Whether it’s in business or life: You are what you portray to people. Successful people don’t wait for others to ask who they are or which way to go. They take the lead and show them. No wonder it’s called thought leadership. 

While you may already be busy sharing content and creating posts on LinkedIn, I want to tell you about another powerful tool you can use to become the next big name in thought leadership: LinkedIn articles. 

Creating articles on the LinkedIn publishing platform helps share your professional knowledge while growing your network. Contrary to posts and status updates, LinkedIn articles are not limited to 1,300 characters and can be up to 125,000 characters long – enough volume for you to share your thoughts and show your expertise and authority. 

Previously, only high-powered business people known as LinkedIn Influencers had the tools to share their opinions and advice in long-form posts. Now, the platform is available to everyone. Here are 10 reasons why you should use the publishing tool to become the next prominent thought leader. 

1. Upscale your personal branding 

The essence of thought leadership is to use your unique talent to influence others. It’s not about where you went to school or what kind of certifications you received. It means you provide your network with the best and most profound answers only you can give. 

Unique content also helps you to get a better connection to your network and possible new clients. Research from DemandMetric shows that 82 percent of consumers feel more positive about a company after reading custom content. Ninety percent of consumers find custom content useful and makes consumers more likely to take action. 

2. Add value to your profile 

LinkedIn articles enhance your profile immediately. Every text your write adds to your content repertoire, which is visible on your profile. The latest publication is featured below the About section in the Articles & Activity box, which is a great way to highlight important content. Consistently writing articles using the LinkedIn Publishing platform builds your content library and makes it easily accessible to your network. 

3. Become an expert in your field 

Regularly providing valuable content and in-depth analyses creates trust with your connections and helps you be seen as an expert on your topic. Being seen as an authority isn’t only flattering. It also gives you a decisive advantage over your competition and shows your network that you are on top of new trends. Known experts get more business and are often paid higher rates. 

Creating content regularly keeps your online presence up to date. When people click on a business page or profile with little to no recent updates, it appears inactive. Connections will be more willing to interact with an active profile since the possibility of response is higher. 

4. Articles are indexed on Google 

You might wonder why you should take the time and effort to write LinkedIn articles if you already have a blog. The answer is simple: One of LinkedIn articles’ most compelling and powerful characteristics is that they are indexed by Google and show up in organic search results. Everyone who enters a Google search can find your articles if they match the topic. No matter how good your blog or website may be, it will never have the same ability as LinkedIn to rank at the top of the search results. 

5. Create timeless content 

Once you’ve published your article, you will want to share it on your personal LinkedIn feed. Hashtags and mentions increase the visibility of your published work. Articles, especially those with evergreen content, have a longer lifespan than regular posts on LinkedIn. You can give a publication new life by re-sharing it via a new LinkedIn post, which will direct new readers to your content. 

Every time you re-share your article, try to focus on a different aspect of the content. A recommended timeline to re-share articles is about every two weeks. Many bloggers and podcasters use this tactic effectively on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Simply adapt this procedure to fit your own needs to get more views and reads on LinkedIn. 

6. Share your article on other social media sites  

In addition to your LinkedIn profile, you can share your article on other social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, which will help drive more traffic to your profile. Since articles published on the LinkedIn publishing platform are fully viewable, readers from other social media sites don’t need to have a LinkedIn profile to read. 

Another advantage is that LinkedIn articles are sharable by everyone. You can ask your connections to share your content to reach a bigger audience. A clear Call-to-Action at the end of your article can help engage your readers. 

7. Connections are automatically notified 

After publishing an article, a notification is automatically sent to your network. A compelling and catchy headline is key to sparking interest in potential readers and increases the likelihood of your connections clicking on your article. You can analyze the effectiveness of your headline with this tool. 

8. Create meaningful connections  

LinkedIn is all about building relationships. One of the best ways to do so is by providing valuable content that your network both benefits from and enjoys reading. Including graphics and statistics adds even more insight into your article. 

According to research, the brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text. Studies have also shown that visuals help improve comprehension and retention by 400 percent. Including a header image and art within your text creates a stronger reaction to words and makes your article easier to understand. 

Just like posts and status updates, articles should start a conversation. Including a Call-to-Action at the end of your article should directly address your readers and encourage them to leave a comment. 

9. Easily extend your reach 

LinkedIn articles are a powerful tool to extend your network. When your network interacts with your published work – through comments or shares – it becomes visible to their first-degree connections. This broadens the number of people that see your article and raises your visibility. It also shows others that your content is worthy of engagement, which offers social proof of your persona as a successful thought leader. 

The more you use the LinkedIn publishing platform, the more your network – and your extended network – will become familiar with you and your content. You can check your article’s analytics in your profile’s Activity section. 

10. Anyone can follow your posts 

Everyone who looks at your articles can follow you without being a connection. Your following will be a combination of your first-level contacts and readers that clicked the follow button on your articles. Regularly publishing engaging content can help grow your network. 

As you can see, the LinkedIn publishing tool is critical to position yourself as an expert in your field. It is a great asset to work on your thought leadership level while simultaneously extending your reach. The best part, though: It’s easy to use. Take a few moments to think about ways your expertise can make a difference in your connections’ life and start writing. 

Did I convince you? Let me know your thoughts on the publishing tool or if you need help finding an engaging topic for your next article. I am happy to help. 

Photos by Hassan Pasha on Unsplash; Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash; Rahul Pabolu on Unsplash; Rafael Rex Felisilda on Unsplash; and Damiano Lingauri on Unsplash