A key to social media marketing for professionals is to understand how LinkedIn uses an algorithm to determine which posts get visibility.

“LinkedIn values great, smart, engaging content and the LinkedIn algorithm acts to push up relevant content and promote engagement,” says Angela Mulrooney, DMD, author of Unleashing Influence: The Secret to Standing Apart On Social Media As A Professional,  (2020, Indie Books Intl.).

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Mulrooney, a former dentist adept in social media marketing, offers coaching and speaking programs for professionals that are in demand across North America. She is a passionate writer and educator, sharing her secrets to business and marketing through both the written word and video.

Here are five ways Mulrooney recommends professionals use to please the LinkedIn algorithm:

Be Smart. LinkedIn is a thought leader and B2B platform. Be a thought leader. Put out original and thought-provoking content from your point of view. Get involved in conversations and be prepared to defend your stance.

Be Consistent. If you start off strong and drop off, you will be punished by the algorithm just like on Instagram. Fits and spurts of content are not helpful. Instead, figure out a pace you can stick to. Ten posts per month is a maintainable pace for the average professional.

Use Variety. To get engagement, especially as a newbie, your content has to be eye-catching. You don’t have the credibility of Bill Gates, yet; he could get away with being a little boring and stagnant if he wanted to. You, the upcoming credible, superpowered professional, need to entice people to click your content, so make it look interesting enough to engage with. Post content that stimulates in different ways; photos, videos, and articles should all be part of your content.

Video makes content easy to digest. Keep the videos short—under five minutes unless it is in interview format. If you can keep it under three minutes, you will see a spike in your engagement. Test out short videos against longer videos. Your engagement analytics will tell you the truth about what your audience likes.

Though articles will not get the same engagement as photos or videos, they are a credibility booster for your connections as well as the algorithm. Don’t we all envy those who can write well and explain a concept concisely? Not a good writer? Hire a ghostwriter to take your ideas and make them into a comprehendible article.

Use Hashtags And Links Appropriately. Tag everything you can— tag your posts with hashtags to signify what they are about. Tag people in the photos and videos you post with @ in front of their name, e.g., @Angela Mulrooney, so your post shows up on their feed to their audience. Tag products and companies (again with the @ symbol) so you show up in front of their audience. Be sure to use tagging in a way that’s relevant to your brand. If you are simply tagging influencers who have nothing to do with your post, the post’s credibility will decrease via the algorithm. Insert relevant links (check them ahead of time) into your posts, directing your audience to your website or to further information on a subject.

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Post During Peak Hours. Hot times to post on LinkedIn vary by the nature of the professional you are targeting. Unlike Instagram, which has weekend warriors on it, most of the activity on LinkedIn is limited to the Monday-through-Friday work week. Analytics from your posts will allow you to know what hours to tailor your posts to.

Mulrooney knows that owning a business can feel like a dream.  At 28, her dreams came true simultaneously, practicing as a dentist by day and dancing professionally by night. Mulrooney purchased and transformed a run-down dental clinic—in the worst part of town—into a cutting- edge practice.

After sustaining a career-ending injury and suffering a stroke one year later, Mulrooney opened Unleashed Dance Company and sold her dental practice. She then launched her consulting firm to help colleagues succeed by maximizing their potential clinically and financially. She later branched out to help all professionals.

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