3 Reasons to Use LinkedIn Publishing for Your 6-Figure Job Search

Haven’t tried LinkedIn’s Publishing platform for your job search?

You’re missing a HUGE opportunity to promote your personal brand for a new CXO or leadership role.

There’s no limit to the topics or volume of posts allowed per user, and with an international recruiting audience ready at your virtual feet, there’s no reason to hold back!

Still hesitant? Consider these near-instant benefits to your job search from publishing:  

1 – LinkedIn will help promote your Publishing activity.

When your connections log into the site, they’ll get a notification about your new post – and this may inspire them to pass it along via social media and share it throughout LinkedIn. 

Keep in mind this is a double-edged sword: in the same manner as your articles are promoted, others’ posts will appear in your notifications feed. (There’s no way to turn these messages off.)

You can push your message further into cyberspace, of course, through Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and any other social media venue, and also post your article in Groups.  

2 – You’ll widen your audience.

Remember – you’re not just publishing an article, you’re promoting your expertise to employers and your industry. Similar to your Profile, the more keywords you include (in your article Headline and in the hashtag keywords accompanying it) will draw traffic from readers interested in your topic.

This means you’ll get substantial exposure from LinkedIn. If you’re “writing what you know” (which is LinkedIn’s publishing platform mantra), you’ll gain a new audience and spotlight for your skills, particularly from recruiters, who are often avid investigators.

Case in point:  my post entitled “Is It a Good Idea to Add a Consulting Job on LinkedIn When You’re Unemployed?” appeared on page 1 of Google within just days of publication. While it’s not known whether Google continues to index LinkedIn posts, publishing can still deliver a wide reach to social media users.  

3 – You’re already spending time on LinkedIn – where employers are hunting for your talents.

One of the best advantages to being active on LinkedIn is the exposure to recruiters sourcing candidates with your expertise. If you’re also using the Publishing Platform, you’ll be in an even better position to stand out among other candidates. Posts stay on your Profile and are shown in your activity, so there’s no way employers can miss them. If you have a change of heart about your Publisher article, LinkedIn says you can delete it.

Of course, I recommend some keyword and industry research BEFORE you publish in order to maximize your results. For example, these topics could be relevant for executive job seekers:

Supply Chain Executive

• 2 ways to cut procurement costs in your global supply chain
• How international sourcing can speed up your operation

IT Director

• Cloud storage in your IT operation: how much is enough?
• 3 reasons your disaster recovery plan could fail during a hurricane

Try to post at least twice per month to keep your articles in rotation. Stumped for new ideas? Look at hot-button issues facing your target employers and then design your posts to show how you’d solve these problems (similar to an interview answer).  

Of course, you should ALWAYS ensure your LinkedIn Publishing activity supports (vs. damages) your job search. Even though you can delete a post, other members could find a way to archive it or quote you. 

Write your LinkedIn article in a positive, professional tone – avoiding rants or subjects designed to provoke an argument. Ensure the content aligns with your personal brand, thoroughly proofread it for typos and missed words, and ask trusted colleagues to look it over.

Happy publishing!