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How design agencies and designers can get in the top 1% of LinkedIn

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How to get in the top 1% of LinkedIn engagement

By Ruby Goom, Senior Account Executive

Getting into the top 1% of engagement, and doing this consistently, isn’t an easy feat. But with 85% of leaders saying they like to ‘discover’ a new agency, rather than feel ‘sold to’, (Up to the Light Report, 2021) improving your team’s engagement gives you the opportunity to show up on the radar of the 61 million senior-level decision makers on LinkedIn, and to stay there.

It helps to understand how LinkedIn’s algorithm and engagement works to maximise opportunities for exposure.

The more people interacting with your post, the more the algorithm will favour your content, pushing it out to further audiences, increasing views, and the chances of popping up on the right person’s radar. But how can you attract these vital likes, comments, and shares that get you into the top 1%?

Steps towards better engagement

There isn’t a quick and easy answer. And for many who achieve consistently high engagement it’s been a case of trial and error. But there are some strategic steps your agency and key members of your team can take to improve engagement:

1. Consistency is key

Embarking on this mission means you need to be committed to posting regularly – I know, easier said than done.

In our guide to agency growth through social media, 68% of agency leaders cited lack of time as their main obstacle to being more active with their social channels. But putting together a schedule and dedicating time to posting just once a week can have an impact, in fact, companies that post weekly see a 2x higher engagement rate.

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2. Quantity AND quality

Maintaining regular posting is vital, but it’s equally important to consider the quality of your content. Anything too promotional and users will switch off. What are you saying that’s refreshing? And how is it relevant to your audience?

Twenty-four per cent of clients believe that the social media activity they see from design agencies isn’t relevant enough (Up to the Light, 2021). Narrow subject fields tend to get more traction and allow you to illustrate your expertise and stand out from the rest.

A great post example comes from Stu Watson, founder of London based branding studio Nomad. Stu shared a piece on his profile that he’d written about logos – a broad topic that, whether you’re involved in design or not, you experience every day. But Stu examined a narrow segment – the secret reason we all care deeply about logos (even if we pretend we don’t).

The post got brilliant traction. It was a refreshing, new take on a well-trodden theme. It resonated with people, and the results proved it. The post continued to attract likes and comments throughout the week, and as a result, Stu was within the top 1% of engagement.

3. Three is the magic number

The hashtag is a powerful tool and can connect you to huge communities (#branding has over 18 million followers). To avoid your post being categorised as spam, stick to the golden rule of around three hashtags per post.

4. Engage with your engagement

Your work isn’t done once the post is live. Interacting with people who are commenting on and sharing your post is key. Is there a question you could ask that will encourage interaction? Whether they agree or disagree, your question could spark an opinion in your reader that they want to share. The more comments, the more your post will be pushed out, the more opportunities to be seen.

Be patient

We’ve seen first-hand how agencies that use LinkedIn successfully have been able to start conversations, win briefs and gain new clients. It’s not going to happen overnight, but a more active and strategically led profile is essential for putting your agency in front of the decision makers, and eventually reaching the top 1% of engagement.

 

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