Instagram

Today’s Topics - Optimization Techniques for Instagram

● Online free resources

● Important Stats
● Insta’s Algorithms (yes, plural:))
● Outdated Techniques
● Broadcast Channels
● Social Bookmarking
● Trending Sounds
● Trending Hashtags
● Social SEO
● Shareability
● Tools
Optional Resources - Instagram

★ Social Media Examiner

★ Tech Crunch
★ Search Engine Journal
★ Instagram’s Blog
★ Flick - Multi-Social Marketing Tool (YouTube)
★ Josh Ryan (YouTube)
Conversions on Instagram
Conversion rates range between 0.30% and
2.6% depending on reach
Brands with a higher reach on Instagram
tend to see a higher conversion rate.
Interestingly, the study found that reach
rate is higher for brands with a smaller
following size.

In fact, brands with fewer than 10,000

followers saw the highest conversion rate
(2.6%). Meanwhile, some of the
top-performing brands had an average
conversion rate of 1%.
How Instagram REELS differ from STORIES
Length: Reels are up to 90 seconds long – allowing users to share a “snippet” or quick idea. While each story is 15 seconds
in length, accounts can share multiple 15 second clips throughout the day – to tell a longer, more detailed “Story” (hence the
name)
Format: Instagram Reels are video only whereas Stories can include still images and posts from the Instagram feed
Captions and Hashtags: On Instagram Reels you can add a full caption - just as you would on an Instagram feed post - and
up to 30 hashtags. On Stories there is no caption and hashtags are limited to 10 per Story.
Engagement: Like feed posts, users can publicly comment on Reels, which is great for engagement. On Instagram Stories,
engagement comes in the form of direct messaging.
Lifespan: Unlike Instagram Stories, Reels do not disappear after 24 hours. Instead they are housed in a dedicated Reels tab
on your profile
Drafts: Users can create and save draft Reels to publish when they wish. This is great news if you like to batch your video
content
Editing: The Instagram Reels editor has additional features for filming and editing videos – such as the ability to slow down
or speed up clips, trim content and align or “stitch” videos together for smooth transitions
Audio focus: Similar to its rival, TikTok, Instagram Reels are very much based around music or audio. With Instagram Reels
users can select a music track to use from the library or record their own audio. What’s more, there is the ability to someone
else’s audio in your Reel – a feature many will recognise from TikTok
Placement: Reels can be found in multiple locations on the app: In the centralised Reels feed which can be accessed via the
main navigation menu, on the Explore tab (public accounts only), on individual users’ profiles once they create their first Reel
and via search; search by keyword or hashtag to see related Reels. Reels can also be found via the main feed and may be
shared to the Instagram Stories.
Shopping on Instagram
70% of shoppers look to Instagram for their next purchase.

Internal Instagram data reveals that 70% of shoppers look to the platform for their next purchase. Meaning
this is where people go to find purchase inspiration and discover new products.

Following and researching brands is the second most popular activity.

The DataReportal study from earlier found that many users follow and research brands and products on
Instagram. It’s the second most popular activity on the platform with 62.3% of users engaging in it. So there’s
a good opportunity to attract followers who want to hear what your brand has to say.
Optimization Techniques for Instagram
Staying on top of the updates on the Instagram Algorithm.
Changes are being made continually to help enhance the user experience, and also to help
businesses connect with their customers in a more meaningful way, not to mention boost
advertising revenue.
As marketing professionals, we need to better understand how the algorithms and the social
media space, and tech, in general, is evolving and what that means for our career path, the
businesses we engage with or work on behalf of, and profiles and present and future social
media strategies.
Required video: (In Class)
Instagram Algorithm Changes You Need To Know About 2023 - YouTube
 Did you know?
Instagram’s algorithm is many algorithms (not one), and has processes that come
together to customize the content each Instagram user sees.

Why does Instagram employ algorithms? Because each individual is different,

each Instagram user should see content that matches their interests.

This is what Instagram hopes to achieve through ranking – a personalized

experience that keeps users engaged with the Instagram platform for more
extended periods.
 Stories
When you open the Instagram app, the first thing you see at the top is a row of the latest Stories from
accounts you follow.
To determine which Stories appear first, Instagram analyzes all of the Stories by those you follow from
the last 24 hours. The goal is to decide which Stories you will most likely be interested in through proxies
(guesses).

Instagram wants to predict which stories you will likely open, reply to, react to, or like.

Instagram uses signals to make different predictions based off of the previous interactions you’ve had
with Stories. The top signals that affect the order of Stories in your Instagram app include the following:
● How often you view Stories from an author (account/creator).
● How frequently you interact with Stories from an author.
● How close you are to an author based on how many times you’ve messaged them.
Instagram hopes that ranking Stories through personalized proxies, signals, and predictions will
ultimately place Stories first from the people you care about most.
The Feed
The Instagram Feed aims to catch users up with the best content posted, since they last used the app.

It will include a mix of content from those you follow, plus Instagram accounts you might be interested in based on a
series of predictions.

These predictions are based on the following top signals:

● How likely you are to comment, like, or share the post

● How likely you are to tap on the profile.
● How much time you are likely to spend on the post.

Instagram uses your history of interactions, the popularity of the post, information about the author, and how often
you’ve interacted with the author to determine the order in which content appears.

You can shape the content of your Feed by designating your favorite accounts, which would place posts from those
accounts at the top of the Feed. You can also switch to the Following Feed, which will only show posts from accounts
you follow chronologically.
 Personalize your Feed and Stories
Add accounts to your Favorites list to make sure you don’t miss their content. New posts from your Favorites will appear
higher in your Feed. You can also customize your feed to only show content from your Favorites or from accounts you
follow (Following will show you the last 30 days of posts from those you follow in chronological order).

If you just want a break from recommendations, you can also snooze all suggested posts in your feed for 30 days. Learn
more here.

Pick your Close Friends. You can select your close friends for Stories. This was designed as a way to let you share with
just the people closest to you.

Mute people you’re not interested in. You can mute an account’s Feed posts, Stories, Messages, or Notes if you’d like to
stop seeing what they share, but are hesitant about unfollowing them entirely. This way, people don’t know you’ve muted
them.

To stop seeing posts from an account, you can unfollow that account at any time. People won’t be notified when you
unfollow them.

Respond to surveys from Instagram. We send surveys to people asking “is this post worth your time?” and use learnings
from these surveys to help improve our recommendations overall.
 Reels
The goal of Instagram Reels is to entertain users. Instagram serves Reels primarily from accounts you do
not follow.
First, Instagram looks at the Reels you have interacted with in the past and Reels liked by other users
similar to you.
Next, it guesses which Reels you will most likely watch until the end, share with friends, or visit the audio
page for your content creation efforts.
To make these recommendations, Instagram analyzes the (the user’s) history of the Reels you’ve
watched, information about the Reel, information about the author of the Reel, and how often you’ve
interacted with the author.
This is combined to create an immersive, entertaining, and delightful tab.
Reels Cont’d

Reels are unusual because they show up in multiple spots on your profile.
They're saved on the Reels tab; they're shown in your main grid with your feed
posts; and you can choose to post them to Stories, as well. There is a lot of
opportunity here.
Can you think of some of the favorite reels that you have seen?
Why are they your favorite? Do they share some similarities, or not?
Apps - Getting Creative

Reels have full access to editing features, including special effects, instant
airbrushing, and split-screen filming.

You can create videos up to 60 seconds long—although for a lot of video content,
briefer is better.

Which ones have

you tried?
Required viewing: Reels for Beginners and Intermediate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waIb1rTz14g

Using Canva and Pexels

Outdated Techniques

Staying on top of the latest and greatest updates on marketing and advertising on
Instagram can be confusing, time consuming, and overwhelming, but it does not
have to be.

This video takes the guesswork out of veering away from outdated optimization
techniques on this social media platform.

Required video: (In Class)

The Secret to Finding Trending Instagram Reels Sounds (FAST) - YouTube
Trending Sounds

Required video: (In Class)

The Secret to Finding Trending Instagram Reels Sounds (FAST) - YouTube
What are Broadcast Channels (aka Channels)
It is time to take advantage of Instagram Broadcast Channels, if you haven’t already.

Launched in Feb 2023, FB announced Instagram Broadcast Channels allow creators to send one-way messages to channel
members (your Instagram followers or paid subscribers) with text, photos, video, polls, and voice messages.

While Instagram can be accessed on a desktop browser, Instagram Broadcast Channels are only available in the Instagram
app.

New Experimental Features

In parallel to the gradual global rollout, Instagram announced experimental features, including the following:

● Question prompts for collecting feedback and AMA content.

● A dedicated tab in the inbox for easier access and discovery of joined and new channels.
● Collaborators to invite guests on your broadcast channel.
● Expiration dates and times for broadcasts.
● Addition of content moderators.
● Preview links to share with followers to encourage them to join a channel.
What makes Instagram’s Broadcast Channels appealing…..

Instagram’s global rollout of Broadcast Channels represents a substantial update, offering creators a new
means of breaking past the Instagram algorithm and reaching their audience through various content
forms, but they are one way only, unless you have invited someone to interact with your announcements,
like Mark Zuckerberg inviting the CEO of Instagram on the Meta Broodcast Channel (next slide). As of
June 2023, this feature is being rolled out globally.

Whether you are a creator looking to engage your audience or a user seeking to join channels of interest,
this feature enhances the Instagram app experience, further emphasizing Instagram’s commitment to
fostering community engagement and providing creators with the tools they need to succeed.

Let’s learn more: What Are Instagram Broadcast Channels? Everything You Need To Know | Social Media
Beginners Guide - YouTube
Channels Cont’d
The feature lets creators share public, one-to-many messages to directly engage with their followers.
Channels support text, images, polls, reactions and more. Zuckerberg announced the feature by starting
his own broadcast channel, where he plans to share Meta updates going forward.

Instagram is starting to test channels with a select creators in the U.S. today, and plans to expand the
feature in coming months. Creators can use broadcast channels to help followers stay updated and see
behind-the-scenes moments. Instagram notes that only creators can post in broadcast channels, and that
followers only have the ability to react to content and participate in polls.

In the coming months, Instagram plans to add more features to broadcast channels, such as the ability to
bring another creator into the channel to discuss upcoming collabs and collect questions for an AMA via
question prompts.
Channels Cont’d

The new feature gives creators a new way to update their followers within the app.
In the past, creators have usually posted a story to share news and updates with
their followers, but they now have the option to use a more direct way to engage
with their fans.

The feature also lets creators get feedback on certain things and promote their
content.
How to find it?

To find Instagram Broadcast Channels, go to your direct message inbox in the

Instagram app and use the search bar. This will allow you to search by keyword or
view suggested channels based on those you follow and your interests.

If the account owner enabled it, you could also see channels listed on account
profiles below the bio.
Setup - Insta Broadcast Channel
To create a channel, go to your direct message inbox in the Instagram app and tap the icon to
write a new message.

There, you should see the option to create a broadcast channel, with an option to set for
followers or paid subscribers, plus it can be displayed for promotional purposes or hidden.

When you create a channel, remember that your followers or paid subscribers will be notified
about it. Ensure your first broadcast is geared towards getting people excited about the content
you will share in this space to increase the chances that they’ll join your channel.

Note that hiding the channel does not make it private.

 SEO, Social and Bookmarking
A social bookmarking website is a platform that allows users to store and share internet bookmarks. So these
can be links to websites. And these includes platforms such as Reddit, Pinterest, and Dig. So an upvote is when
users of a social bookmarking website actually vote up a link. So the more upvotes a particular link gets, then
the more popularity that particular post has and the more exposure and the more people potentially can see that
particular post. These social bookmarking websites can help your website to gain traffic. Tons of votes means
that a particular bookmark will be attracting a lot of traffic organically from that particular bookmarking website.

And even better, it helps to improve SEO!

A page with tons of upvotes by a lot of users is also an indicator (“signal”) to a platform such as Google, Yahoo,
and Bing, that this specific page is our popular one, and in turn, this can positively impact the pages search
engine results. So if a page is getting a lot of upvotes and a lot of people are interacting with that particular page
on the social bookmarking website, then the major search engines can see these links being shared and being
upvoted. And this can increase the authority of that page and in turn have potentially help that page to rank
higher in the search engines and attribute more authority to that website in general.
Upvote on Reddit or Quora - Example

Upvotes show that redditors think content is positively contributing to a

community or the site as a whole.

Downvotes mean redditors think that content should never see the light of day. If
you like something, be it a post or a comment, and you think it contributes to a
conversation, upvote it!
Instagram Bookmarking
Back in 2017, Instagram launched a bookmarking feature called “collections,” which allows users to organize the
posts they save into private groupings for easier access. Now, Instagram is introducing a new feature that lets users
create collections with their friends.

The social network told TechCrunch in an email that it’s rolling out “collaborative collections,” a way for people to
connect with friends over their shared interests by saving posts to a collaborative collection in their group chat or a
one-on-one DM. In other words, you can now share posts with a friend or a group of friends and save them in a
dedicated space.

The new feature could be seen as a way for Instagram to rival Pinterest, which has offered a “Group boards” feature
since 2018, letting users collaborate with each other on the platform.

“Now when you go to save a piece of content on Feed or from your DMs, you’ll see a new option to create a
collaborative collection,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri said on Wednesday in the IG Updates Channel on Instagram.
“From there you can give the collection a custom name and share the collection with your friends. Once they receive it,
your friends can start adding content from reels, Explore, Feed and DMs to the collection as well.”
Required Reading - Trending Hashtags

https://www.mentionlytics.com/blog/instagram-trending-hashtags/
What is Linktree?
Linktree allows you to create a personalized and customizable page that houses all the important links that you want to
share with your audience. It's a link-in-bio solution that can be used on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitch,
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more.
 Tools
Instagram offers multiple opportunities for you to post different types of content.

Firstly, I want to speak about stories. They last for 24 hours, and someone can click on your profile to view your latest
story. You can actually save your stories as well. So though they only last for 24 hours, you can save them and
categorize your stories here for people to catch up with later on down the line. So the story will stay after 24 hours if
you decide to save your stories here. You also want to ensure that your bio actually features your company name….
And you have the opportunity to leave a little bio, too. I highly recommend using that to tell people about what it is that
you do and what it is that you offer.

You have an opportunity to leave one link inside your Instagram bio. Be sure to choose that link carefully!

The link could go to a specific page where people can access other links, as well. Linktree is super useful for this. If
and when someone clicks on that link, it takes them to a page where they can access other pages that are important
as well, including my YouTube channel or my LinkedIn Learning courses, so on and so forth.

We can have different types of content you can post on Instagram. You have the single image where you can literally
just post one image like this, for example, or you also have the opportunity to post a carousel of images, it could be
multiple images. This is great for e-commerce as well, if you want to showcase multiple products, and people can slide
through the different images in one post.
Linktree
Boost Shareability

Great content can take time. Aside from creating great content, we want to share
on the right days at the right time, for our community.
Plus, we want to create content that is super shareable. This can involve creating a
mix of niche content and super viral content that target a much broader audience.
This content could be further shared to the established audience of your followers
on Instagram, and other social channels.

https://www.canva.com/learn/10-instagram-stories-ideas-business/
Boost Shareability Cont’d

Because every Creator and audience is different, it’s important to experiment to see
what content will drive the most engagement from your audience.
Use Insights to reveal trends that will allow you to improve the overall quality and
user engagement with your content.
Collaborate with other popular Creators in your niche to reach new audiences with
original content.
Review your Account Status to ensure you’ve taken the steps necessary to follow
Community Guidelines and remove any limitations to your visibility.
Aim to create original content as opposed to aggregating content from others.
 Getting help from the Competition ? Huh?
1. Make a list of your top five competitors and the social media channels you both are on. Where are your
competitors online? If you’re on the same channels that means that you’re directly competing with
them for traffic.
2. Take a look at the last six months of content they’ve published. This will involve a lot of scrolling. Are
they publishing blog posts, videos, or some other type of content? What types of content are you
publishing that are similar to theirs?
3. Note content that has gotten high engagement on each channel. Take note of the types of content that
are doing best, and what seems to be falling flat.
4. Use their high engagement content to inspire your own content. By seeing what your intended
audience is already reacting to, you can take those conceptions and make them your own. Take what
your competitors are writing about and make it 10x better. Make your audience see that you are the
best option.
Leaning on your Audience for your Content Creation
Here’s an interesting tactic from the team at Databox.

They regularly invite email subscribers to take part in research surveys to get marketer’s thoughts on a variety of
topics. They collect the results, analyze them and then collect quotes to include in blog posts, which they
subsequently promote all over social media.

Participants get some exposure and a backlink, and they’re naturally incentivized to share that content.

How does this work:

● Email your list asking if recipients would like to take part in a survey. Make sure to mention what’s in it
for them (a backlink and a mention in the post).
● Write a blog post about that topic. And incorporate quotes and findings from the responses you
receive.
● Contact everyone mentioned in the post thanking them for their participation. In your email, encourage
them to share the piece too.
Shareable = Relatable

Connect through a basic human experience.

People use social media for personal expression. So create content that helps
them express themselves. This example from SEGA plays off a common anxiety
people experience while working in some humor. Of course people will want to
share something like that:
Suspense + Anticipation = Shareable

People love to say they were the first to hear about something because they love
to self-promote or give people the illusion they are extra special or have extra
special access that other do not...

Creatively hype your next launch (whether that’s a product, feature, service, or
something else) in a way that gets people talking. This example from Netflix
makes inventive use of emojis to get people talking about an upcoming show:
Emotion = Shareable

This is a big one. As much as credibility can help keep your campaign fend off
trolls, remember that people have an innate desire to make a personal connection
with content, regardless of their opinion. An emotional connection is essential in
order to drive shares, and one of the biggest goals for marketers today is to help
brands create messages that people want to share.
Thankfully, we humans have a significantly wide range of emotions that marketing
professionals or content marketers can (and should) tap into, as illustrated in
these three campaigns:
The “ick” factor was palpable in the hotel campaign, and it’s something everyone
can relate to – aiding in both natural syndication and social shares.
Tools

Required reading:

https://socialmarketingwriting.com/ig-tools/
 Using Tools - In Class Exercise
Using Canva to create beautiful, eye catchy posts or video content to post on your channel, or profile
etc….
In Class exercise: Choose one of the following companies and research their profile on Instagram
and their activities. Suggest and design a compost, with the help of Canva, that they have never tried
out before. It needs to be completely original, on all fronts- the profile you choose for the co post, the
design, wording, images, video etc. What kind of results can we expect from this co post? Identify
and explain the KPIs you are focused on for brand awareness, and the projected increase you expect
from this co post.
Reminder: Instagram announced Collab posts in late 2021 and said the feature would allow for two
accounts to share a Feed post or Reel. The original author can tag another account to become a
collaborator, or co-author, which allows the post to be posted from two accounts. Sometimes this is
called a co post. In summary, this is a single, co-created Feed Post or Reel that shows up on two
profiles at the same time. One person makes the post and invites a second person to collaborate.
Once they accept, the post and its comments, likes and shares are shared by both accounts.
LinkedIn
Marketing with LinkedIn
It was launched back in 2003 and is focused on career networking, building, and sharing. The
channel or social media platform allows you to connect and share different types of content with
other professionals including colleagues, potential employers, business partners, competitors, new
employees, and customers and leads.

Not only can it help you find your next job, but it can also provide you with great competitive
analysis, updates on specific industries, and learn more about your new boss or co workers, make a
new hire or leverage data to build out your social media strategy for your own business. There’s a lot
to discover on this B2B social media platform. You can create a company page and/or have your
own personal profile (as a student, part time or full time employee and/or volunteer or freelance).
Ready to take the plunge?
Benefit to Marketing Professionals
Ability to market your company and/or personal brand to a vast amount of companies and working
professionals

Access to job posts and recruiters and recruiting companies/agencies

Find, develop and nurture on going relationship that will enhance your life professionally, psychologically
and your education and skills etc.

Allows marketing professionals to collaborate with the HR department (in house), to promote company
culture, organization and news etc.

Optional reading:
https://www.linkedin.com/business/marketing/blog/content-marketing/why-hr-is-the-new-marketing
Benefit to Marketing Professionals

● Build Relationships with other Professionals

● Give Recommendations to Earn Recommendations
● Subscribe to Industry-Specific Channels
● Connect with Industry Influencers, comment on their post and engage with
other commenters
● Join a few Groups and engage in them instead of joining 50 Groups
● Share Updates at least once or twice a week
● Add "People You May Know" to expand your network
 Fun Fact
Growing your professional network on LinkedIn is also straightforward. However, a lot of people get this wrong.

Review your persona, and use these insights to create a list of firms where you’d like to make a connection. You can use
tools like Google My Business to find relevant firms or create your shortlist from a site like the Inc 5,000. It all depends on
the type of businesses you are targeting.

Once you’ve created your list, you need to identify who in the company you should target. Thankfully, searching for
people on LinkedIn is straightforward.

1. Search for the name of the company on LinkedIn

2. Look up the position of the person you want to target
3. Send your connection request

Over time, LinkedIn will restrict what you can see when you do searches through LinkedIn. They want you to upgrade to
LinkedIn Premium.

There’s an easy workaround, though, if you want to avoid paying this fee. Simply head over to Google and search for:
site:LinkedIn COMPANY NAME POSITION.
Why LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the world’s premier business network with 875 million users in 2023.

Some fascinating stats……

25% of all American adults use LinkedIn, and 22% of those use it every single day. It’s available in 26 languages, and
employs over 21,000 people. Coming in second place is India with 96 million users, followed by Brazil with 60 million users,
Mainland China with 57 million users, and Indonesia with 21 million users.

Almost 60% of users on LinkedIn are between 25 and 34 years old. LinkedIn members come from 200 different countries.
Every week, 52 million people check for job postings, with 8 people getting hired every minute! Members on LinkedIn have
2x the buying power of the average online audience. 4 out of 5 people on LinkedIn “drive business decisions. Brands get 7x
more reactions and 24x more comments on LinkedIn Live streams than regular videos - awesome!
What makes it appealing to companies and professionals? A great opportunity to “strengthen your professional network.”
For individuals, it’s a great place to stay in touch with old colleagues, get referrals for new business, or look for a new job.
Also, to do research on jobs and/or identifying and nurturing leads etc….
 What Factors Impact the LinkedIn Search Algorithm?
Lots of research has gone into dissecting the LinkedIn algorithm. There is no one-size-fits-all solution….

Here are some factors that influence the LinkedIn search algorithm:

● How strong your page is. The more you complete your page with helpful details, the more searchable fields LinkedIn has to work
with (and the more valuable information you provide to prospects).
● Lots of high-quality connections and followers. The strength of your page’s network and of employees’ networks makes a positive
difference in LinkedIn exposure.
● Stay on top of company LinkedIn activity. Make sure to post lots of content, share & interact with other pages & people’s profiles
and remain visibly active on LinkedIn.
● Publish content regularly. Having activity is great, but sharing and networking frequently also affects LinkedIn SEO, with even
recency rates impacting results.
● Helpful written content on pages. Well-written and descriptive overviews and organizational information benefits LinkedIn SEO and
helps get more LinkedIn followers.

So, the LinkedIn search algorithm is clearly multifaceted and complex.

Can we eliminate this complexity to improve your company’s LinkedIn presence and generate more leads for your business?
Required Reading

https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-the-linkedin-algorithm-works-hacks/
Required - Updates Made in 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIcA8LZTuSs
Who is on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn has more than 900 million members in 200 countries and regions.

The question of LinkedIn usage statistics was answered in LinkedIn’s second quarter of fiscal year 2022
update. The number of current members is in excess of 900 million.

Did you know that 3 new members sign up every second!

61 million companies are on LinkedIn.

International

As a country, the United States, clearly, represents the most members on LinkedIn.

However, as a region, Asia Pacific (APAC) has the most members at 227 million. North
America, or NAM, is next with 220 million members, then EMEA, Europe, the Middle East
and Africa is next with 210 million.

Latin America (LATAM) is last on this list with 109 million members.
Non US Users on LinkedIn

Over 77% of LinkedIn users are from outside the USA.

While the US is LinkedIn’s biggest market with over 194 million users, the network
has gained traction around the world.

Coming in second place is India with 96 million users, followed by Brazil with 60
million users, Mainland China with 57 million users, and Indonesia with 21 million
users.
The #1 platform for B2B marketers

According to a study by LinkedIn, it’s the leading platform for lead generation. And,
4 out of 5 of its 900 million members drive business decisions. That’s over 720
million members!

Even when membership was only 850 million plus, LinkedIn reached 180 million
senior-level influencers. And, a LinkedIn audience has twice the buying power of
the average online audience.
Minorities and Women on LinkedIn

The number of Black and Latino leaders grew by 35% and 20.3% last year
LinkedIn has made a concerted effort to improve its diversity and inclusion, with the number of Black and
Latino leaders, managers, and senior ICs growing by 35% and 20.3%, respectively, in 2021.

Women represent nearly 42% of LinkedIn’s leadership

LinkedIn has also been actively addressing gender inequality, with women representing nearly 42% of the
company’s leadership. This is a huge improvement from previous years, and LinkedIn has shown its
commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all of its users.
 Job Searches Each Week….
52 million people use LinkedIn to search for jobs each week
If your company is hiring, your LinkedIn business page can be a key source of potential new
employees.

When hiring managers can’t screen potential new hires in person, tools like LinkedIn are even
more important. And 81% of talent professionals say virtual recruiting will continue long after
the pandemic.
Job Seekers - Pay Close Attention
8 people are hired through LinkedIn every minute.
If that last LinkedIn stat didn’t convince you it’s worth having a solid presence on this
network, this one should. Any company planning to hire new employees in 2022 needs a
polished LinkedIn Page to help attract top-tier talent and leverage the channel to recruit
candidates.

There are 101 job applications submitted every second on LinkedIn.

To put this already remarkable figure in perspective, that’s 6,060 applications sent every
minute, 363,600 sent every hour, and an incredible 8.72 million job applications sent
every day.
Ads

Ads on LinkedIn garner a 33% increase in purchase intent for brands. When they
advertise on LinkedIn, brands can see a 2–3x lift in their brand attributes.
Marketers experience a conversion rate up to 2x higher on LinkedIn. And audiences
that have been exposed to brand and acquisition messages on the platform are 6x
more likely to convert.
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/linkedin-statistics/
B2B Marketing on LI

The cost per lead on LinkedIn is 28% lower as compared to that of Google AdWords.

B2B Marketing - Ads - Required viewing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZeQp86uIOc
LinkedIn Posts and Articles
Did you know that publishing LinkedIn articles and posts is also an excellent SEO strategy?

Content draws immediate viewerships and helps rank your profile higher in the LinkedIn search
engine.

However, it is a best practice to post high-quality content relevant to your industry or profession.

Google processes an estimated 3.5 billion searches each day. Needless to say, this is a key source
of inbound traffic. And you can expand your brand’s search footprint by enhancing the SEO impact
of your LinkedIn Page.

We will discuss this in further detail, later on in the lesson.

Required Reading:
https://visual.ly/community/Infographics/animals/breaking-down-anatomy-successful-linkedin-profil
e
LinkedIn Photos

Personal profile -

Engaging, friendly,
professional

Recruiters spend 19% of their

time looking at the photo on
people’s profiles.
 LinkedIn Headline
Make it catchy and make it unique to you!

This might seem like a no-brainer,but not having a photo can have a

big impact on the overall appearance of your profile.

A photo makes your profile 7x times more likely to be viewed but don't

put up company logos, picture of your girlfriend, bathroom selfies,

showing off your sandals or henna.

Quirky photos that might fly on Facebook are not a good choice on

LinkedIn. Keep your headshot professional.

2 Types of LI Headlines
For the most part, there are 2 different types of LinkedIn headlines:
● Headlines that are more SEO-optimized with relevant keywords. (e.g. job seekers and passive
users).
● Sales headlines that communicate your value, offer, services, and more. This is better for
outreach, obviously.
Of course, everything depends on what you want to achieve with your Linkedin headline.

Do you want more visibility? Do you want to position yourself as a thought leader in your field? Or you
want an eye-catching headline that will make people stop scrolling?
First, define the goal of your headline and only then you can find the right one for you.
LinkedIn About (Bio section) Tips and Tricks
➔ Write in the first person. Talking about yourself in the third person can sound impersonal. Write in the first person to
keep it human and to avoid being overly formal.
➔ Use keyword specific skills to show up in Linkedin’s search engine. Use relevant keywords in your summary so that
your profile will show up in search. For example, if you’re a life coach, make sure to include the words life coach,
coaching, goals, goal setting, etc. in your summary.
➔ Make your summary about you. Since this is your personal brand and you are the face of your business, it is okay to
focus on you. Share your intentions, aspirations and passions.

The “About” section gives you the chance to tell your story. Don’t just put something generic or a boilerplate bio.
Really take advantage of the opportunity to communicate who you are and what you are all about. Give the reader
the chance to really get to know you. I recommend writing it in the first person, just like you would tell your story in
a job interview. Also, don’t be afraid to throw a few personal items in. How many kids you have, hobbies, pets, etc.

Required reading: https://www.authentic.com.au/blog/mindset/a-powerful-analogy-for-your-vision-mission-purpose/

LI Headline Tip
One common formula for writing your LinkedIn headline goes something like this:

● (Title) at (Company) – Helping (USP)

● (Title) | (Company) | (USP)
● Title + Company + benefits of working with you | keywords related to your niche | personal touch |

Other useful tips include:

Tailor your headline to your audience; Don’t stuff keywords; Include your USP; Be approachable.
Include a CTA; Don’t stuff keywords; Be creative and show results!

Check out this great tool: https://bamf.com/linkedin-headline-generator/

About Section
Make yours stand out, by discussing your values,

Vision and mission.

If you’re not sure where to start, you can use a tool like Google Trends to find trending
keywords relevant to your industry and weave them into your About section.

Make sure you do this naturally! Use your About section to describe how your company sets
itself apart from the competition, what makes your product a great option for potential
customers, and how you got to where you are. Then, just put in a bit of extra effort to add those
keywords into your writing.

Recommended reading: https://www.wisestamp.com/blog/personal-branding-social-media/

 Optimization Tips to Consider in 2023
1. Optimize your profile picture on LinkedIn.
2. Use a 2023 format banner.
3. Optimize your Profile introduction.
4. Optimize your Headline; https://expandi.io/blog/linkedin-headline-examples-generator/ (required reading!)
5. Highlight your activity on LinkedIn.
6. Translate your Linkedin page to be more easily reachable abroad.
7. Optimize your experiences on your LinkedIn profile.
8. Ask for recommendations to optimize your attractiveness.
9. Optimize the SEO of your LinkedIn profile.
10. Ask for your personalized URL.
11. Work on your network.
12. Include an image with your content. Posts with visuals receive more comments than text-only posts.

13. Keep your post short, but publish content on an on going basis.

14. Tag people and pages mentioned

15. Include two to three relevant hashtags

16. Write short headlines for articles

In Class exercise

https://nealschaffer.com/how-to-write-a-linkedin-summary/

https://nealschaffer.com/linkedin-profile-students/

Read this article, and begin re working your profile.

 Optimization Tips for Posts
Despite the data from the previous slide, there is no one size fits all unfortunately. As marketing professionals, we need to
examine and analyze our audience, their behavior and needs on an on going basis. LinkedIn analytics and other third party
tools (like Sprout Social, Hubspot, Buffer etc.) can be really beneficial, and allow us to measure, track, and manage these
kinds of activities and tests.

How can I test out different posting times to get the best results on LI?

1. Analyze past performance. Include looking at the types of content that have been shared too. LinkedIn users love
whitepapers, photos, images, video and e books.
2. Post at different times of the day and week
3. Monitor, on an on going basis for a week, then month the likes, comments and shares for each post.
4. Use this data to locate patterns and find out which days and times are yielding the most engagement.
5. Use this info and apply it to your posting schedule and experiment with these days and times.
6. Continue to monitor and test every few months, or quarter, as your bandwidth and resources and budget allow.
Required reading

https://www.hootsuite.com/social-media-tools/linkedin-post-generator

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/LinkedIn-Posting-Tips-2023/640916/
Content - Publish, publish and publish some more…
The content you publish can help you achieve multiple goals:

● Get more viewers, followers, and connections

● Share your expertise and become popular in the niche
● Rank higher in the LinkedIn search engine
● Rank higher in Google (if you use long-tail keywords in your posts)
SEO, Links and your LI Profile
Build Links to Your LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn SEO isn’t just about on-page adjustments. You also need to work off-page to get more
exposure. There are several ways you can build links:
If you have a blog, place a link to your LinkedIn in every post as a signature
Put the link in the description of your blog on the main page
Post it on your other social media channels
Write guest posts for other relevant blogs with high domain authority and leave a link under the
Author section.
These easy approaches will help you increase the ranking of your profile on Google, which will
drive more traffic to the page.
Use Hashtags Wisely
Hashtags are quite powerful.

Note: Some people may not know who to look for, so they will browse hashtags to find popular posts.

Both types, listed below, are great tools for establishing and improving your brand and authority.

You can use two types of hashtags:

● General ones describing your niche – #digitalmarketing, #SEO_specialist, etc.

● Proprietary ones – #name_SEO_consultant, #name_about_digital_marketing, etc.

The first type will get you more exposure.

The second type will help readers navigate through your publications.
Create or Adjust Your Keyword List

We’ve established the importance of keywords in your profile. You should put them
everywhere but make them look natural.
But where to get keywords?
SEO specialists use research tools to find the best keywords for a particular
search engine. But there’s no such thing as a LinkedIn keyword search tool. So,
you can turn to the next best thing — a professional SEO tool like Google’s
Keyword Planner, or SE Ranking’s keyword tool.
They will show you keyword difficulty, monthly search volume, and other important
data about the seed keyword you research. You’ll also see suggestions there for
future use.
Keyword List Cont’d

While most of the metrics you’ll see are best for Google (search engine), you can
choose the clearest short-tail keyword to describe your services, as well as
additional ones, even long-tail ones, for your publications.

Ranking your profile and written pieces higher on Google will help!

Compare the most searched Google queries with LinkedIn search suggestions to
compile a list of queries to target.
Keyword Inspo

First, have a look at some of your competitors. Are there words that come up again and
again? That’s not a writer being lazy, it’s someone trying to get their LinkedIn page to rank
for these keywords. Take note of common expressions and sentences, and turn them
into keywords you can use on your page.
If you have a list of keywords and you’re looking to prioritize them, you can use Google
Trends to get a rough idea of how much search traffic a specific keyword gets on Google.
By testing out different keywords and phrases — and seeing how many searches they get
— you’ll get a sense of which ones you should go for. For example, you can do a test
using Google Trends and watch the trend chart for “social media management.” How has
it changed in the past week? Month? 90 days?
Required Reading

https://searchengineland.com/seo-guide-to-optimizing-your-linkedin-profile-for-m
ore-connections-better-leads-315882
 LinkedIn Page = Company Page
According to LinkedIn, a LinkedIn Page is “your place in the world’s professional community.” By creating a page for
your business and connecting with your leads, clients, and colleagues, you can engage with your audience and
create strong brand awareness.

In essence this is different from your own personal LI, as your company page offers unique features, such as a
call-to-action (CTA) button that can be customized to draw a crowd to your website or another link for your business.

You can also post long-form content from your account that will live on the page’s feed, which can be useful for
sharing thought leadership and content marketing assets with your audience.

Required reading: https://www.edigitalagency.com.au/linkedin/best-linkedin-company-pages/

 Product Pages
https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a547610/linkedin-product-pages?lang=en
Content Suggestions

Have you seen the new “Content Suggestions” tab on your Linkedin Pages
(Company, Showcase and University)? If you’re a page admin go check it out.
This new feature allows page admins to discover and share content your
community is engaging with. This makes it easy for brands to engage with their
target audience without creating original content. That’s great if you’re looking for
an easy share – and for publishers to get more exposure.
Optional reading:
https://aboundsocial.com/content-suggestions-on-linkedin-company-and-showca
se-pages/
 LI Content Suggestions
LinkedIn also provides a handy Content
Suggestions tool to help you discover topics
and content your audience is already
engaging with on the network.

Tap “Content” in the top menu of your Page,

and update the filters as they apply to your
audience.

Fun Fact: Like all platforms, video is the

best-performing content type on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn reports that video drives 5x more
engagement than any other content type in
the app, and 20x more shares, while
live-streaming generates 24x more
engagement.
Benefits of LI SEO

As per Hootsuite, LinkedIn SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of

optimizing your LinkedIn page and posts to make them easily findable through
LinkedIn search.

Similar to techniques used to make websites rank highly in search engines like
Google, LinkedIn SEO involves researching and including keywords that
communicate what your LinkedIn page is really about (like terms specific to your
industry or your product) throughout your page. That makes it easier for potential
customers and applicants to find the page or service they’re looking for.
 LI Lead Generation
LinkedIn lead generation is the process of using the platform to find people who might be interested in your
products and services. These individuals can include buyers, decision makers, corporate executives, CEOs,
business owners, and even thought leaders and influencers. Even though not everyone on this list will want to buy
your product, they sometimes have an interest in learning about the latest developments in their industry. In turn,
those people might spread the word about what your company has to offer.

It’s important to note that lead generation can include both outbound and inbound data collection.

Key benefits:

➔ Increased conversion rates by being able to find the right people and nurture those relationships
➔ Personalized messages are often more effective on LinkedIn because of the relative exclusivity.
➔ LinkedIn is one of the best sources for qualified leads because of its professional aspects and
advanced search functions.
 LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms
LinkedIn is the world’s most popular professional social network, making it a fantastic place to generate high-quality
leads for your business. Lead Gen Forms let you collect information from potential customers on LinkedIn itself, rather
than requiring users to click on a link to a landing page. But how do you create and use a LinkedIn lead generation
form?
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms are templates that collect information from users on the platform. You can attach a LinkedIn
lead generation form to a single image ad, video ad, carousel image ad, or message ad in a few simple steps. When
someone clicks a call-to-action button on one of these ad types, the form auto-fills with that person’s contact and
profile information and then sends this data to you. It’s one of the easiest ways to gather data on the platform.

Say you want to accumulate information from business professionals in a particular niche. You can connect those
LinkedIn users with one of your ads and prompt them to send their details. Once you receive and download that data,
you can nurture those business professionals as leads. Members submit information within the native LinkedIn
platform, so there’s no need for them to visit your website.

Required reading: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/native-advertising/lead-gen-ads

Case Study - required reading: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/case-studies/ir
 Tools
Especially if you have a limited budget, LinkedIn’s search functions are very useful for lead generation. While the platform
places significant limits on how many results you can get as a free user, if you leverage search criteria properly, then you can
get more relevant leads for your effort. As the saying goes, quality over quantity.

In other words, although you’ll need LinkedIn Premium to get the most out of search, many advanced search functions are
still available to remember. To find the right people, make sure that you have will defined categories for research. For
example, if you have a local or regional brand then you might only be interested in finding people who live within your service
area. So, you would use a location filter along with the relevant keywords for your industry.

Once you’ve found the right people, you can proceed to nurture those leads according to your regular practice and LinkedIn
rules. Best of all, you’ll easily stay in compliance with LinkedIn rules and common courtesy.

If you have a bigger budget, you can always use tools like Dux Soup, or some others mentioned here:
https://nealschaffer.com/linkedin-profile-students/ (Optional reading)
 Sales Navigator
Among the most powerful LinkedIn Lead Generation tools on the platform is Sales Navigator. This is a premium product
which LinkedIn designed so that professionals could generate leads and nurture relationships which with become effective.
At the same time, because sales navigator costs money, it serves a dual purpose of protecting members from spam and
helping to pay LinkedIn’s bills.

With Sales Navigator, you get a suite of tools that help you find the right people. For instance, you get extra privileges on
LinkedIn search, including the ability to get more results at the same time and to further refine your search for the most
relevant leads.

Another valuable tool in sales navigator is your monthly allowance for InMail. These messages let you reach out to people
who are not in your network, and for whom you can’t get invitation. At the same time, because an InMail costs money or
credits, members are protected from spammers. It’s too expensive for people to send junk InMail, so you’d only send one
when you believe somebody is an excellent prospect.

Once you have the right information, you can follow up with your leads in many different ways. For instance, besides InMail
you may also be able to send a regular email or send them something at work. If you have a longer timeline, you might even
engage with these leads on industry forums or discussion groups.
Content Optimization on LI

Required:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-type-content-perform-best-linkedin-kat-son
son/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldstgM7L9iE
Avoid Outbound Links
LinkedIn doesn’t want you going anywhere (meaning leaving LinkedIn).

Well, it is no surprise that the algorithm doesn’t prioritize posts with outbound links as
much as other types of posts.

We did an experiment on this just to be sure. Our posts without outbound links always
outperform other types of posts.

If you need to share a link to something off-platform, pop it in the comments. Sneaky! We
love to see it!
SEO and Backlinks
Backlink to Company Page on LinkedIn = YES!

SEO is a bit of a popularity contest—the more people engage with you, the better you perform.

That’s why you should backlink to your LinkedIn page on your website, blog posts, email footers, etc.

Encouraging people to click on your LinkedIn page signals to LinkedIn that your page has value, increasing
your rankings in their search.

To complement this LinkedIn SEO strategy, treat your LinkedIn articles like posts to optimize them on other
search engines too—this is a helpful tactic for LinkedIn backlinks.

To check out the quantity, quality and relevance of your backlinks: https://ahrefs.com/backlink-checker
Required Reading

https://www.copilotai.com/blog/how-to-get-clients-on-linkedin-and-scale-revenue-
using-ai