Build your online profile – Now it’s time to align your online presence, linking social media profiles with your website, bringing your network together.
6. Remember security – Go through security settings and make sure you’re only sharing data that you’ve agreed to and that your profile is only visible to those people you want to see it.
7. Strategy – Now you need to get out there and publish some epic content. 

Your content strategy for your personal brand needs to reflect the values you uphold and the skills you bring to the people and projects you’re involved with. But this doesn’t stop at your personal branding statement – it needs to be reproduced throughout all your online content. 

Editorial mission statement

This should connect to your brand statement, uniting your personality with a professional mission. It includes your audience, the type of content you will provide, and how you intend for people to benefit from this.

Audience

When defining your target audience, you should consider the following questions. 

Who are they, why do they follow you and what are they going to gain by interacting with your content?

You need to target a specific group of roles or a sector, rather than trying to be everything to everybody. 

Once you have this, spend some time locating your audience online and noticing their behaviours. For example, what networking sites they use or what information they’re looking for when interacting with these sites.

Content marketing goals

Content marketing is all about creating digital content that people want to consume and sharing it with your networks. It should keep your audience interested as well as attract new interest and opportunities. 

• Get your name out there by building awareness of your brand and your mission. 
• Earn the trust of your audience as a reputable source of insight and information in your field.
• Build partnerships that strengthen your integrity and provide interesting content for your audience, building links and providing opportunities for engagement. 

Identify your style

This is a balancing act between your own interests as a content creator and your audience’s needs and interests.

The overlap of interests are the core areas which you should cover in your content when establishing your personal brand.

Build your content calendar

When setting your expectations for your content calendar it’s best to start small and build up as you feel comfortable. Trying to push too much content in too little time can get messy and stressful and lead to poor quality content. 

It’s worth finding a platform that allows you to plan, schedule and post content via one app, saving you time and energy along the way!

Create some epic content

It’s your responsibility to know what your audience wants and plan your content to give it the best possible traction with them. 

Engage with your followers through interactive polls, stories or surveys on social media and allow yourself to be open to feedback on topics and types of content.

Measure your progress

Taking some time to evaluate your progress will allow you to identify what works well, as well as what doesn’t.

This is important as it will allow you to streamline your content creation and really give your audience what they want. 

How To Manage Negative Backlash Online

We all say or do the wrong thing from time to time, but what happens when you make a mistake on the social media stage? 

Public opinion can be pretty ruthless when it comes to pointing out mistakes and criticising certain actions or comments, for example. 

Whether you agree that you’ve made a mistake or not, it’s important to take a measured approach, considering all sides of the issue, as your business, brand or following could be at stake. 

Be humble – Prioritise protecting your brand and minimise any lasting damage.

Be accountable – We all make mistakes. Period. If you recognize yourself as being at fault, take ownership of your mistakes and focus on learning and moving forward.

Make amends – You’ll need to put in the work to rebuild trust in your brand as well as any products or services.

Plan a positive campaign – Revisit your brand values, mission, and culture then action any changes through your services or products. 

This being said, when it comes to criticism of your personal brand, it’s hard not to feel like you’re being personally attacked. 

Constructive Criticism Or Online Bullying?

There is a difference between genuine criticism in light of a mistake on your part and social media trolls or bullies who are attacking your brand for reasons unknown. 

While you should acknowledge genuine issues or grievances that play out on social media, dealing with trolls is another story. 

It’s best to avoid any engagement with trolls online.

Not only will it fuel their fire, but responding to comments on public platforms (especially if you’re feeling emotionally provoked) could lead to unintended consequences. Such as other people getting involved. 

So, to avoid your brand ending up all over Twitter for the wrong reasons, the best policy is to ignore the online ne’er do wells. Instead make the most of the block button.

How To Monetise Your Personal Brand

Once you’ve got your brand established, it’s never a bad idea to use it to your financial advantage.

In fact, there are myriad ways that you can monetise your personal brand. These are all made easier by the accessible nature of social media and its power to connect people and ideas across the globe. 

In this section, we’ll take a look at a few popular ways to monetise your personal brand. 

Start a podcast

Podcasting has fast become one of the most popular outlets for professionals with personality.

Podcasting helps your audience get to know you better and can mix entertainment with topics that are mutually important. 

It can also be a great way to attract partnerships and sponsors via advertising products or services. Dedicated listeners may also show their support via Patreon or similar sites. 

Write a book

If you believe you have what it takes, then it’s worth a try to write a book.

Whether it’s your memoir or a self-help guide then a book is a one-stop-shop for sharing your knowledge. Not to mention your skills and passion to your dedicated audience.

This has been made even easier by ebook culture and self-publishing. 

Sell templates

If you know, for example, how to write a press release, your knowledge and experience could be invaluable for somebody who needs a helping hand. 

Creating bespoke templates for tasks is a fantastic value-add for your audience. Your template can save them value time and makes everything easier for them.

Any subsequent success’ from people who purchased the product helps to strengthen your brand as a go-to industry resource.

Advertise products

Product placement is huge on Instagram and social media. Companies send you free stuff and you share your thoughts on it with your followers.

It is now a requirement to warn your audience that you are posting an #ad. This is so that you don’t mislead anyone.

But promoting products on social media is still a strong way to build your brand. Especially if you genuinely love and use the product you are featuring. 

Just remember, your brand is a representation of you and your professional skills and goals. So be wary of anyone attempting to exploit your brand or jeopardize your integrity. 

Don’t get blindsided by financial offers that are too good to be true. Stay away from anything that you wouldn’t feel comfortable being associated with. 

A good personal brand is built on integrity and being genuine about endorsements.

Personal Branding: In Summary

We’ve covered a lot in this personal brand guide so here are our top 3 tips:

Have focus. Getting your personal branding on point is great, but for what? Keeping a strong focus throughout your branding journey will make you stand out for your speciality. And stay relevant.

Tell a story. A brand without a story is like food without a flavour. Consumers of your brand want to be continually nourished and satisfied by your output, not left hungry for more.

Be authentic.  The most important thing to remember when building your personal brand is that you want to be authentic. Without this authenticity, you will fail to provide consistency between your thoughts and actions. 

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post Personal branding: What it is and how you can build yours appeared first on Class:PR.

The term gets thrown around in marketing communications as though everyone knows exactly what it is and how to do it. 

But dig a little deeper and you’ll find you’re not the only one that isn’t clear on how to use thought leadership as part of their public relations campaign. 

Don’t worry, once you grasp a few concepts and tactics, thought leadership is easy to understand.

It can be a very effective tactic to get free PR and build credibility with your target audience.

Here’s what we are going to cover in this thought leadership guide.

What is thought leadership?
Why authority and influence matter
The risks of thought leadership
Thought leadership in the national media
Inbound marketing and thought leadership
7 steps to build your thought leadership strategy 

Let’s get started.

What Is Thought Leadership?

Thought leadership in PR and marketing is the process of establishing authority and credibility in a person or brand by sharing expert comment, insight and opinion. 

Thought leadership showcases expertise, highlights innovation or provides an alternative perspective on an issue.

Typically, thought leadership is undertaken by a founder, CEO or team member with the seniority to represent a business. 

They must be able to speak confidently from their own experience about issues that affect the organisation. (Make sure your spokesperson is prepared with some easy to implement media training tips.)

What Forms Can Thought Leadership Take?

At the heart of your media relations

It can take the form of an interview on television or radio, where pertinent, topical issues are discussed. 

Or it could be written comment in print or online media that adds depth or an alternative opinion to an argument or issue relevant to your business.

At the heart of your digital PR

On your owned media, your website or social media channels, thought leadership content can come in many different forms.

Think of live broadcasts, stories, posts, in-depth blog articles, podcasts, videos and creative advertising campaigns that subtly showcase your organisation’s innovation and expertise.

White papers are a great way to produce original research and offer real in-depth thought leadership.

And crucially the data your business produces can be an excellent source of information to build a thought leadership campaign around.

For instance, think about consumer trends in the pandemic, how have these changed?

Always think about how your expertise and insight fits into the context of the wider news agenda.

This can be in your own sector or in the larger media landscape.

There really is no limit to the form that thought leadership can take so long as it displays innovative thinking, original content and brings value to your sector, your customers and your stakeholders.

Thought leadership should be at the heart of your inbound marketing strategy.

Why Authority And Influence Matter

Thought leadership is different to other forms of public relations examples or marketing tactics – it is not about the hard sell. 

It is about nudging your audience to take action by building trust through establishing the authority of your brand or the personalities within it.

The aim is to position your organisation as relevant to a wider group of stakeholders, than your existing target audience. 

You are trying to increase the reach of your PR key messages and connect with more people. 

All the while, your brand is gaining trust with this audience, they begin to depend upon you to be a leader in innovation or critical thinking around a subject. 

It becomes a virtuous circle

You begin your thought leadership campaign by positioning your organisation, through your own efforts, as an authority on a subject, as an expert. 

Gradually people take notice, and they begin to associate your company with your chosen subject. 

Once your audience has found you and they like what you are saying they will start to come back to you, looking for your opinion.

Now they are listening, you now hold a degree of influence over their decisions. 

The purpose of this influence varies between every organisation. 

It could be used to sell more products, to lobby or win an important contract. Charities will use it to fundraise or campaign for a cause.

Influence from thought leadership is hardwon

It takes a long time to do properly – you can’t win trust overnight.

This is not like digital PR, where you just want people to click a link. 

You want your audience to see you as a reliable source of knowledge, a critical thinker that can solve the challenges that they may be facing.  

And once you have established this relationship, they will return to you time and time again.

The crucial thing to remember is that thought leadership is NEVER about the hard sell.

Think of your own consumer behaviour.

Who are you most likely to buy from?

A desperate salesperson who is begging you to buy their product or a brilliant company you happen to have ‘found’ yourself who provides real insight and expert advice.

It’s a no brainer.

Put simply thought leadership should be at the heart of any high-quality PR plan. 

The Risks of Thought Leadership

You can’t fake thought leadership.

By its very nature it requires you to know your stuff.

You must have a deep insight into the issues and innovations that are taking place in your business’ sector.

Thought leadership is about education, providing expert insight, and demonstrating credibility – all to increase your visibility.

If you make claims that are untrue or offer very limited and unoriginal insight no one will care.

The media will not be interested in featuring you as a spokesperson and your own followers will soon lose interest in reading, watching or listening to your content.

The clue is in the title – thought LEADERSHIP.

What you say and comment on needs to show that leadership on a topic. 

If your thought leadership is seen as little more than glossy marketing it will fail – and you will have wasted a lot of time and money.

PR PRO TIP 

Before you pitch a potential spokesperson to give an interview make sure their digital profile gives off a good image about them. Do a thorough Google search on their name and make sure nothing contrary to the image you are projecting comes up. Don’t forget to check their LinkedIn profile, make sure there is an up to date profile image and an accurate career history. Plus, make sure you know how to write a LinkedIn headline that captures a journalist’s attention right from the get go.

Thought Leadership In The National Media

The national media – and by that we mean newspapers, news sites, TV and radio – can be a brilliant place to build your thought leadership status.

Opportunities to add comment

Every single day of the year journalists are covering a huge number of news stories, and some may be linked to your business.

Those reporters need experts on these topics to interview to quote in their stories and feature in their broadcasts.

You need to be that expert.

Why?

First up, raw visibility.

Let’s say you are a sportswear manufacturer and the main daily TV news in your country is doing a report about new outfits in gymnastics at the Olympics.

The journalist may want to speak to someone who makes these clothes. That could be you.

Instantly an audience of millions will be aware of your brand.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Greater reach and credibility

You can then share that footage on your own social media channels and on your own website, perhaps with the logo of that media outlet to boost your credibility.

Also, don’t forget to share this footage with your email list – reinforce your expertise with your existing audience.

You see, in reality, you can’t unpick working with the mainstream media and your owned media – the two should work together, that’s when the magic happens.

And the great thing about establishing yourself as a thought leader in the national media (or indeed your trade media) is that journalists are often creatures of habit.

If they know that you are a reliable source of commentary and insight on your given subject they will come back to you time and again when your type of business is in the news.

Journalists work to very tight deadlines so if you can step in at a moment’s notice and give them a great quote you will win repeat media coverage.

So how do you get a piece of the action?

Sign up to services such as Help a Reporter Out  (HARO) or Response Source – these services are where journalists ask for experts to contribute to their stories.

White Papers And Data Journalism 

As well as helping the media out with stories they are already working on, that are linked to your business or your sector, you can generate your own media stories.

Journalists are always looking for decent news stories – that’s their job.

There is clearly huge crossover here with your inbound thought leadership efforts (we will look at that in more detail in the next section) but you need to know how to present this research to a journalist, if you want mainstream media coverage.

Key to this is that you still need to know the fundamentals of public relations.

Yep, you need to know how to write a press release.

Why?

Because whatever your white paper/data reveals you must present it in a newsworthy style.

Yes, by all means, include wonderful infographics with your media pitch – but the most important bit by far is the news angle.

And it can’t be advertorial rubbish – it must be genuine insight and research about a particular topic with an attention grabbing headline.

For more information on how to create a high-quality white paper take a look at this excellent guide.

Inbound Marketing And Thought Leadership

While being featured in the mainstream and trade media as a thought leader is excellent for your credibility, the foundation of this work is done on your owned media channels – your website and your social media feeds. 

Frankly, in the 2020s this needs to be at the core of your business plan – pretty much whatever you sell or make.

Customers are looking for more than products and services.

They want to see expertise and credibility, this will inform their buying decision as much as great reviews and competitive prices.

Think of how you can provide extra value to your customers and build thought leadership content around these needs.

This could look like:

• How to guides
• Free education and training videos
• Insights into the latest developments and technology in your sector
• Blogs and podcasts featuring tips on how to get the most out of your product or service
• Original research that can be of use to your customers in a related field of their lives. (Want an example? Okay, you sell fitness equipment, why not produce a white paper on the best ways to stay heart healthy?)

There are so so many ways you can add value for your customers simply beyond selling them your core product.

Get this thought leadership strategy right and it will form the heart of your SEO strategy and win you powerful backlinks. 

People looking for help and advice related to your business will find this content and then automatically attach trust to your brand.

You see, this is the thing with marketing and communications in this era – you can’t separate PR, SEO, thought leadership and content marketing.

Yes, they are all disciplines in their own right, but they are interlinked on multiple levels and each feeds into the success of the other.

Ultimately what you are trying to do is to build credibility and reach for your business – and showing you are an expert.

7 Steps To Build Your Thought Leadership Strategy 

Okay, so that’s the theory.

It’s clear you need a thought leadership strategy to help your business reach its full potential.

These 7 steps should be at the core of that plan:

Step 1: Know your audience

This is critical for ALL communications campaigns. If you don’t know who your audience is how are you going to be able to engage with them? Survey your customers, even a simple SurveyMonkey, can reveal useful information. Ask your audience what subjects they are interested in, what they want to know more about, how they would like to receive that information (blogs Vs podcasts etc)?

Step 2: Know your business

Now look at your business and review your core business objectives for the year, as much as thought leadership shouldn’t be advertorial it must still support your business! What products and services do you really want to push?

Step 3: Get creative

This is the fun bit. Think about original research you could commission, white papers you could produce, newsworthy topics that you could become a spokesperson for, podcasts you could appear on, YouTube channels you would be a great guest for, mainstream and trade media who would be interested in your views.

Step 4: Calendar time

Design your thought leadership calendar for 12 months ahead. Each month have at least one mainstream media target for thought leadership and commit to one piece of inbound thought leadership content, maybe start with a blog. It may not sound like much, but the victory is in continuity – not two months of mad activity followed by ten months of silence.

Step 5: Know how to pitch your angle

Revisit our how to write a media pitch guide and start pitching your original pieces of research (data and white papers) to your target media. Meanwhile, sign up to Response Source and HARO for those daily comment opportunities.

Step 6: Share your success

As the media coverage starts to come in make sure you then reshare through your own social media channels and feature on your website. Don’t just be a thought leader, SHOW you are thought leaders.

Step 7: Measure and evaluate

Track and monitor your thought leadership efforts. Use analytics tools to measure web traffic to blogs and podcasts, track your most shared social posts, which get the most engagement. Crucially, survey your customers when they make a purchase, did thought leadership influence them? Take these results and then update your plan for the next three months. Oh, and if you’ve got time, write a book! All the most successful thought leaders have a book out…

So there you have it, the answer to ‘what is thought leadership?’.

The great thing about thought leadership is that you really can do as little or as much as you like, to start with, especially while you’re getting a feel for it.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post What is Thought Leadership? And How You Can Do It in 2022 appeared first on Class:PR.

When you can do it well, it’s a fantastic way to increase your exposure and build an audience who will keep coming back for more.

The good news is, writing and posting a compelling article on LinkedIn doesn’t require as much hard work as it sounds. Nor do you need to be the world’s most talented writer.

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know. We even throw in some tricks of the trade as well!

What’s the difference between a LinkedIn article and a LinkedIn post?

Where LinkedIn is concerned, size really does matter.

When you write and publish a LinkedIn post or status update, LinkedIn only gives you 1,300 characters to play with.

That might sound like a lot, but it isn’t.

Especially not if you want to create content that will draw in your reader and keep them hooked.

That’s why knowing how to write and post an article on LinkedIn is so invaluable, because the character count of a LinkedIn article is much bigger – 125,000 characters.

That gives you much more space and opportunity to position yourself as an expert, share some thought leadership content and make an impact.

Not sure what is thought leadership? Read this quick guide to get the low down.

Writing a LinkedIn article allows you to go in-depth on a subject and share your knowledge and expertise.

Anyone can publish an article on LinkedIn, whether they have a free or premium account.

However, LinkedIn has issued guidelines to deter people from flooding their network with spam, PR, and content with no value.

If what you publish violates their policies, LinkedIn could remove the content, suspend your account, or take other action.

Posting an article on LinkedIn

To start with, take a close look at your LinkedIn profile.

Below the About section is an Activity box, which shows the last four things you did on LinkedIn.

Like many LinkedIn users, it’s probably telling you that you liked or shared other people’s content.

When someone looks at the Activity box on your LinkedIn profile, that’s what they’ll see too.

If you’ve written an article – even if it was months or years ago – the last article you wrote will have pride of place in that Activity box.

Just think about how much exposure that Activity box can give you and your brand, and how many opportunities you’ve potentially wasted if you don’t use it.

The last article listed in your Activity box could stop your visitor from scrolling past and quickly convert them into a customer, a new follower, or a valuable contact.

But, if all the Activity box tells them is that you’ve liked or shared somebody else’s content, they may click on that other person’s content instead.

You’ve lost an opportunity and possibly handed it over to a competitor.

Make sure your Activity box is working for you as hard as it can.

Writing a LinkedIn article with a catchy headline and relevant and informed content that shares valuable information is a guaranteed way to get even a mildly curious visitor interested in who you are and what you do.

Also, when the visitor opens your LinkedIn article to read on their desktop, they’ll see a link next to your byline that (when they click on it) displays all the previous LinkedIn articles you’ve written.

Consider this your online portfolio, a place to showcase innovation, developments in your brand or business, or share a comment on issues that you care about or important to your target audience.

Remember, the more LinkedIn articles you write, the more you’ll highlight your brand and position yourself as a thought leader your readers can trust.

What topic should you choose for your LinkedIn article?

Who’s your audience? What do they want to read?

Those may sound like obvious questions, but they’re something a lot of LinkedIn writers forget to consider, especially when they’re learning the ropes.

Don’t fall into the trap of choosing a topic that’s so niche it would only interest you and the five other random people who are obsessed with Elvis-impersonating squirrels.

It’s essential to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise.

Write about the latest news from your industry, or answer a question that’s a trending topic.

What are the people around you currently talking about?

Look at their LinkedIn profiles and the other social media they use to find out what’s on their minds.

Have any of your recent LinkedIn posts received more Likes, Shares, or comments than usual?

If so, could you turn them into a longer-form article that will keep the interest going?

If you want to write an article that will appeal to readers outside your industry, choose a universal topic: i.e. something we’ve all experienced, thought about, or been irritated by.

Maybe even use an example from your own life, like How working from home unexpectedly improved my career chances, or Are you also paranoid your Home Assistant is listening in to everything you say?

When your topic is something you’ve been through that other people have experienced too, you’ll write about it with much more energy and authority.

More importantly, your reader will automatically feel a shared connection with you and want to find out more.

Once you’ve decided on your topic you’re ready to write.

Writing your LinkedIn article

Go to the LinkedIn Home tab. Click the Write an Article link to open the LinkedIn Publishing tool.

This is where all the magic happens.

Choose an attention-grabbing headline

Your headline should tell people what your article is about and encourage them to click on the headline to read it.

But, don’t choose a headline that’s only clickbait. LinkedIn readers are extraordinarily savvy to clickbait, and a clickbait-sounding headline will turn people off.

Choose a headline that is intriguing as well as informative, but make sure your article can deliver what your headline promises.

Consider keywords

What keywords will your audience be searching for?

Using one of those keywords in your headline (or a number, like 6 ways to get a better night’s sleep) will help push you towards the top of the list when a user types that word into their search engine.

If you don’t know the best keywords to use, a keyword research tool (like the Google Ads keyword research tool or SEM rush) should give you plenty of valuable ideas.

All you have to do is type in the most relevant words to your article or business, and Google Ads (although other keyword research tools are available!) will suggest a shortlist of keywords you could use.

You can also find out how often each of those keywords is searched for per month so that you can include the most popular ones in both your headline and your article.

A word of caution, using lots of keywords in an article can make it stilted and difficult to read.

It’s vital that your article flows so that your user enjoys reading it and continues reading until the end.

Don’t make it evident that you’re keyword optimising, and never put keywords ahead of readability.

Write a catchy introduction

Getting the headline right is just the start.

Writing an introduction that is as strong and compelling as possible is equally as important.

Also, because the first four lines of your last article’s introduction will appear in the Activity box on your LinkedIn profile, it must grab your reader’s attention straight away.

Remember, the LinkedIn audience are very busy, professional people.

If your headline and introduction don’t instantly make them want to know more, and if the rest of your article takes longer than five to ten minutes to read or is a slog to wade through, they won’t look at it.

They’ll keep scrolling and read your competitor’s article instead.

Writing the main article content

Before you start writing, know what you want to say and the structure you want to use.

An article, like a good story, should flow easily from beginning to middle to end.

Stay ‘on brand’ and ‘on message’ because unnecessary sidenotes and detours will dilute what you’re trying to say and could easily confuse the reader.

For example, suppose your article concerns how customer service is suffering now that delivery drivers are under more pressure.

In that case, it’s probably not a good idea to throw in an anecdote about your neighbour Fred, who took in the parcel for you when the deliveryman left it outside your door and missed the end of his favourite quiz show.

Also, choose your words carefully.

If any of the words are so unusual that your reader might need a thesaurus to understand them, cut the word out and choose a more straightforward word instead.

When you’re writing and posting an article on LinkedIn, it isn’t time to show off your highfalutin vocabulary.

Never forget that you’re writing for your reader, not for yourself.

Keep your writing tight and concise.

After you’ve written the article, go back and edit out everything unnecessary.

Your article shouldn’t read as if a machine wrote it.

Make sure your voice is in there because how you say it is as important as what you’re saying.

What is your writer’s voice?

It’s your personality and tone and everything that makes your writing unique from somebody else’s.

If this is your first article, you probably won’t know what your voice is yet.

Finding your voice can take time and practice, but it isn’t difficult.

All you have to do is let your personality show in your writing.

To do that, write down what you want to say in the way you want to say it, and don’t be afraid to express your opinion.

When you’ve been writing for a while, you’ll start to notice specific ways you express things, the rhythms you use (whether your sentences are short or long).

For example, you may use humour to keep your message entertaining.

This is another reason why editing the article is essential.

When we write in our voice, we’re letting our words and ideas flow.

So it’s necessary to go back afterwards and cut out anything that detours from our message or sounds stilted.

Check your grammar and spelling too.

You don’t always have to stick to the grammatical rules.

Some writers have made a very successful living by throwing grammar out the window.

But you need to know what the rules are before you know how to break them.

The bottom line is, if a reader likes your voice, they’ll probably keep reading even if they’re not entirely convinced about what you’re saying.

Working on finding your writer’s voice is especially important if you want to build up a loyal readership.

People who like your voice will look forward to reading more of your writing.

The importance of structure

The structure of an article is its backbone.

It’s the spine you hang your ideas on and the journey your reader will take from the beginning of the article to the end.

The clearer the structure, the easier your ideas will be to follow, and the better your article will be to read.

The structure of most articles – whether they’re written for LinkedIn, or a magazine, newspaper or website – is usually in three parts:

·       An introduction that outlines the main point of the article and draws the reader in.

·       A middle that discusses the topic in a concise, clear, and exciting way. That can often include using quotes and images to support the article, break it up and make it more accessible.

·       An end that draws everything together, wraps up your viewpoint and makes it memorable, and concludes the article with a Call to Action that you want your reader to take.

Give each idea its own paragraph.

For example, if your article is about five ways to destress after a busy day at work, each ‘way’ should be given its own paragraph.

Use compelling quotes

When you know how to post an article on LinkedIn, you’ll realise that using quotes can be extremely useful.

If there’s a quotation that someone else has said that backs up what you’re saying or helps give the reader an objective opinion, consider using it.

However, every quotation you use should serve a purpose-  either emphasise a point or present an opinion.

When you choose the quote well, it can add texture to your LinkedIn article and bring it to life.

Just like everything else in your writing the quotation should be concise, clear, and relevant.

If it isn’t, don’t use it.

Any quotation you use should always be attributed to the person who said it, with the exact words placed within quotation marks.

For a quote that includes two or more sentences, the quotation marks should be at the beginning and end of the entire quotation, not at the beginning and end of each sentence.

If you want to be extra thorough, you could link directly to the quote by hyperlinking to the original source.

As in:

Tufty Cottontail of The Squirrel Casting Agency says, “The number of Elvis-impersonating squirrels in the UK has increased dramatically over the last six months.”

We’ll talk more about hyperlinks (what they are and how to use them) in the next section.

If you don’t choose to use a hyperlink, make sure you cite the origin of the quote somewhere within your text (either in the body of the article or listed at the end.)

That way, your reader will know where the quote came from.

Avoid using secondary sources

Sometimes, you’ll find that the sources you want to quote have got that information from somewhere else.

In other words, they didn’t originate the quote themselves.

This can happen a lot when you want to quote data and statistics.

The best practice is to follow the secondary source back to the primary source and directly link it.

It might involve a bit of extra digging, but it’s correct article etiquette.

The plus side is that you might find even more helpful information when you go back to where the quote or data originated.

The difference between links and hyperlinks

Include links to other sources if they add additional evidence or provide further reading.

Unlike adding links to a post (when LinkedIn only allows you to include one link per post), you won’t be penalised for the number of external links you include in a LinkedIn article.

Once again, though, don’t use so many links that the article reads like a laundry list.

There are two ways of adding links to your article.

The first way is to copy and paste the external sources URL into the text of your article, so it looks like this:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57089129

But it looks ugly and awkward and stops the flow of your writing.

A better, less intrusive way is to add a hyperlink to your text so that your writing keeps flowing and the reader can click on the highlighted words to find out more.

For example, if we hyperlinked the above URL, it would look like this:

Click here to find out how Google Maps are outperforming TfL Go – which will take your reader to the source URL.

It’s easy to do.

Just select the relevant text, click the Link icon on the LinkedIn Publishing toolbar, enter the source URL, and click Apply.

Using hashtags

Hashtags are like keywords that you add to your article to give the reader a deeper understanding of what you’ve written.

You must add hashtags to the article before you publish it. Once it’s published, you can’t edit or remove them or add more.

Open your draft article on the LinkedIn Publishing tool.

Click Publish at the top of the page.

A pop-up window will appear.

Type in all the relevant hashtags that will tell readers what your article is about.

The hashtags won’t be included in your article, but when someone searches for that word or phrase on LinkedIn, your article will appear.

The hashtags will also be included in the commentary that’s above your article in the LinkedIn feed.

Including images and video in your LinkedIn article

Articles with images engage far more readers than articles without images.

Research conducted by Buzzsumo.com revealed that articles with pictures every 75-100 words received twice as many shares as articles with fewer images.

Cover images

You can add a cover image at the top of your article by clicking in the space above the headline and uploading the image from your computer.

A 2000 x 600-pixel image is the optimal cover photo size that LinkedIn recommends.

Be aware that, in large pictures, a lot of the image may be lost when your latest article appears on your LinkedIn profile.

Choose an image that has the most important visual at its centre.

Once you’ve added your image, the LinkedIn Publishing tool gives you the options to position it or delete it.

There’s also a field beneath the positioning and delete buttons where you can add a photo credit and caption.

You can create your own cover images in Photoshop or use a graphic design site like Canva.

If you don’t have a cover image you can use, stock photo sites like Shutterstock and Unsplash have a wide range of royalty-free stock images you can choose from.

Alternatively, sites like Flickr.com/creativecommons offer copyrighted images that you can use for free but under certain restrictions.

Look for an image that’s so compelling people will want to click on it when it appears in their LinkedIn feed.

Make sure it visualises what your article is actually about.

Don’t use a cute cat for your cover image, and when people click on it, they discover your article is all about how the Hadron Collider could open up a black hole that will swallow the universe.

However, if your article is about how the Hadron Collider could produce a cute cat that will swallow the universe, you might be on slightly safer ground.

It’s still a bit shaky, though.

Embedding images and video within the body of your LinkedIn article

To add an image or video within your LinkedIn article, click the icon to the left of the article.

A pop-up window will appear that offers options for adding images, video, slides, links, or even small pieces of code.

The file size limit for images you can add to your articles is 10MB, and the LinkedIn Publishing tool supports the JPG, static GIF, and PNG file formats.

You can add multimedia elements anywhere in your article by clicking the icon. LinkedIn doesn’t allow you to copy and paste.

End your LinkedIn article with a Call to Action

Every LinkedIn article should end with a call to action.

If it’s longer than 1000 words, some writers recommend including two or three additional calls to action throughout the body of the article, but only if that’s appropriate.

Just like links, hyperlinks, and tricksy formatting (which we’ll mention in a moment), it’s best not to overdo it.

As a general rule, including a single call to action at the end of your article is the accepted way to go.

A call to action can be many things.

·       You could gently ask the reader to take a course of action (i.e. ‘Now that we’ve talked about the benefits of recycling, why don’t you start recycling too?’)

·       You could set them a question to think about (i.e. ‘What’s the biggest bad habit that’s preventing you from achieving your dreams? How will you overcome it?’)

·       You could ask them to get in touch with you and encourage them to find out more about what you do.

The call to action is also where you can add links to your website, social media, or podcast.

It could even be as basic as inviting people to share, comment, or like your article.

What’s the purpose of a Call to Action?

The role of a call to action is to increase engagement with your audience, so they’ll keep returning to your profile and eventually want to get in contact to learn more.

Arguably, it’s the major reason why you wrote your article in the first place, otherwise what was the point?

That’s why getting everything that comes before the call to action right, especially the topic, the headline, and the introduction, are so essential.

Do a final formatting check

Formatting your article correctly will make it much easier to read.

It also means the reader won’t be overwhelmed by a barrage of text and information, which is especially important if they’re looking at your article on a mobile app.

While you’re making your final edit and double-checking that your writing is the best it can be, pay attention to how your article looks on the screen.

Watch out for blocks of text and shorten any paragraphs that are too long.

Adding subheadings and bullet/number points to break the content up and give it variety will improve readability.

You could also emphasise notable parts of the text by using bold type, italics, or underlining.

Don’t overdo it. A little bit of formatting goes a long way.

For that same reason, don’t use different fonts in your article unless there’s a genuine reason for it.

An example of this might be, ‘I always recommend using Calibri 11pt in a Word doc because I once used ALGERIAN 14pt IN A WHITE PAPER AND IT WAS A BAD IDEA. You can probably see why.’

A final tip: How many times in your article do you say “I” or “Me”?

Count them.

If your article has more references to yourself (“Me”) than references to the reader (“You”), change them.

You’re not writing for you; you’re writing for your reader.

Too many “I” or “Me” is a big flashing warning sign that the balance of your article is off, and that’s almost certainly because you’ve been writing about a topic that interests you but isn’t relevant to your audience.

If you can’t change the “Me” to “You”, look very closely at what your article is about.

Is there a way you can reframe it so that you can keep the essence of what you’ve written but adjust the topic so that your reader will find it interesting too?

If not, this is the time to reluctantly put the article aside until you’ve found a solution.

Don’t beat yourself up about it. It happens to all of us from time to time.

Start work on a news article and leave your unconscious mind to mull over your current article’s problems.

You’ll solve them eventually. No writing is ever a waste of time.

How to publish a LinkedIn article

Now that you’ve completed your edit and finished all your checks, it’s time to publish your LinkedIn article.

As you were writing your article, LinkedIn automatically saved it as a draft. To publish it, just click Publish at the top of the page.

Hold on for a second, though.

If you’re still not sure about releasing your hard work into the wide world, and you’d like a few people to preview your LinkedIn article before it goes live, the ‘Share Draft’ option on the LinkedIn Publishing tool will let you do it.

Be careful, though.

Once you’ve sent your test readers the preview link, there’s nothing to prevent them from sharing your article with other people.

This might sound like over-cautious advice, but only share your article with people you trust.

When you’re ready to go, just click Publish!

By the way, if you don’t have time to write your article in one sitting, LinkedIn Publishing has a hack for that too.

When you’re ready to resume, open up LinkedIn Publishing, click the More button (it’s next to the Publish button) and then view the options to see all the articles and drafts you’ve saved.

Find the draft you want to work on and start writing.

How to share a LinkedIn article

Now you’ve published your article, you’ll want people to read it.

Click the Share button at the bottom of your article, and LinkedIn will show you your options.

Don’t forget to share your article on your personal LinkedIn feed.

Also, if you haven’t already added hashtags, this is the time to do it.

Hashtags will help to increase your article’s reach and vastly improve its staying power.

In the years to come, when you’ve written so many articles that this one has long been forgotten, you never know who might search on one of those hashtags and discover your genius?!

Ensure your LinkedIn profile is set to Public (you’ll find this option in your LinkedIn privacy settings) because that will increase your article’s visibility.

Click on your profile photo, select Privacy Settings, and click on Edit Your Public Profile.

On the next page, check that your profile’s public visibility is set to On and that the Articles and Activity setting is set to Show.

You can also share your article on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and in an email newsletter.

Another tip is to keep re-sharing your LinkedIn article on your news feed to increase its lifespan.

Every time you post, find a new angle to focus on so that people who previously overlooked the article will realise there’s something in it that’s relevant to them.

Don’t just regurgitate the same post repeatedly because a) that’s lazy, and b) it’s a guaranteed way to irritate people and lose you followers.

How to analyse the performance of your LinkedIn article

Whenever someone clicks on your article to read it, that counts as receiving a view.

To find out how your article is performing, click on your profile photo, select View My Profile, and scroll down to Articles and Activity.

Once there, click on See All Articles to see how many times it’s been viewed and reshared and the people who have looked at it.

No one else has access to this data, and it lets you see how well your message is working, who’s engaging with your message, and – if your message isn’t working – it indicates there’s something you may need to change.

Summing up

Many people underestimate the value of writing an article on LinkedIn, and that’s a mistake.

LinkedIn articles may not get the same view numbers as LinkedIn posts, but that’s because all someone has to do to view a post is scroll past it and not even read it at all!

That means, even though you’ll almost certainly see a lot more view numbers for your posts than for your articles, that doesn’t mean people have actually looked at them.

Every time you write a LinkedIn article, you’re building your authority and credibility and establishing yourself as a trusted expert in the eyes of the readers who matter.

When one person views your article, you’ll know it’s because something about it has piqued their interest.

When a hundred people view your post, that could simply mean they scrolled past your post while looking for an article they did want to read that was created by somebody else.

Writing a LinkedIn article is a terrific way to stand out from the crowd, get your voice heard and your brand seen.

With this How to post an article on LinkedIn guide, you’ll quickly be able to increase your content footprint and do precisely that.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post How To Post An Article On LinkedIn appeared first on Class:PR.

Using a well-crafted Linkedin headline (profile) you can position yourself as a thought-leader and industry expert, right in front of your target audience.

This is how you create a winning LinkedIn headline.

For many PR professionals, or people looking for public relations jobs, LinkedIn is the place to build their personal brand.

Others use it as part of their public relations campaign for clients, maximising the potential for getting important brand messaging out there.

There are so many ways to use the platform and your profile to stand out and get noticed. Plus, given how many people use LinkedIn, it’s a vital place to be present and active.

The best thing? It’s free PR and most of your media list will be on there too.

However, if you want to make an impact straight away, you need to make sure your LinkedIn headline stands out. It should be an attention grabbing headline for all the right reasons.

As one of the most visible parts of your profile, the LinkedIn headline needs to be perfect – it’s just as important as knowing how to post an article on LinkedIn.

In this guide, we are going to take you through the best practices for LinkedIn headlines.

You’ll discover what they are, how to use them and some valuable tips on things to avoid.

Follow our advice and you can turn a drab LinkedIn headline into a winning piece of digital collateral for your marketing communications.

What is a LinkedIn headline?

 Go to your LinkedIn profile, or look at someone else’s if you haven’t set one up yet.

You’ll notice that just under your picture and name (or the profile owner’s picture and name) there is a space – of 120 characters – where you can describe what you do. This is your LinkedIn headline.

Your LinkedIn headline is the most visible part of your profile, aside from your photo and name. Given how prominent it is, you must make sure you use the space effectively.

Many people simply put their current job in their LinkedIn headline, but that’s a mistake. While it’s good to use job title keywords or namecheck a well-known and respected company, it’s a real waste of the space.

We are going to show you how to use this part of your profile to catch people’s attention, engage your target market and make an impact straight away.

Why do you need a LinkedIn headline?

 Your LinkedIn headline tells people what you do – but it can be used to communicate so much more.

The critical thing about your LinkedIn headline is that people will see it in multiple areas of the platform.

First off, it’s in the top-half of your profile.  When people visit, they will see it without having to scroll down the page, so it’s prime digital real estate.

It’s not just on your profile, but when you create a post, it’ll appear at the top, under your name. If you comment on somebody else’s content, it’ll show up again.

When you publish a LinkedIn article, it is displayed at the top as part of the author details. If someone tags you, their readers will see it too.

Given how visible and vital it is, this is not space to waste on your LinkedIn profile. Use it to communicate the most important things people should know about you and your work.

With smart content you can utilise it to achieve your PR goals and strengthen your personal brand.

The benefits of LinkedIn for PR

LinkedIn is the social media platform for professionals to share ideas and make connections. It’s business networking online, so you want to make a good impression.

LinkedIn gives you a platform to talk about your industry, your work and provide comment and advice on key issues.

Many business leaders use it as a place to communicate their latest thinking with a wide audience.

Being a thought-leader is great for your business. You can become well-known in your industry as an expert with your finger on the pulse. Plus, you can make yourself relevant in the big conversations happening in your area.

Remember, anyone can find content on LinkedIn by connecting and/or following professionals and companies. They can also search for keywords that relate to the areas you are interested in.

In PR terms, this is solid gold.

With so much opportunity for exposure, your LinkedIn headline need to work for you. It should communicate your work and deliver impact straight away.

The LinkedIn headline limit of 120 characters is a blessing – it forces you to be concise and targeted.

What should I include in my LinkedIn headline?

There are four things you need to ask yourself when you are crafting your LinkedIn headline.

1. What is your USP
2. Who is your target audience?
3. Which keywords are most important?
4. What should people know about me?

Let’s break them down.

1. What’s your USP?

Unless you have a job that is totally unique, it’s likely that plenty of other people hold the same title.

If you are Head of Sales or Marketing Manager, you know there are many professionals in the same roles. They’ll also be writing those job titles in their LinkedIn headlines.

This is where you need to be clever to stand out. You need to figure out what makes you different.

What benefits do you customers get from working with you? What is the measurable goal you provide?

Instead of simply describing your job, you can showcase what your work means to your clients. By highlighting the benefits of working with you, you can attract new leads and boost your reputation.

So, what is it that makes you unique?

Let’s look at some clever people who are already making the most of their LinkedIn headline.

Jen Selter is a social media influencer with a huge audience and a terrific grasp of PR. She knows how to tell people exactly why they should want to work with her.

You’ll notice that in her LinkedIn headline, Jen is all about measurable results. She explains exactly how many followers she has and the growth rate of her social media channels.

For people wanting to work with her, it’s a no-brainer. That kind of reach and influence is exactly what any brand or advertiser would be looking for.

For influencer marketing projects, Jen is a no-brainer.

Jen has also included her job title – ‘Social Media Influencer’, the name of her company – ‘Jen Selter, Inc’ and another keyword – ‘Entrepreneur’.

Nobody could be in any doubt of why they should work with Jen, what she can offer and the PR value of her platforms. It’s one of the best public relations examples.

Now we’ve looked at Jen’s LinkedIn headline, let’s think about yours.

What is the value that you provide to your target market? What benefit will they get from working with you? Can you offer them measurable results?

If somebody asked you to sum up your USP in a single sentence what would it be?

Let’s look at another example, one that isn’t even real but proves the point concisely.

We need to talk about Han Solo’s LinkedIn headline.

If you’ve seen the Star Wars films, you know that Han Solo is a man who is not afraid to blow his own trumpet. However, he does have good reason to be proud of himself. If we avoid the bluster and stick to the facts, his LinkedIn headline will be pretty impressive.

Let’s consider what the best use of that space would mean for his personal PR.

Han Solo’s LinkedIn headline should read like this.

Pilot of fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy | Did the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs | Decorated Rebellion General

We all know that Han Solo’s Kessel Run record is his proudest achievement, but it’s also measurable because we know how many parsecs he travelled. Who else can make such a claim?

He also mentions his medals from the Rebel Alliance. We assume Han doesn’t want to work with imperials these days, so he’s narrowing his target market perfectly here.

So, it’s time to ask the question:

2. Who is your target market?

Identifying and showcasing your USP is vital, but you should also know who you are targeting.

Are you trying to attract potential clients, are you trying to recruit new staff members, or do you have another purpose?

Whatever your PR goal is, you should try to incorporate it into your LinkedIn headline.

Let’s look at a professional who has done that brilliantly. Meet Shay Rowbottom.

Shay knows exactly who her profile is targeted at. She provides video coaching for individuals and companies. Those people will benefit from working with her because her work helps ‘generate growth, leads, and revenue on LinkedIn’.

This LinkedIn headline is clear. Work with Shay and you or your workforce can become ‘content creating machines’.

There’s no ambiguity about who she is speaking to and what she wants them to do. Shay is looking for leads and she wants them to DM her.

If she was trying to recruit people to join her company, she’d no doubt be adding in a ‘We’re hiring’ message in this space. So, if that’s part of your PR efforts on LinkedIn, be specific.

Whatever action you want your profile visitor to take, you should include it in your LinkedIn headline.

If you are a parenting expert who deals with sleep deprived toddlers, you might want to appear on more podcasts talking about your specialism.

Your LinkedIn headline would be the perfect place to make that fact known.

Here’s an example of how you could use it:

Sleep Expert for babies and toddlers | Featured in Red, Mother & Baby and The Telegraph | Seeking new media opportunities

In this LinkedIn headline we’ve covered a lot of ground. We’ve got your job title, the area you specialise in, big brands who can add social proof to your work, and a direct request.

You’ve name-checked brands people have heard of for social proof. You’ve made a direct request.

Plus, you’ve made it easy for people searching for sleep experts who deal with childhood sleep problems with your keywords.

Speaking of keywords, that’s the next consideration.

3. Which keywords are most important?

Remember that people are searching on LinkedIn using keywords related to the industry or roles they are interested in.

So, you need to make sure that it’s easy for the right people to find you. That’s why you must include the right keywords in your LinkedIn headline.

There are three categories of keywords you need to think about. Firstly, the keywords around your job title.

As a Marketing Consultant you might be interested in being contacted by people looking to recruit a Marketing Consultant in their business. So, you want to ensure the job title keywords are in there.

However, we all know that Marketing Consultant isn’t specific enough when searching a social media platform as huge as LinkedIn.

So, you need to narrow it down. If you are a Marketing Consultant who works with retail businesses and specialises in working with fashion influencers be specific.

Your LinkedIn headline will read:

Freelance Marketing Consultant | Retail | I design campaigns for global brands using fashion influencers across North America and Europe.

By using all these keyword phrases you’ve made it much easier for someone searching for your skillset to find you.

Let’s take another example.

You are an Executive Coach who works with leaders in the software industry to help them develop and improve their business culture.

Your LinkedIn headline could read:

Executive Coach | I help software industry leaders develop a company culture that boosts morale, productivity and profits | Book Your Zoom Session Today

This headline uses the job title keywords for you and the clients you want to attract, as well as keywords relating to your offer.

A word of warning – be careful with the keywords you use. Make sure that your headline reads well, and the keywords make sense in the context you are using them.

Don’t just crowbar keywords in to try to pack your LinkedIn headline.

4. What should people know about me?

Your LinkedIn headline is not a place to boast, but it is a place to shine.

There’s a fine line between bragging about your achievements and letting people know what you’ve accomplished.

If you’ve made waves in your industry and got recognised for it, don’t be afraid to tell people.

Here’s a great example – meet Vincent Phamvan.

As you can see, Vincent has got two really good credits – he’s on the Forbes Council and one of the 40 under 40 influential young leaders as chosen by Fortune.

In his LinkedIn headline, Vincent has included those two pieces of information because they add valuable social proof.

Accolades from organisations like Forbes and Fortune tell you he’s successful, exciting and going places.

But Vincent hasn’t stopped there. He’s also made it crystal clear as to how the work he does benefits others.

He’s also used the LinkedIn headline to point visitors in the direction of his podcast, another piece of vital PR collateral.

Don’t be a bragger

This LinkedIn headline is concise, clever and targeted. Vincent has used the space brilliantly.

You’ll notice that Vincent has been very factual about his achievements and they check out. Sadly, some LinkedIn headlines are simply bragging.

You’ll find plenty of profiles where people describe themselves as the ‘best’ or ‘exceptional’ or a ‘gamechanger’ with nothing to back it up. Empty bragging like this won’t impress anyone.

Instead, you should concentrate on the achievements you can back up. Think about how you can prove your worth.

Let’s look at Goldie Chan.

Goldie Chan uses her LinkedIn headline to let people know that she’s a LinkedIn Top Voice in Social Media. She didn’t give that accolade to herself, it was bestowed by LinkedIn.

The next thing she mentions is that Forbes have featured her in their Personal Branding and Storytelling content.

Finally, she adds the ‘Producer’s Guild’ social proof to showcase that she’s part of a professional group that’s incredibly well respected.

Throughout her LinkedIn headline, Goldie uses social proof to demonstrate her competence.

In doing so, the people who visit her profile know that she’s the real deal, not a pretender.

Now, let’s think about your personal LinkedIn headline.

What are your professional achievements, who would vouch for you and what would that mean for your potential clients?

Have you got the backing of any high-profile brands?

Have you been featured in big-name publications or appeared on national or global media channels?

Do you belong to professional organisations that matter to your clients?

Have you won awards that your target market might have heard of?

Do you regularly produce a YouTube show, a podcast, a newsletter or blog that people can subscribe to?

Whatever it is that people need to know about you, try to include it in your headline.

Now it’s your turn… 

There you have it, a guide to making the most of your LinkedIn headline.

It’s now your chance to make sure you are using that space wisely.

All our tips will help you make sure LinkedIn is part of your Public Relations tool kit and featured on your PR plan. As a free platform with massive global reach, it’s well worth spending time on.

By crafting a LinkedIn headline that includes keywords, targeted messaging, and social proof, you can reach your PR goals.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

Good luck!

The post LinkedIn Headline: How To Write Yours In 4 Easy Steps appeared first on Class:PR.

Whether you’re appearing on TV, radio, on a hit podcast or answering questions from a print journalist, it’s essential for many public relations jobs.

Being media trained is as important as knowing how to write a press release or which press release template to use.

Being prepared for an interview will mean you communicate your key messages clearly, avoid getting dragged into tricky questions and saying something you’ll later regret, you’ll use the right tone for the interview, use the correct facial expressions and even wear the right clothes!

Remember, an effective media interview is as much about what you say as to how you say it.

If you’re ready to do this the right way then this is the media training guide for you.

Let’s get to it.

1. Should I give a media interview?

As important as media training is, not all media experiences are worth your efforts or the right thing to be doing. Before you leap in front of the cameras on behalf of your business first ask if this is actually the right course of action?

If the reason for the interview is to defend a negative story – one that attacks your business – then you may be better off issuing a written statement.

If your business has been hit by a reputational issue then the media may have already decided that you or your business is the villain of the piece.

Putting a spokesperson up for an interview when there is nothing to gain from doing so can risk making a bad situation worse as under pressure you could say something you later regret giving fresh fuel to the crisis.

In some crisis communication scenarios, a written statement can be the best course of action if you want to avoid an attention grabbing headline. 

2. Research your interviewer

Okay, so let’s assume that this is a positive opportunity for you and your business, first things first know a bit about who is interviewing you.

Look at the journalist’s previous interviews online and get a sense for the type of questions they like to ask. This is as simple as Googling the journalist’s name and looking for related stories. What do you think they would ask you?

If you know how to write a media pitch you’ll have a good idea of the types of question they will ask.

You can ask the journalist to send you a list of their questions in advance. Some will do this but most (especially the bigger media outlets) will not.

3. Prepare answers for the likely questions

You know why the journalist wants to interview you so make a list of all the likely questions they will ask so you can prepare some answers – that suit your agenda, not theirs.

A key part of researching the interviewer is also to get an understanding of their audience, and how best to draw them to your story. Like any type of training, media training takes work to perform well. Do the work and reap the rewards.

You’re not writing a script here – no one wants to hear robotic answers – but you are putting in your mind, in advance, the key points you would like to cover.

4. Know your key messages and facts

Fundamentally the media interview is an opportunity for you to market your product or service. This is free PR.

The journalist’s objective is to tell a newsworthy story – your objective is to use this exposure as a way to subtly convey the benefits of your business to your target audience.

Make a list of three key messages that you want to communicate in your answers.

These key messages may be:

1. Where people can get hold of your product/service – i.e. your web address.
2. The price of your product/service.
3. The launch date for your new product/service.
4. The comparative advantage of your product/service over that of a rival.

There are many more but knowing the key messages you want to get across will allow you to surreptitiously insert them into one of your answers.

The skill with a media interview is to be subtle.

If you start blathering on about how brilliant your business is the journalist will either not use the interview or edit it out. You’ve got to smuggle those key messages into the main story.

And crucially KNOW YOUR FACTS.

If there are likely to be statistical answers to some of the journalist’s questions know these by heart. Facts can help counter challenging questions.

Not knowing your facts can turn a public relations opportunity into a reputational nightmare.

5. Preparing to be on camera as part of your media training

One of the hardest things people tell me about media training is the ability to feel natural answering questions when you are on camera.

The answer is simple. Practice.

Set up a smartphone and get a colleague to ask you your pre-prepared questions then hit record.

There’s nothing like looking back on the footage to get a sense of what worked and what didn’t.

You might find that you; smiled too much, didn’t smile enough, waved your arms about manically, looked like a rabbit in the headlights, kept looking away from the interviewer (I’m so bored).

This is SUCH a useful exercise as you’ll see immediately what your natural tendencies are and from that you can refine your performance – because that is what it is, a performance.

Take a look at these public relations examples to see it done well.

6. Essentials of giving a media interview on camera

Now you know what your strengths and weaknesses are of being on camera here are the must-dos:

• Look directly at the interviewer when giving your answers, not into the lens of the camera – that looks very scary!
• Smile – as long as it’s an upbeat story – most people look too glum-faced and that distracts from the message you are trying to convey.
• Keep your answers succinct and to the point. Don’t waffle but equally don’t give monosyllabic answers.
• Listen to the question in full and then give YOUR answer. If you don’t like how the question has been framed then answer with something like:

“That’s an interesting point however I think the real issue here is ______”

“The more interesting question is ______.’

“What really matters is ______.”

“The most important issue is ______.”

• Avoid talking over the interviewer. That looks combative and defensive. Listen to their question, pause, and then give your considered response.
• Remember they will have an allotted period of time for this interview so if you don’t like the direction of the questions you can pad out your answers until the interview ends.
• Relax. Easier said than done but the preparation phase will help you be authentic so you can make the most of this opportunity.  Preparation really is the key to a winning public relations campaign.

7. Definite don’ts of a media interview

• Do not say ‘no comment’ it looks defensive and is tantamount to an admission of guilt
• Don’t ask to approve the interview before it is broadcast/published, the journalist will say ‘no’ and it will make you look like an amateur.
• Don’t walk out halfway through if you don’t like the questions – your hissy fit will become the story!

8. What to wear for a media interview

In 2019 you can’t assume that just because you’re giving a print interview you won’t be on camera, or at least pictured.

You may not be on the main BBC news but you’ll likely be on the journalist’s Twitter feed or perhaps YouTube channel.

That means you need to think about what you’re wearing – the clothes that most reflect you and the values of your brand.

This is really more of an issue if you’re the spokesperson for a ‘serious’ company such as a healthcare provider.

If you’re on camera talking about a serious health crisis then you probably don’t want to be in jeans and t-shirt. If you’re the latest tech startup then anything goes!

Think about your wardrobe and ask ‘is this appropriate for this interview, will I be proud when I see this media coverage?’.

Bringing it all together to complete your media training

So there you have it – essential media training advice to make sure that you can help a reporter out and know how to get a story on the local news, the national news and the biggest blogs and podcasts.

(PRO TIP: use a PR tool such as Response Source to increase the number of media interviews you can pitch for and have an up to date media list.)

Here are our Top 8 Media Training Tips:

• Research – know your interviewer and their media platform
• Prepare – know the questions you will face, even if it’s just for a simple awareness days type interview
• Key messages – know what YOU want to get across in the interview
• Facts – be armed with stats to back up your argument
• Skilful answers – acknowledge the question and give the answer YOU want to give
• No ‘no comments’ – don’t ever do this
• Camera etiquette – smile, look at your interviewer, give clear, concise answers
• Dress to impress – the right threads for the right occasion

Good luck with your next media interview – and make sure you capture it for posterity with one of the best media monitoring services.

And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.

Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.

The post 8 Quick Media Training Tips You Can Use Right Now appeared first on Class:PR.