How to publish with purpose and confidence on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the leading space for professionals to share insights, build personal brands, support corporate objectives, converse with industry peers, and establish thought leadership within their industries.
Understandably, there can be hesitation to publish on LinkedIn. Whether lack of time, fear of criticism, or uncertainty about what to say, these obstacles can prevent leaders from unlocking the platform’s full potential for themselves and the organization they work for.
This blog post is here to help. We’ll address some common objections to publishing on LinkedIn and follow up with some practical strategies to help overcome them so that you can publish with purpose and confidence.
Five common LinkedIn publishing objections
- “I don’t have time”
- “I’m not a good writer”
- “I don’t have anything to say” or “I don’t know what to say”
- “I’m afraid of negative feedback”
- “It won’t make a difference”
Objection 1: “I don’t have the time”
As a business leader, your time is precious, and finding an extra hour in the day can feel impossible. There’s no way around it: you will need to invest time. But there are ways to be more efficient and effective with that time so that you can publish on LinkedIn and start to realize the benefits.
The strategy – Finding time
Start small. There are two areas you’ll need to invest time in:
- Creating content
- Engaging with others
You can start by setting aside one or two hours per week. That could mean posting twice a month and engaging with others weekly or focusing on short insightful comments on others’ posts. Set a goal and aim to hit it.
GenAI tools and templates are both ideal strategies to streamline your content creation process for original posts or comments – but never publish unedited GenAI outputs. Every submission needs to be authentic and in your voice. Otherwise, you may not have the impact you expect.
Where you can repurpose other content into LinkedIn posts, do so as well.
It’s about gradually building a consistent habit of making your presence felt on the platform. Feel out your rhythm. You’ll find a time investment that is manageable and, more importantly, worthwhile.
Objection 2: “I’m not a good writer”
Here’s the good news: LinkedIn content doesn’t need to be a literary masterpiece. Authentic, conversational posts often see higher engagement, with readers appreciating relatability over perfection. You don’t need to “be a writer” to publish on LinkedIn.
The strategy – Writing
Remember, the goal is to communicate your expertise, not to write a novel. Perfection often gets in the way of getting things done. Focus on being authentic and speaking in your voice.
Here are some things to try:
- Use GenAI tools to get a first draft, edit for spelling and grammar, and provide recommendations for more compelling phrases or ways to simplify what you’ve written.
- Pay attention to formatting: keep sentences concise, include white spacing to facilitate skimming, and use lists and bullets.
- Communicate one idea only in each post; not every post needs to be short (sometimes shorter is harder), but if you feel yourself veering off on a tangent, save it for a different post.
- Include questions to engage others. You ultimately want to create a dialogue. Worry less about the craft of writing and more about starting a conversation by sharing your perspective clearly.
Objection 3: “I don’t have anything to say” or “I don’t know what to say”
It’s easy to believe that everything worth saying has already been said. However, your unique experiences and perspectives are valuable.
The strategy – Ideas
Start by establishing a strategy to guide your publishing efforts. Begin with some introspection. Realize that you do actually have something of value to say.
The Digital leadership playbook is a good framework to follow. It is designed to identify who you are and what you have to talk about that’s of value to your audience. This will help frame how you approach original content, what types of content might work best for you, and what kinds of people you might naturally engage with.
Types of posts that do well on LinkedIn include share personal stories, examples that showcase your expertise, and celebrations of wins and results. The topics may not be new, but your perspective is. Engaging with commenters can also spark new ideas and conversations that can feed future posts.
Objection 4: “I’m afraid of negative feedback”
The internet can be a harsh place, and the fear of negative feedback is a real concern. However, constructive criticism and differing opinions can be valuable.
The strategy – Dealing with negative feedback
When it comes to using LinkedIn for personal brand building and supporting corporate objectives, we do recommend staying away from topics that’d be considered controversial. If your concern is negative feedback, this is especially true.
When a post shares your opinions and perspectives, there may be differences of opinion that others share. If you receive a comment that is “negative,” remain approachable. Respond thoughtfully and take the opportunity for dialogue. Acknowledge valid points and clarify your perspective.
This approach diffuses potential conflicts but also demonstrates your willingness to engage openly and constructively.
Objection 5: “It won’t make a difference”
Some leaders believe that their LinkedIn activity won’t impact their business or personal brand. But the numbers tell a different story.
Publishing on LinkedIn should be looked at as a long-term strategy and investment. The graph is an example of a program involving two business leaders who have been regularly publishing for over three years.
The first year built the foundation, and in the following two years, they’ve both seen substantial growth in reach, total engagements, and following.
The strategy – Have an impact
To make an impact and experience the value of publishing on LinkedIn, you’ll need to overcome objections one to four and apply a consistent approach to content creation and audience engagement.
The keys to success for the two business leaders have been:
- Consistent twice-weekly publishing cadence
- Good balance between corporate and personal perspectives
- Active support for audience engagement and connection requests
- Collaboration with other team members to amplify messages
- Optimization through regular analysis of content performance
- A long-term, strategic mindset with an adaptive approach
Start by setting measurable and realistic goals and building your playbook. As you move into content creation, publishing, and audience engagement, track your progress to measure impact. Over time, consistent effort can translate into positive outcomes for your personal brand and business.
If you’re ready to engage in a long-term LinkedIn strategy, read our Guidance for Tech Companies.
Take the first step
The key to overcoming these objections is to start. Whether it’s an enthusiastic comment on a colleague’s post or a quick insight shared from your day, every action contributes to building your digital presence.
See the value, but want the help of a team? Talk to our experts about the Digital Executive Program.