Key takeaways
- Pick two or three LinkedIn marketing strategies that serve one 90-day goal instead of running all ten at once.
- Post original content 2 to 3 times a week and use 3 to 5 targeted hashtags per post.
- LinkedIn Ads can target by job title, industry, company size and seniority, and Lead Gen Forms fill in from the member's profile.
- For video, hook viewers in 3 to 5 seconds, add captions and keep organic clips to 30 to 90 seconds.
- Webinars work best at 45 to 60 minutes, announced two to three weeks ahead.
The LinkedIn marketing strategies that work best are the ones you can keep up every week: a personal brand built on your own ideas, native posts, targeted ads, employee sharing, partnerships with creators, Sales Navigator for account-based outreach, video, groups, profile SEO and events. Pick two or three that match your goal for the next 90 days and run them on a fixed schedule.
A finished profile is only the entry ticket now, since millions of members compete for the same feeds. This guide walks through 10 approaches for creators, marketers and company leaders, each with concrete steps, so your activity on LinkedIn moves from reacting to planning.
The list covers the whole platform: setting up your profile and company page so people can find them, writing posts that show what you know, building an active audience, employee sharing, video, and how paid ads work. Each section ends with steps you can start this week.
One thing applies to every strategy here: a post's first hour matters. Early reactions and comments tell LinkedIn the post is relevant, and the platform then shows it to more people.
1. Personal branding and expert content
Personal branding means deliberately shaping how people in your industry see you, so that you become a known voice there. On LinkedIn that goes past a résumé: you publish original ideas, professional analysis and commentary on your field. It earns trust and credibility with a large audience at once, and people start coming to you.
The people who do this well write the pieces others share, and their posts start discussions. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella posts his view on digital change, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman comments on entrepreneurship on a regular basis. Both add their own reading of events to the news, and that brings them followers, media requests and new professional contacts.
How to put it into practice
- Post on a schedule: publish original posts 2 to 3 times a week, so people learn to expect you in their feed.
- Publish your own ideas: reposting alone won't build a name. Write articles, record short videos or design infographics that show your view on trends in your field.
- Answer the people who reply: respond to comments on your posts to keep the discussion going and gather a group of regular readers around your ideas.
- Open with a strong first line: it works as the hook. A direct question or a bold claim stops people mid-scroll and gets them to click "see more".
Early traction is usually the hardest part, which is where the LinkedIn likes community on LinkedInLikes comes in: members react to each other's new posts by hand during that first hour.
2. Content marketing and native publishing
LinkedIn content marketing means publishing useful material directly on LinkedIn to attract and hold the audience you want. Native posts keep people on the platform instead of sending them to your blog, and LinkedIn's ranking system rewards that with more organic reach. Over time your network moves from first noticing you to following you on purpose.
It builds a direct relationship with readers. HubSpot does this with educational articles about sales and marketing that solve everyday problems for its ideal customers. LinkedIn Learning uses native video and text posts to preview course topics, so viewers get a taste of the material. Teaching comes first; the trust it builds leads to business later.
How to put it into practice
- Try several formats: text-only posts, articles, carousels (uploaded as PDFs), videos and newsletters, and keep the ones your audience reacts to most.
- Add relevant hashtags: 3 to 5 targeted hashtags help people who follow those topics find the post.
- Close with a clear next step: end on a question that invites comments, or ask readers to follow you for more.
- Publish when your audience is online: to keep the schedule steady, build a LinkedIn content calendar around the hours your readers are most active, and check those hours with our best time to post on LinkedIn tool.
Thoughtful comments send a strong signal to LinkedIn, but the first one is the hardest to get. On LinkedInLikes, members write comments on each other's posts in their own words; see LinkedIn comments for how it works.
3. LinkedIn advertising and sponsored content
Organic reach has limits, and LinkedIn's ad platform lets you go straight to your ideal audience. Its tools place sponsored posts, targeted ads and direct messages in front of specific professional groups without waiting for the feed to pick you up. B2B companies use it because they can target by job title, industry, company size and seniority.
That precision is what makes LinkedIn Ads different. Salesforce can reach VPs of Sales at large tech companies, and Coursera can show upskilling courses to professionals in industries that change fast. Your post appears in the feed of the people you chose, which makes ads a standard route for lead generation, for getting a brand known among the people who approve deals, and for filling events.
How to put it into practice
- Start with a narrow audience: target by job function, industry and location so the budget isn't wasted, then widen it once you see which segments respond.
- Use Lead Gen Forms: LinkedIn's native forms fill in automatically from the member's profile, so people can sign up without leaving LinkedIn.
- Test at least two versions: never run a single ad. Compare two or more versions of the copy, headline and image to see what your audience prefers.
- Retarget warm visitors: install the LinkedIn Insight Tag on your website so you can show ads to people who already visited and know your brand.
An ad with no likes or comments can look less credible, so many teams sponsor posts that already did well organically. Keep in mind that LinkedInLikes tasks are for your own organic posts only; ads and sponsored posts aren't allowed there.
4. Employee advocacy programs
An employee advocacy program asks your staff to share company news and posts on their personal LinkedIn profiles. Their combined networks are far larger than a company page's following, and a message from a real person earns more trust than a standard brand post.
Large tech companies such as Dell Technologies and Adobe work this way: they rely on their people as well as their corporate pages. When an Adobe engineer shares a blog post about a new software feature, it reaches peers who care about exactly that topic. The brand gets a human face, and employees become trusted ambassadors whose contacts often react more than the company's general followers do.
How to put it into practice
- Make sharing easy: give employees a tool or internal hub where they can share approved posts in one click. The less effort it takes, the more people join in.
- Hand out ready-made material: prepared post text, graphics and suggested hashtags take away the guesswork and keep the brand consistent.
- Thank your most active sharers: name them in public shout-outs, or reward them with gift cards and other small items.
- Train the team: run short sessions on what works on LinkedIn, and show how a stronger personal profile helps both the employee and the company.
5. Creator partnerships and collaborations
Working with established creators in your industry puts you in front of new audiences that already care about your topic. You team up with respected voices in your niche to make content together, host joint events or recommend each other's services. Their credibility rubs off on your brand, and you reach their active followers without spending years earning that trust yourself.
A paid shout-out is the weakest version of this; the stronger version creates something useful for both sides. A B2B SaaS company might host a webinar with a well-known sales expert, or a marketing agency might publish a guest article by a respected content strategist. Both audiences get something useful, and your brand looks well connected and credible in the field.
How to put it into practice
- Choose partners carefully: look for creators whose audience and values match yours. The share of their followers who react and comment, and the quality of their community, count for more than follower numbers.
- Offer something in return: pitch the idea as good for both sides. Explain what their audience gets and what you bring, such as production help or access to your own network.
- Make the content together: pick a problem your shared audience struggles with and build a detailed guide, a live Q&A, a joint case study or a series of video interviews around it.
- Share it widely: once it is live, both sides should post it across their LinkedIn profiles and company pages to reach as many people as possible.
6. Sales Navigator and account-based marketing
Account-based marketing (ABM) turns the usual sales funnel upside down. Instead of fishing with a wide net, it puts marketing and sales effort into a short list of high-value target accounts. LinkedIn Sales Navigator fits this well, since it lets teams find the exact companies and people who match their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Outreach becomes precise and personal, and it works far better than generic campaigns.
How to put it into practice
- Write down your ICP: before you start, describe the industry, company size, revenue and other company traits of your best customers.
- Build target account lists: use Sales Navigator's advanced filters to save lists of companies that fit your ICP, and follow their activity, new hires and company news.
- Map who signs off: inside each target account, find the people who make or influence the decision to sign and save them to lead lists.
- Write personal messages: use what Sales Navigator shows you, such as a contact's recent posts or shared connections, to write personal InMail messages and connection requests.
For more on the request itself, read how to request a connection on LinkedIn.
7. Video marketing and LinkedIn Live
Video now takes up a large share of content marketing, LinkedIn included. Native uploads and live streams stand out in a crowded feed, and they let your brand show emotion, tone and personality in a way that text and still images can't. That builds a closer, more personal link with viewers.
Brené Brown uses short clips to share messages that stick, and Zappos has made viral videos about its company culture. Video works for storytelling, brand building and memorable posts that people pass on, as well as for formal tutorials. Live video adds real-time interaction through Q&A sessions, webinars and behind-the-scenes tours.
How to put it into practice
- Win the first seconds: the first 3 to 5 seconds decide whether people keep watching. Open with a sharp question, a surprising number or a striking image.
- Plan for sound-off viewing: a large share of people watch with the sound muted, so always burn captions into the video.
- Keep it short: for most organic posts, aim for 30 to 90 seconds, a range that holds attention on LinkedIn.
- Tell viewers what to do next: say the call to action out loud, show it as text on screen, or put a link in the post text or the first comment.
For upload steps and formats, see how to post a video on LinkedIn.
8. Community building and LinkedIn Groups
Community building on LinkedIn means starting and running groups around an industry, a professional interest or a shared goal. The conversation stops being one-way: your brand becomes the place where people meet and swap knowledge, and your most active followers get a space of their own.
A community builder gets members talking to each other, beyond simply following a page. The CMX Community Managers group gives industry professionals a forum to ask questions and share what works, and the Digital Marketing Institute group connects learners with experts. Because members keep posting, these groups become a go-to place for information about the field and for help from peers.
How to put it into practice
- Give the group a clear purpose: decide whether it exists for networking, solving problems or sharing exclusive material, and write rules that keep out spam and keep the focus.
- Post discussion prompts: start conversations with topics, questions or polls 3 to 5 times a week, and ask members to share their own experience and views.
- Moderate actively: a well-run group stays healthy. Remove off-topic posts, approve new members and keep discussions constructive and professional.
- Feature members: reshare standout posts and comments from members. Public thanks encourages people to keep contributing and makes them feel seen.
A brand-new group can feel empty and unwelcoming, and the same social-proof logic that helps a single post applies here: the first active members set the tone for everyone who joins later.
9. LinkedIn SEO and profile setup
LinkedIn SEO means setting up your profile and company page so they rank higher in LinkedIn's own search and in outside search engines such as Google. It makes you easier to find when professionals look for a particular skill, service or company. When someone types "financial consultant for startups" into the search bar, a well-tuned profile shows up near the top and draws in high-intent leads without any outreach.
Treat your profile as a landing page that has to be found. Consultants who win work this way put niche keywords into their headline and "About" section so they appear when likely clients search. Tech companies that rank for product terms, such as "AI CRM for startups", attract B2B clients straight from LinkedIn search. You get found at the moment a prospect needs what you offer.
How to put it into practice
- Put keywords in your headline: it is the most visible spot on your profile. Go past your job title and add terms for what you do and what you are good at, such as "SaaS Content Marketer | SEO & Lead Generation Specialist".
- Write a full "About" section: use the first person and work your main keywords and related terms in naturally. Say what you do, who you help and the results you bring.
- Fill in every section: LinkedIn's ranking favors complete profiles. Add experience, skills, education, and licenses & certifications, using the terms your industry uses.
- Claim a custom URL: a custom profile address (such as linkedin.com/in/yourname) looks cleaner and more professional to people and search engines alike.
Our LinkedIn headline generator and LinkedIn profile analyzer help with the first two steps, and our guide to LinkedIn SEO goes further.
10. LinkedIn Events and webinars
LinkedIn Events and webinars turn quiet followers into an active audience. You host live or pre-recorded online sessions on LinkedIn itself to teach, network and collect leads, with content, audience interaction and lead collection all in one professional setting.
The format lets you show your skills live instead of describing them. Large B2B brands such as HubSpot and Salesforce run regular educational webinars on marketing automation and sales tactics. They use them to show how the product works, answer questions in real time and gather high-intent leads, which builds authority and gives them a direct pipeline of prospects who have already shown interest.
How to put it into practice
- Announce it early: start announcing the event two to three weeks ahead with a mix of posts, direct messages and email invitations to build the attendee list.
- Plan for participation: keep the webinar focused, ideally 45 to 60 minutes. Several speakers keep the energy up, and a set Q&A segment gets people involved.
- Follow up right away: once the event ends, message every attendee with the recording, the slides and a clear next step.
- Reuse the recording: make it available on demand so it keeps reaching people and bringing leads long after the live session.
Event announcements need the same early reactions as any post. If the announcement is your own post, you can create a LinkedInLikes task for it so members react and comment by hand.
How do the 10 LinkedIn marketing strategies compare?
| Strategy | How hard to run | What it takes | What you can expect | Best suited to | Main strengths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal branding and expert content | Medium to high (steady output on a fixed rhythm) | Time, writing or design skills, personal effort | Credibility over time, more visibility, new opportunities | Individuals, executives, consultants, founders | Earns trust, sets you apart, builds professional equity |
| Content marketing and native publishing | Medium (editorial planning plus format tests) | A content team or creator, media files, a calendar | More organic reach, a growing audience, authority | B2B companies, agencies, education brands | Favored by the feed, direct audience building, repeated contact with readers |
| Advertising and sponsored content | Medium to high (campaign setup and tuning) | Ad budget, analytics, creative files, an ads specialist | Fast targeted reach, leads, measurable return | B2B SaaS, recruiters, enterprise software vendors | Precise professional targeting, grows with budget, trackable results |
| Employee advocacy programs | Medium (program design and rules) | Sharing tools, training, a program manager, rewards | Wider reach, more reactions and comments, a human face for the brand | Large organizations, tech firms, companies with a strong culture | Low-cost reach, credibility through employees |
| Creator partnerships and collaborations | Medium to high (finding partners and coordinating) | Outreach, partnership agreements, possible fees | New audiences, a credibility lift, jointly made content | B2B firms, professional services, growth-stage startups | Quick reach growth, third-party endorsement, network effects |
| Sales Navigator and account-based marketing | High (ABM coordination plus personal outreach) | A paid Navigator seat, CRM connection, sales time, data | Better leads, more conversions, sales and marketing in step | Enterprise sales teams, SaaS, consulting firms | Personal outreach at volume, live account data |
| Video marketing and live video | Medium to high (production and live delivery) | Camera or streaming gear, editing, production time | More reactions, closer relationships, viewers who stay | Personal brands, agencies, companies with visual stories | Memorable posts, more reactions, favored by the feed |
| Community building and groups | High (ongoing moderation and fresh content) | Moderators, a content pipeline, time, member programs | An audience you own, loyalty, posts written by members | Industry associations, niche providers, training companies | Direct relationships, less dependence on the feed, word of mouth |
| LinkedIn SEO and profile setup | Low to medium (first audit plus occasional updates) | Time for keyword research and profile edits | Easier to find, steady inbound interest | Job seekers, freelancers, consultants, professionals | Low cost, visibility that lasts, better recruiter and search results |
| Events and webinar marketing | Medium (event production and announcements) | Speakers, technical setup, invitations, event coordination | A live audience that takes part, strong leads, authority | Education organizations, SaaS, associations, well-known experts | Leads through teaching, networking, content you can reuse |
Which LinkedIn marketing strategies should you start with?
Ten strategies is too many to run at once, and trying usually spreads your time too thin. Treat the list as a menu: whether you want leads, wider recognition of your brand or a reputation in your field, two or three well-chosen strategies run every week will take you further than ten done occasionally.
Choose the two or three that serve your goal most directly. An indie hacker building a personal brand might start with profile SEO, native posts and a group. A CMO who needs B2B leads might start with Sales Navigator, account-based tactics and an organized employee advocacy program. Concentrated effort builds momentum, while effort spread across ten fronts fizzles out.
Four steps to get started
Knowing the strategies changes nothing until you apply them. This short plan gets you moving:
- Set one main goal: name the single result you want from LinkedIn in the next 90 days, such as 10 new qualified leads, 20% more profile views or one speaking slot, and make it specific.
- Choose your strategies: pick two or three from this article that serve that goal. If the goal is leads, you might pair LinkedIn Sales Navigator with a steady content marketing plan.
- Plan 30 days of posts: decide on themes, formats (text, video, poll) and how often you will post. A steady rhythm shows LinkedIn that you are an active, reliable member.
- Reserve time for conversations: block 15 to 30 minutes a day to leave thoughtful comments, answer messages and join relevant group discussions.
B2B teams who want a more detailed plan can follow this LinkedIn marketing strategy for B2B, which lays out a structured approach with measurable outcomes.
How do you get early reactions on a new LinkedIn post?
Getting the first few reactions is a stubborn problem on every social network. A strong article or video that gets no early response may never reach the people it was written for, because the first hour after posting is when early likes and comments widen a post's reach the most.
LinkedInLikes is a free community built around that first hour. You paste the link to your own post and choose likes, comments or reposts; other members open it and act by hand from their own LinkedIn accounts. You spend points that you collect by doing the same for other members, and there are no paid plans. Read more about LinkedIn likes, comments and followers.
Whichever strategies you choose, the results come from showing up regularly, helping people in your field and building real relationships. LinkedIn keeps changing its features; those habits keep working.
More guides on growing on LinkedIn
- How to grow on LinkedIn in 2026
- 2026 benchmarks for LinkedIn likes and comments
- The 2027 LinkedIn marketing playbook
- LinkedIn growth course
- Free LinkedIn tools
Next step: write your 90-day goal in one sentence, pick the two strategies from the table that serve it best, and put the first week of posts on your calendar today.
Frequently asked questions
The ten covered here are personal branding, native content, ads, employee advocacy, creator partnerships, Sales Navigator with account-based marketing, video, groups, LinkedIn SEO and events. The best mix is the two or three that serve your 90-day goal and that you can run every week.
Two to three original posts a week is a workable rhythm for a personal brand. Group owners can post discussion prompts 3 to 5 times a week, and everyone should set aside 15 to 30 minutes a day for comments and messages.
B2B teams usually combine LinkedIn Sales Navigator and account-based outreach with a steady content plan. Ads with Lead Gen Forms and educational webinars are the other common routes to qualified leads.
For most organic posts, 30 to 90 seconds. Hook viewers in the first 3 to 5 seconds and add burned-in captions, since many people watch without sound.
Use 3 to 5 targeted hashtags. They help members who follow those topics discover the post.
No. Tasks on LinkedInLikes are only for your own organic content, and ads, sponsored posts and affiliate links are not allowed. For your own posts, members react and comment by hand from their own accounts.