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What to post on LinkedIn, and how long a post should be

By · Updated · 8 minute read

Illustration of a woman with a giant pencil writing a post, while ideas float towards it: a lightbulb, a comment, a star and a checklist

The short answer

Post about what you know that the people you want to reach would find useful: problems you solve, lessons you have learned, how you do your work, and your view on changes in your field. Stay on three or four subjects. A post can be up to 3,000 characters, but only the first two or three lines show before "see more", so the opening matters more than the length. Then let your own analytics show which subjects and formats your audience responds to.

Start with who it is for

The question "what should I post?" is easier to answer as "what would the people I want to reach find useful?" Picture one of them: a client, a hiring manager, a peer in your field. What do they struggle with that you know something about? That is your material.

Then choose three or four subjects and stay on them. People follow for more of the same, and a narrow range is what makes you known for something.

Ten kinds of post that work

When you are stuck, pick one of these and one of your subjects.

Kind of postA way to start
A lesson learned"Five years ago I would have done this differently."
A mistake"I got this wrong, and it cost us a month."
How to do something"Here is how we cut our reporting time in half, step by step."
An answer to a common question"A client asked me this again last week."
A view on a change in your field"Everyone is talking about this. Here is what I think they are missing."
Behind the scenes"This is what a normal Tuesday looks like in my job."
A result, and how it happened"We tried something small and it worked better than expected."
A checklist or template"The seven things I check before any proposal goes out."
A question for your audience"How do you handle this? I have seen three approaches."
Something you read, and what you took from it"One idea from this book changed how I run meetings."

Announcements, awards and job news have their place, but they interest the people who already know you. The kinds above are what bring in people who do not.

How to write a post

  1. Earn the next line. Only the first two or three lines show before "see more". Open with something specific: a number, a moment, a claim, a question the reader has asked themselves.
  2. Keep to one idea. If a post makes three points, it is three posts.
  3. Use short paragraphs. One or two sentences each, with space between. Most people read on a phone.
  4. Be specific. A real example, a real figure or a real conversation is more convincing than general advice.
  5. Finish with a point or a question. Tell the reader what you conclude, or ask what they would do. A real question gives people a reason to comment.
  6. Stay for the comments. Replying turns a post into a conversation, and conversations are where relationships start.

How long should a LinkedIn post be?

A post can be up to 3,000 characters, roughly 450 to 500 words. Within that, there is no ideal length. Short posts and long posts both do well, and the claims you will see for a perfect word count come from averages across other people's accounts.

Two things are more useful than a target length:

  • The opening carries the post. Whatever the length, the reader decides on the first lines. A long post with a strong opening is read; a short one with a weak opening is not.
  • Length should match the idea. A single observation needs four lines. A method with five steps needs room. Cut anything that is only there to fill space.

If you want to know what suits your audience, sort your own posts into short, medium and long, and compare the typical impressions and engagement rate of each group. You need five or so posts in each for the answer to mean anything.

Which format?

LinkedIn offers text posts, images, documents that readers swipe through (often called carousels), videos and polls. Each suits a different job: text for a story or an opinion, a document for steps or a checklist, an image for something that has to be seen, a poll for a quick question.

Which performs best varies by account, and it changes over time. Try each of the formats that fit your subject, then compare them in your own figures before settling on one.

Find what works for you

After a few months of posting, your own analytics are a better guide than any list, including this one.

  • Group your posts by subject and compare the typical impressions and engagement rate of each. Most people find one or two subjects their audience cares about far more than the rest.
  • Look at your best posts. Take the ones that reached one and a half times your typical post or more. What do they share: the subject, the opening, the format?
  • Rerun your hidden gems. A post that engaged a small audience unusually well is a good idea that deserves a second attempt.

See how to read your personal LinkedIn analytics, when and how often to post, and whether hashtags are worth adding.

What to leave out

  • Posts written for everyone. A post aimed at nobody in particular is read by nobody in particular.
  • Only talking about yourself. Share your news, but make most posts useful to the reader.
  • Borrowed content. Reposting other people's ideas without your own view gives no reason to follow you.
  • Bait. "Comment YES if you agree" may raise a number, but it tells you nothing about what your audience values.
  • Anything you would not say to a client's face. Your posts are read by the people you hope to work with.

Common questions

What should I post on LinkedIn?

Post what you know that would help the people you want to reach: a lesson from your work, a mistake and what it taught you, how to do something, or your view on a change in your field. Keep to three or four subjects so people know what to expect from you.

How long should a LinkedIn post be?

As long as the idea needs and no longer. There is no ideal length: short posts and long posts both do well. What matters is the first two or three lines, because that is all people see before deciding to read on.

How long can a LinkedIn post be?

Up to 3,000 characters, which is roughly 450 to 500 words.

How do I write a good LinkedIn post?

Open with a line that makes a specific person want the next one. Keep to one idea, write in short paragraphs, use a real example, and end with a question or a clear point. Then reply to the comments.

What should my first LinkedIn post be?

Say who you are, what you work on and what you plan to write about, then share one useful thing you have learned. It tells people what following you will bring, and it gives you a subject to return to.

See this in your own numbers

Postaboo turns the analytics file LinkedIn lets you download into a clear report, and keeps your history as it grows. Free, with no LinkedIn login.

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