Welcome to LinkedIn, one of the world's largest professional networking platforms, with over 900 million members. You can think of it as the ultimate place to mingle and make a lasting "impression" in front of a super relevant audience. (Yep, pun totally intended!)
But here's the deal: we're not just here to chit-chat about how massive and cool LinkedIn is. In this article, we're diving deep into the world of LinkedIn impressions. We'll unravel what they mean, why they matter, and most importantly, how you can use them to skyrocket your LinkedIn presence.
Whether you're a business owner looking to increase brand awareness or a social seller trying to expand your reach, understanding LinkedIn impressions can help you achieve your objectives and unlock new opportunities.
Understanding LinkedIn impressions
Let's start with the basics. So what exactly are impressions on LinkedIn?
Definition of LinkedIn impressions
To define LinkedIn impressions, they are the number of times your post, video, update, or article appears on someone's LinkedIn feed. An impression is counted when your content is displayed or seen by a user on their LinkedIn page, whether they engaged with it or not.
It is important to note that impressions can be counted multiple times for the same user. For example, if a user scrolls past your post in their feed and then sees it again when they refresh the page, two impressions will be counted.
We're going to let you in on a secret before you get to the bottom of this article... Video is one of the best ways to drive more impressions on LinkedIn—and they aren't hard to create either. Try creating professional videos for free (like the one above) using the text you already have.
How LinkedIn impressions work
When you post anything on LinkedIn, such as an update, a video, an article, or a photo, it will automatically be shown in the feed of your connections or followers if you have set the post's visibility to "public". However, just because your content is displayed in someone's feed, it doesn't mean they will see it. Users may scroll past your content without stopping to read or engage with it.
There are many factors that determine which posts LinkedIn displays to its users, such as the relevance of the content, the timing of the post, and the activity of the user's network.
The more visible your content is, the more impressions it will get.
It's also worth noting that LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes content that sparks conversations and engagement. Posts that receive a lot of likes, comments, and shares are more likely to be shown to a wider audience, resulting in more impressions.
Importance of LinkedIn impressions
The number of impressions your content receives on LinkedIn is an essential metric that helps you measure your content's reach and visibility. Impressions represent how many people have seen your post, which means that the more impressions you have, the more eyeballs your content is getting.
Having a high number of impressions is especially important for businesses and individuals who are looking to build their brand on LinkedIn. The more people that see your content, the more likely it is that they will remember your brand and engage with it in the future.
However, it's important to remember that impressions are just one metric, and they don't necessarily indicate the success of your content. It's also important to track other LinkedIn metrics such as clicks, engagement, and conversions to get a more complete picture of how your content is performing on LinkedIn.
Types of LinkedIn impressions
There are three main types of LinkedIn impressions, which are:
1. Organic impressions
Organic impressions are the number of times your content is displayed to your followers or extended network without paying for it.
These are typically the result of your content being well-optimized for LinkedIn's algorithms and being shared by your followers.
If you want to increase your organic impressions, it's important to create high-quality content that your followers will find valuable. This can include sharing industry news, providing insights into your area of expertise, or sharing tips and tricks that can help others succeed in their careers.
In addition to planning and crafting great content, you can also optimize your posts for the LinkedIn algorithm by using relevant keywords, including multimedia like images and videos, and posting at times when your followers are most active on the platform.
2. Viral impressions
Viral impressions are the number of times your content is displayed due to it being shared by others. This means that your post has gotten the attention of people beyond your immediate network.
To increase your chances of getting viral impressions, it's important to create content that is shareable and engaging. This can include creating infographics, writing thought-provoking articles, or sharing inspiring stories about your experiences in your industry.
It's also important to engage with your followers and other LinkedIn users by commenting on their posts, sharing their content, and participating in group discussions. This can help you build relationships with others in your industry and increase your visibility on the platform.
3. Paid impressions
Paid impressions are the number of times your content is displayed as a result of paid advertising. With LinkedIn's advertising options, you can target a specific audience and boost the visibility of your content by paying for ads to show up in their feeds.
If you have a specific message or offer that you want to promote to a targeted audience, paid advertising can be a great option. You can choose from a variety of ad formats, including sponsored content, sponsored InMail, and display ads, and set your budget and targeting options to ensure that your content reaches the right people.
Overall, whether you're looking to increase your organic, viral, or paid impressions on LinkedIn, the key is to create high-quality content that resonates with your audience and engages them in meaningful ways. By doing so, you can build your brand, establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, and achieve your professional goals.
Factors affecting LinkedIn impressions
Now that you know what LinkedIn impressions are and the different types, let's discuss some of the factors that affect them.
Content quality
The quality of your content is one of the essential factors impacting the overall visibility of your posts on LinkedIn. It is crucial to provide value to your audience by creating content that is informative, educational, and engaging. Quality content inspires engagement and encourages meaningful interactions, making it more likely to be shared across the platform.
One way to ensure that your content is of high quality is to conduct thorough research on the topics you are writing about. You can also use visual aids such as images, videos, and infographics to make your content more engaging and appealing to your audience.
5 high-performing content types to grow LinkedIn impressions
- Thought leadership articles: Sharing well-written and insightful articles on industry trends, expertise, or personal experiences can garner significant impressions. Lengthier posts that provide value and thought-provoking ideas tend to perform well.
- Engaging visual content: Eye-catching images, infographics, and videos are highly shareable and can capture the attention of your audience. Visual content is often more digestible and shareable, leading to increased impressions.
- LinkedIn video posts: Native videos uploaded directly to LinkedIn can be very effective in increasing impressions. Short, engaging videos that convey a message or showcase your expertise can go a long way.
- LinkedIn live events: Live video broadcasts can create a sense of urgency and encourage real-time interactions with your audience. LinkedIn Live events can help you connect with your followers on a more personal level.
- Industry news and insights: Sharing timely and relevant news, updates, or insights about your industry can position you as a knowledgeable professional and attract engagement from your network.
Learn how ACTA Medical uses video to create high-quality content that has helped them achieve a 413% increase in engagement on LinkedIn in just 3 months.
Posting frequency
You also need to post regularly on LinkedIn to maximize your impressions. The more active you are on the platform, the more visible your content will be to your followers and target audience.
It is recommended to post at least once a day, but here at Storykit we post on LinkedIn two times a day. By doing this we have been able to increase our LinkedIn follower count by 5 to 10k in 10 months and grow our impressions astronomically.
Audience engagement
Engagement is critical for LinkedIn impressions to increase. When people like, comment, or share your post, it will show up more often in their network's feeds, resulting in more impressions.
One way to encourage engagement is to ask questions or provide a call-to-action in your posts. This will prompt your audience to share their thoughts and opinions, leading to a higher level of engagement.
Hashtags and keywords
Using relevant keywords and hashtags can help increase your content's visibility on LinkedIn. Your content will be more likely to appear on users' feeds who have shown their interest in content based on certain keywords connected to your post.
When using hashtags, it is essential to keep them relevant to your content and avoid using too many. Using too many hashtags can make your post appear spammy and decrease its visibility.
Optimizing your content for LinkedIn impressions requires a combination of quality content, regular posting, audience engagement, and strategic use of keywords and hashtags.
By following these best practices, you can increase your visibility on LinkedIn and reach a wider audience.
3 ways to improve your brand on LinkedIn and increase your exposure
LinkedIn provides an excellent opportunity to establish your professional brand and expand your network. However, in order to maximize your reach and increase impressions, it's essential to establish trust with your audience. Here are three effective strategies to enhance your brand presence on LinkedIn and boost your visibility.
1. Optimize your profile
Your LinkedIn profile is your digital business card. It's essential to ensure that it's fully optimized to make a lasting impression on your audience. For your personal profile, start by adding a professional profile picture that showcases your personality and aligns with your brand. A catchy headline that highlights your skills and experience is also crucial in grabbing the attention of your audience. Additionally, ensure that your summary is clear and concise, giving your audience an overview of your professional background and what you bring to the table.
For your LinkedIn business page, you should pretty much follow the same principles, but use a logo rather than a profile picture, and a headline that clearly states what your company does.
But optimizing your profile doesn't stop there. You should also include relevant keywords in your profile to increase your visibility in LinkedIn search results. This will make it easier for potential connections and employers to find you when searching for specific skills or expertise.
2. Leverage LinkedIn analytics
LinkedIn analytics is a powerful tool that can help you gain insights into your audience and track your content's performance. Use this tool to identify what type of content or posting times receive the most engagement. This will help you optimize your future content strategy and increase your chances of reaching a larger audience.
Additionally, LinkedIn analytics can help you identify your top-performing posts, giving you an idea of what type of content your audience finds most valuable. You can use this information to create more of the same type of content and increase your engagement and impressions.
You can access LinkedIn analytics by clicking on "Analytics & tools" above your profile.
3. Network and collaborate
Networking and collaboration are essential in increasing your visibility on LinkedIn. When you collaborate and engage with people in your network, your content will reach not just your network but also their networks and followers. This, in turn, increases your impressions and expands your reach.
But networking and collaboration don't just happen overnight. You need to build relationships with people in your network by engaging with their content, commenting on their posts, and sharing their content. This will help you build trust and credibility with your audience, making it easier to collaborate and expand your reach.
Conclusion
LinkedIn impressions are a crucial element in determining your content's reach and success on the platform. By focusing on creating quality content, posting regularly, and using relevant keywords and hashtags, you can boost your impressions, resulting in increased visibility and engagement with your target audience.
