Thinking of starting a LinkedIn newsletter? Wondering if you should switch from your regular newsletter to this one? Not even sure what a LinkedIn newsletter is?
Even if you feel like you’re late to the whole ‘newsletter’ party, you can still benefit from it. Since its launch in 2002, LinkedIn has been the self-professed ‘social media for professionals’ where you can make genuinely valuable connections and even find work.
Now, take a look at LinkedIn through the eyes of a marketer, and you’ll see that its newsletter feature has some real potential.
What Is A LinkedIn Newsletter?
First things first, what is it? This feature was originally only available to certain members by invitation, so not everyone knows this handy tool even exists.
If you’re a member of LinkedIn, it’s something to consider. With this feature, you can now create a newsletter using articles and content you’d normally share on LinkedIn.
Once created, you can share your newsletter directly with your followers via Inmail (LinkedIn’s messages). So whenever you share, your carefully crafted content doesn’t just float into the ether; it pings straight into real peoples’ inboxes.
People can also subscribe to your newsletter, so it allows you to push out your content to a wider audience, which we all know is invaluable.
Plus, as a helpful bonus, the content is indexed by Google, so your newsletters actively improve your ranking with every share.
How Do You Create One?
If you want to create a newsletter on LinkedIn, there are a couple of catches.
You’ll need over 150 followers to actually get access to the feature. As I said, it was originally only released to the select few considered LinkedIn ‘influencers’. Now, LinkedIn says it’s available to all members, so long as you reach that 150-follower threshold.
Of course, if you haven’t got a following of that size, you can work on simply sharing your high-value articles and posts through your main feed for the time being.
The other requirement is that you can only do it from a creator account. This isn’t difficult, you can just make one in addition to a personal profile. This will also make it easier to hone your audience and connections to a more deliberate target viewer rather than just every co-worker you’ve ever linked with.
Once you’ve ticked those boxes, you can start to populate your newsletter with articles. Keep them short, like any newsletter. It’s not a collection of blog posts.
You can choose the frequency of your newsletters but be aware that it’s intended to be used as a regular thing to keep subscribers reading rather than the occasional post share on your main feed.
Who’s Reading LinkedIn Newsletters?
You might be wondering who’s on LinkedIn reading newsletters anyway.
Initially, LinkedIn was seen as a network-building tool. You made connections that might be beneficial for work. Plenty of people have success using it as a recruitment tool too.
Essentially, it’s business social networking. Back in the day, it had a formality to it. The emphasis was on the ‘business’, but as it’s grown alongside other social media platforms, it’s embraced its social side.
It’s still a place for professional posts – there are fewer pet pics and selfies – but it’s not stuffy.
LinkedIn is used by professionals, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and it’s a pretty even split of male-to-female users of all ages.
It’s a diverse landscape and presents lots of opportunities to connect with people you may otherwise not have had the chance to. Most importantly, it offers a rich opportunity to reach the people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to share.
So, That’s A Yes To LinkedIn Newsletters?
It’s a yes with a but…
LinkedIn newsletters are free and straightforward. They’re pretty simple to do, especially if you are already creating content for the platform. They will help you reach people you may not otherwise have access to.
But.
Don’t forget LinkedIn is a business itself. It’s not so altruistic that it will give you a platform that doesn’t have limitations…
Beyond your subscribers, LinkedIn controls who sees your content. It’s their algorithm that you need to appease. And it’s one that’s usually pretty happy with those that part with cash. Like Facebook Pages, it’s a pay-to-play approach.
You can put your all into creating a compelling and interesting newsletter, but if you can’t control who sees it, it could be a waste of time.
Don’t get me wrong, LinkedIn newsletters are an excellent addition to the platform, and given time and lots of quality content, you should grow your subscriber list. But it can’t be a replacement for your usual newsletter distribution to your precisely cultivated audience.
The Best Way Forward…
How can you use LinkedIn newsletters for the best result?
Do both!
It’s certainly no replacement for your own, hardwon email list, which – it’s important to add – reaches those who are interested in what you have to say but who might not be on LinkedIn for one reason or another.
But it’s still a fantastic chance to connect with people on a platform that’s already ideally positioned to reach professionals and people in business.
And before you fret about the extra workload, you can use the content from your regular newsletter to feed your LinkedIn one.
Now you’re going to be hitting all bases, and that’s a surefire way to build a great reputation.
Want To Give It A Try?
LinkedIn newsletters, combined with your other newsletter mailing list efforts, can boost your reach and build a wider audience. Should you use it to replace your other marketing? No, since LinkedIn is mostly a pay-to-play kind of space if you really want to control who sees what.
