How to Post an Article on LinkedIn: Boost Your Reach

To get started, head to your LinkedIn homepage.You'll see the regular box for creating a post, but look just below it for a button that says “Write article.” Clicking that takes you right into LinkedIn’s publishing tool. This is where you'll add your headline, a cover image, and the body of your article. It’s a straightforward setup designed for sharing your in-depth knowledge with your network.

Why Bother With Articles? They’re Your Authority-Building Power Tool

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of writing and publishing, let's talk about why this feature is so important. A LinkedIn article is much more than just a long post—it's a serious tool for cementing your professional brand and proving you know your stuff. While a quick post is great for sharing an update or a passing thought, an article gives you the space to really unpack a complex idea.

Think of it as your own professional blog, but with a built-in audience of millions of professionals. A regular post gets buried in the feed within hours, but an article becomes a permanent fixture on your profile.

That permanence is the secret sauce. You're building a library of your expertise that anyone—a potential client, a recruiter, a future business partner—can browse to see how you think and what you bring to the table.

The Strategic Edge Articles Have Over Regular Posts

One single, thoughtfully written article can do the work of a dozen short posts. It lets you lay out your expertise in a structured, compelling way that carries far more weight and credibility. This format is a game-changer for big goals.

For instance, articles are perfect for:

• Generating real business leads: A deep-dive case study or a sharp analysis of an industry trend can attract high-quality clients who are looking for exactly what you offer.
• Catching a recruiter's eye: When you demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of your field, you instantly become a more attractive candidate.
• Opening doors to new opportunities: Sharing a unique perspective can lead to invitations for speaking gigs, podcast interviews, or interesting collaborations.

Essentially, writing articles elevates you from simply participating in the conversation to actively leading it. They are your ticket to establishing genuine thought leadership. Plus, they get indexed by Google, which means your ideas can reach people well beyond your immediate LinkedIn circle and continue working for you long after you hit "publish."

Crafting an Article That People Actually Read

Let’s be honest: great LinkedIn articles don’t just happen. They start with a solid plan, not a spark of random inspiration. The content that truly performs—the stuff that gets shared and talked about—is laser-focused on solving a real problem or offering a fresh perspective that makes people stop scrolling.

Don't just write about your industry. Write for the people in it.

Think about the questions you get all the time from clients or colleagues. What’s that one challenge you recently wrestled with and finally solved? Those are your content goldmines. They’re real, relatable, and instantly position you as someone who knows what they’re talking about.

Find Your Unique Angle

Before you even open a draft, you need to nail down your core message. The goal here isn't just to be helpful, but to be distinct. Your angle is what separates your article from the dozens of others on the same topic. Focus on giving people something they can actually use, not just fluffy theories.

Here are a few angles that work really well:

• The Problem-Solver: Zero in on a common pain point in your field and walk the reader through your exact process for fixing it.
• The Contrarian Take: Go against the grain. Respectfully challenge a popular belief in your industry, but make sure you back it up with a solid argument and real evidence.
• The "Look Over My Shoulder" Case Study: Break down a project you worked on from start to finish. Share the messy middle, what you tried, what failed, and the final results.

To make sure your articles actually get read, you have to create genuinely engaging content that delivers value right from the first sentence. In a crowded feed, your unique point of view is your biggest advantage.

Structure Your Ideas for Impact

Even the most brilliant idea will get ignored if it’s presented as a massive wall of text. A smart structure is your secret weapon for keeping readers hooked. You want to guide them effortlessly from your attention-grabbing intro all the way to your final takeaway.

A simple, powerful framework is all you need: a killer opening that pulls them in, a well-organized body with clear subheadings, and a conclusion that neatly summarizes what you want them to remember. Each part should flow logically into the next.

Pro Tip: Your first paragraph is make-or-break. Hook your reader immediately with a surprising stat, a bold question, or a short, relatable story. Give them a reason to keep reading.

At the end of the day, turning your expertise into a great article is about so much more than just sharing what you know. It’s about building trust and sparking a conversation. If you want to dive deeper into this, our guide on how to create killer blog content has some fantastic frameworks that translate perfectly to LinkedIn.

Get to Know the LinkedIn Publishing Platform

Alright, let's get into the nitty-gritty of actually publishing your article. You'll find that LinkedIn’s editor is surprisingly intuitive once you know where to look.

From your LinkedIn homepage, look right below the box where you’d normally type a quick status update. You’ll see a button that says “Write article.” Clicking that will take you into LinkedIn’s dedicated publishing platform—a clean, focused space designed specifically for your long-form content.

The first two things you need to nail are your headline and cover image. These are your digital billboard. They're what will make someone stop scrolling. A magnetic headline paired with a sharp, professional cover image (the ideal size is 1200 x 627 pixels) does half the work for you before a single word of your article is even read.

Formatting for Readability and Impact

Think of yourself less as a writer and more as a user experience designer. Your goal is to make the article incredibly easy to read and skim.

Break up your text into digestible chunks using H3 subheadings. This isn't just for organization; it's a roadmap for your reader. When you have a key statistic or a must-remember point, make it bold. It instantly draws the eye.

When you're listing out steps, features, or ideas, use bullet points or numbered lists. This is non-negotiable for scannability, especially since so many people will be reading on their phones.

I love using blockquotes for that one killer insight or powerful quote. It creates a visual pause and tells the reader, "Hey, this part is really important."

Don’t forget to make your article dynamic. A wall of text is an instant turn-off. The editor makes it easy to embed multimedia. Just click the small media icon that pops up on the left of a new line, and you can add images, videos, or even full presentations from tools like SlideShare.

This visual guide walks you through the essential steps, from starting the draft to hitting publish.

As the infographic shows, a structured approach is everything. And adding visuals? That’s not just for decoration—it’s a core engagement strategy. The numbers don't lie.

LinkedIn Content Format Engagement Rates

The data clearly shows that posts with strong visual components consistently outperform text-only updates. While a well-written article is the foundation, weaving in images, documents, or videos can significantly boost its reach and impact.

This table underscores why embedding visuals within your articles is so crucial. A multi-image post in 2025 sees the highest average engagement at 6.6%, while document posts (like those valuable slide decks) and videos are right behind at 6.1% and 5.6%. You can dig deeper into these trends and other insightful LinkedIn statistics over at Wavecnct.com.

Working With the LinkedIn Algorithm, Not Against It

Alright, so you’ve poured your expertise into a great article. But hitting “publish” is just the starting line. If you want your piece to do more than just sit on your profile, you need to play nice with the LinkedIn algorithm.

Think of the algorithm less as a mysterious gatekeeper and more as a system designed to reward content that sparks real conversation. It's looking for signals that your article is relevant and engaging enough to keep people on the platform. Your job is to send those signals.

Nailing Your Hashtags and Intro Post

When you go to publish, LinkedIn gives you a small text box to write an introductory post. Don't treat this as an afterthought—it's your article's first impression in the feed. This is your chance to hook readers with a compelling teaser, maybe pose a question to get the comments rolling.

This is also where your hashtags come in. Using them smartly is key to getting discovered.

• Go Niche: Instead of just #business, try something more specific like #startupgrowth or #saasmarketing. You'll attract a more targeted audience.
• Mix and Match: I like to use a blend of popular tags and more focused, community-driven ones to cast a wider, yet relevant, net.
• Keep it Lean: Stick to 3-5 highly relevant hashtags. Stuffing your post with a dozen tags looks spammy and can actually hurt your reach.

Getting your hashtags right can genuinely boost engagement by up to 30%. But be warned: the algorithm is very picky about where you place links. If you want to dive deeper into the nuts and bolts, Hootsuite has a great breakdown of the LinkedIn algorithm.

The Golden Rule of External Links: Never, ever put a link to an external site in your introductory post. LinkedIn’s main goal is to keep users on its platform, so it will actively suppress posts that immediately try to send people away.

The First Comment Trick

So if you can't put a link in the post, where does it go? The first comment. It’s a classic move for a reason.

As soon as your article is live, be the first person to leave a comment. You can simply say something like, "For anyone who wants to check out the case study I mentioned, you can find it here:" and then drop your link.

This little trick keeps your main post clean for the algorithm while still giving your readers the resources you promised. Simple, effective, and it works.

Don't Just Publish—Promote It

So you’ve hit "Publish." Great job, but the real work starts now. The first few hours after your article goes live are absolutely critical. This is the window where you tell the LinkedIn algorithm—and your network—that this piece is worth reading.

Don't just let the article sit on your profile hoping people find it. You need to create a dedicated promotional post to announce it. Think of it like a movie trailer for your article. Write a compelling teaser that pulls out a surprising statistic, a key insight, or poses a thought-provoking question.

Getting the First Wave of Engagement

To give your article that initial momentum, strategically tag people or companies you mentioned. Did you quote an industry expert or reference a helpful tool? Tag them in your promotional post. If they share it, you've just unlocked access to their entire audience.

This early engagement is a powerful signal to the LinkedIn algorithm that your content is resonating with people.

Key Takeaway: The goal is to start a conversation. You need to reply to every single comment, even if it's a simple "Thanks for reading!" This interaction keeps your post alive and kicking in the news feed much longer.

Make Your Article Work Harder for You

A single article has more potential than just one post. The smartest marketers squeeze every drop of value out of their content by repurposing it. This is a core part of any successful LinkedIn content strategy.

Instead of just moving on to the next piece, think about how you can give your article a longer lifespan.

Here are a few ideas I've used that work well:

• Create a short video script: Pull out the 3 main points and record a quick video. Visual content often gets more eyeballs.
• Break it down: Slice up your article's key insights into a series of 5 to 7 smaller, standalone posts to share over the next week.
• Share it with your subscribers: Send the full article to your email list with a personal note explaining what inspired you to write it.

By getting your content out there in different formats and on different channels, you ensure all that hard work continues to pay off long after you first hit publish.

Creating a Sustainable Publishing Schedule

A single great article is a solid start, but let's be real—consistency is what really moves the needle. It's how you build a loyal audience and show the LinkedIn algorithm you're a serious player in your space. The trick is to find a publishing rhythm that keeps you top-of-mind without leading to total burnout.

You're looking for that sweet spot that builds momentum. Research I've seen suggests posting two to five times a week can give you a nice little bump in impressions. But if you start pushing past ten posts a week, you'll likely see diminishing returns as you saturate your audience's feed. For a deeper dive into the data, the team at Buffer.com has some great insights on how frequency impacts engagement.

Plan Your Content in Advance

Consistency doesn't come from a last-minute stroke of genius. It comes from planning. Honestly, a simple content calendar is your best friend here. It lets you map out your topics weeks, or even months, ahead of time so you’re never scrambling for ideas.

Having a structured plan in place is a game-changer. If you don't have one yet, it's worth exploring how to build an effective social media calendar template to keep everything organized.

Pro Tip: Don't just schedule topics. Try batching your work. I like to block out specific time to outline a few articles, then another block for writing, and another for creating all the visuals at once. It makes the whole process feel much more streamlined and almost effortless.

By setting up a manageable cadence, you turn publishing from a nagging chore into a sustainable habit. If you need more help getting started, our guide on how to create a social media plan is perfect for building a strategy that actually lasts.

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A Few Lingering Questions About LinkedIn Articles

So, you've got your strategy down, but a few practical questions might still be nagging at you. It happens to everyone. Let's clear up some of the most common things people wonder about after they’ve finally hit that "publish" button.

One of the biggest questions I get is about post-publication edits. What if you spot a typo an hour later? Or what if you want to add an updated statistic next month? The good news is, you absolutely can. Unlike a standard LinkedIn post, your articles aren't locked in. Just find the article from your profile, click the three-dot menu, and hit "Edit article" to make any changes you need.

So, Is Anyone Actually Reading This?

This is the other big one. You pour all this effort in, but how do you know if it's landing? Thankfully, LinkedIn doesn't leave you guessing. They provide a pretty decent set of built-in analytics for every article you publish.

You can easily check out key metrics like:

• Total Article Views: A straightforward count of how many times people have looked at your article.
• Reader Demographics: This is where it gets interesting. You can see the job titles, companies, and locations of your audience.
• Engagement: A simple tally of the likes, comments, and shares your piece has earned.

This data is pure gold for figuring out what to write next. For instance, if you see that a lot of VPs of Sales are reading your content, that's a huge clue. You can start creating more articles that speak directly to their challenges and interests.

My Two Cents: Don't just publish and walk away. Make a habit of checking your analytics. This isn't just about vanity metrics; it's about understanding your audience on a deeper level so you can create content that truly helps them. It's the fastest way to get better.

Treating this as a feedback loop is what separates the pros from the amateurs. It turns your LinkedIn presence from a chore into a smart strategy for building real authority in your field.

Ready to get your best content in front of more people without spending all day on social media? I use a tool called EvergreenFeed to automatically reschedule my top-performing articles and posts. It's a massive time-saver. Give their free trial a look.