73% Boost in LinkedIn Engagement in 40 Days: The 3 Tweaks That Worked

When Your Growth Plateaus and Content Goes Stale

When we first start out as content creators, there's a sense of freedom and excitement in trying new things. We're not tied down to any expectations or norms or rush to simply fill a content calendar. But as we grow and gain traction, the pressure to maintain that growth can lead to stagnation. We stick to what has worked in the past and are afraid to deviate from our tried-and-tested formula.

But here's the thing - the algorithm is constantly changing, audience preferences evolve, and there's always someone new entering the market with a fresh perspective.

The Challenge: Breaking Out of the Mold

The first tweak that led to a 73% boost in LinkedIn engagement in 40 days was challenging myself to break out of my own mold. I took a step back and analyzed my content - it was all starting to look and feel the same. So, I decided to shake things up by experimenting with different formats, lengths, styles, and topics.

Everything was consistent. My newsletter article average a 20% to 40% view rate, 5% to 10% click-through rate and about four comments per article. But with over 11,000 subscribers , I knew there was more potential for higher engagement. So, I decided not to over think things and just went for it.

The Strategy to Boost in LinkedIn Engagement in 40 Days

1) Upping My Content Game

I've always preached consistency, but I decided to shake things up and see what happens when I increase my posting frequency. Over the last 40 days, I ramped up my output to 23 posts, up from the 12 posts I did in the same timeframe before. Here’s what I found out:

• Total impressions: Shot up from 8,469 to 12,178

• Reactions: Leaped from 152 to 241

• Comments: Went from 57 to 123

• Overall engagement: Boosted from 215 to 373

It’s incredible to see how a simple change can make such a big difference! For my Confessions of a Solopreneur newsletter, I stuck to 1 article a week focusing on the books I'd been reading or what I was learning in my personal growth. Come what may, Mondays were confessional days.

2) Dear-Diary-Style Articles

Next, I shifted towards writing more blog-style articles. These pieces delved into my journey with time management techniques like Timeboxing. The "I Tried Timeboxing for a Week" article alone made up 13% of the over all impressions. The article resonated with many readers who were looking for practical solutions to managing their time better.

Sharing my ups and downs with this thing called time boxing, was something that many of my readers could relate to. Plus, the Dear Diary-style comes naturally to me and felt authentic at a time when, to be fair, I had very little spoons for keeping up with my content creation. Even on my worst day, I can write about my feeling, what I'm working on, and what's been going on my life as a solopreneur.

3) Traditional Copywriting Headlines

Finally, I embraced a more traditional copywriting approach for headlines, drawing inspiration from YouTube. Before I dive into how I implemented this, let's pause and answer a few questions about writing headlines.

What Precisely Are the Copywriting Secrets YouTubers Use in Thumbnails?

A) Curiosity

They create a sense of curiosity by using intriguing visuals and headlines that make you want to click through to see more. Instead of saying what they are going to show you, they give a sneak peek or hint at something interesting.

• Example: "The Secret to My Success: Exposed!" instead of "My Top Tips for Success" or "Behind the Scenes: The Truth About My Business You Never Would Have Guessed" instead of "A Day in the Life of an Entrepreneur".

They make you earn the secret by clicking through and watching. While this approach can feel like "clickbait", it's only clickbait if you lie to your audience and don't deliver on the promise in your headline. 

Be honest and authentic, but also make your audience curious enough to want to know more.

B) Clear Benefit

They highlight a clear benefit or result you can expect from watching their video. This could be in the form of a promise, such as "Learn How to 2x Your Income with These Simple Steps" or "Discover the Secret to Landing Your Dream Job in 60 days ". People are more likely to click if they know what they can gain from it.

C) Emotional Triggers 

I hate using emotional triggers in copywriting (which is why I call myself a ghostwriter or content writer) but you can't deny their effectiveness. YouTubers use this tactic by creating headlines that evoke strong emotions like surprise, shock, fear, and curiosity. For example, "I Almost Gave Up On My Business Until I Tried This" or "Stop Wasting Your Time with These Productivity Hacks That Actually Don't Work".

4) Visuals

Lastly, they use visuals that are attention-grabbing and relate to their headline. This could be a thumbnail with an interesting image or text overlay, or even a catchy title font.

Applying this Strategy to LinkedIn

So how did I apply these tactics to my LinkedIn content? First, I crafted three headlines for each post:

• One optimized for SEO — For visibility and ranking in LinkedIn search results as well as Google and other search engines.

• Another tailored for the article images — Embracing the thumbnail approach I mentioned earlier.

• A hook for the caption — To grab the attention of my followers scrolling through their feeds.

This strategy led to an increase in impressions on my articles from the 700 to 800 range to consistently over 1,050. Together, the articles I published during this period accounted for 40% of my total impressions for the month. The increase in engagement was also evident, with more comments and reactions on each post.

Breaking Down the Headlines

Let's dive deeper into the headlines I used and how they were influenced by the YouTube copywriting tactics mentioned earlier.

Example 1

• SEO optimized headline: "This One Habit Will Elevate Your Copywriting in 2024"

• Thumbnail heading: "Write Better LinkedIn Captions with this One Habit".

• Caption hook: "Do you want to take your LinkedIn captions to the next level...and improve your copywriting skills?"

Looking at these headlines, you can see the use of curiosity, clear benefit, and emotional triggers. The SEO optimized headline creates curiosity by mentioning a habit that will elevate your copywriting in 2024 (which is likely readers' current focus). The thumbnail heading highlights a clear benefit of improving LinkedIn captions with this one habit. And the caption hook plays on the emotions of wanting to take your content to the next level and improve your skills.

Example 2

Here's another example that included an external link to an app I'd been using:

• SEO optimized heading: "Making Your Bed Is a Game Changer for WFH Productivity".

• Thumbnail heading: "Yes! Making Your Bed Boosts WFH Productivity (Plus the app that's helping me do all the things)".

• Caption hook: "What's your work from home vibe? A) Snuggled in bed with a laptop and notes. B) Dressed and typing away at a desk. C) Working on any surface that's available."

Let's break down the copywriting tactics at play here. The SEO optimized headline uses a clear benefit, mentioning that making your bed can be a game changer for productivity while working from home. 

The thumbnail heading evokes curiosity and adds a clear benefit by mentioning an app that's helping me accomplish my tasks. 

The caption hook plays on emotions by prompting readers to think about their work from home habits and potentially question if they're making the most of their time. Additionally, the interactive quiz-style caption hook can encourage more comments and engagement.

The thumbnail also reinforces the main headline. Why? 

Because when subscribers open the email, they see the Article Heading first, then the image. So, together, the headings read: "Making Your Bed Is a Game Changer for WFH Productivity" and then "Yes! Making Your Bed (Actually) Boosts WFH Productivity." 

And since I'm known for mixing practical advice with personal anecdotes and humor, my readers trust that the article will deliver on both counts. This is key to building and maintaining a loyal audience.

And the app I mentioned and linked to? 

It had a 1.5% click-through rate. Not bad, considering the average CTR for LinkedIn ads is between 0.44% and 0.65%.

7 Key Lessons Learned

The last 40 days have largely been haphazhard where my content is concerned but there are some key lessons and takeaways I've learned that I believe will help you elevate your LinkedIn content game.

1. Consistency and Relevance: Maintaining a regular posting schedule is crucial, but so is the relevance of the content. Tailoring posts to address audience interests and pain points significantly boosts engagement.

2. Data-Driven Decisions: Paying attention to analytics, particularly headlines that perform well, can inform future content and headline choices.

3. Strategic Headlines: The use of copywriting tactics like curiosity, clear benefit, emotional triggers, and visuals in headlines can greatly increase click-through rates and engagement.

4. Balancing Personal and Professional Content: Finding the right balance between personal anecdotes/humor and professional advice can help build a loyal and engaged audience.

5. Willingness to Experiment: Being open to experimentation allows you to discover what works best for your audience. Don't be afraid to pivot strategies when necessary.

6. Patience and Perseverance: Building a strong following and increasing engagement takes time and effort. Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results, keep experimenting and improving your content.

7. It Might Work on LinkedIn: Don't be afraid to adapt tactics from other platforms, such as YouTube or Instagram, to your LinkedIn content.

Moving forward, I plan to continue evolving my content strategy and applying the lessons I've learned to clients' content as well. After all, if it works for me, it could be luck, if I replicate results for others as well, then we're onto something.

So, stay tuned for more updates and insights as I share what's worked (and what hasn't) in my journey to mastering LinkedIn content and social media copywriting in general.

Ready to Carve out Your Space on LinkedIn?

Schedule a Clarity Call and I'll help you implement some of these lessons and see how it impacts your engagement and following. And remember, the key is consistency, relevance, and a little bit of creativity!

And may the odds be ever in your favour.