Joe Gannon x Pragya from Shield
This is a heavily debated topic and in this article, we're going to discuss the different scenarios you might be in when it comes to creating content on LinkedIn. And how that impacts whether you should be focusing on creating quality content or a high quantity of content.
Of course, your goal should always be to produce high-quality content. However, sometimes we can be perfectionists and we can hold ourselves back from posting content. Therefore, there is a fine balance between getting the quantity right and the quality right.
“B+ content with A+ consistency”
says David Perell who has founded an online course focused on writing better, Write of Passage. Let's dig in to see how we can create consistent content that delivers quality.
Step 1: Get started and put yourself out there
If you are starting out creating content on LinkedIn, then naturally the idea of quantity isn't there for you just yet. So, the first thing here really to do is focus on doing anything you can just to get your first posts out there. Write, test and write some more.
When you start out, the quality of your content might not be exactly where you want it to be but it's critical to stick to writing content consistently because over time you improve your writing skills just by writing more. Put yourself out there and connect with other creators to refine your thoughts and to gain new perspectives.
Step 2: Don't be hard on yourself
Critiquing yourself can be helpful but in the pursuit of perfection, remember not to be hard on yourself. If you are sharing content from your experiences, from what you're doing in your day to day, or if you're sharing insights from your current role or the projects that you're working on, the quality will be there. Do not downplay yourself and think that your first posts are going to be low quality.
Really, you just have to jump in and start. As our CEO, Andreas Jonsson says,
“I'll see you in the feed"
Step 3: Now focus on volume
The most important thing is to post. It's not actually the case that new creators have low-quality content, but they do have a low volume. Start small, and with consistency that you can sustain. Before you know it you will start seeing volume stacking up. If you've just started creating content, chances are, you may have only dabbled with sharing other people's posts or linking to articles and other resources that you enjoy.
You might not have yet started writing your own original content (which is what LinkedIn calls posts), but that is absolutely okay. You're in the right place. We have lots of resources on our shared blog to educate you. So naturally, if you're starting, you want to focus on improving the quantity fast, before you get to improving the quality.
Start by commenting on other people's post, then work your way up to creating content, even once a week is a great place to start. Once you start writing thoughtful comments on other people's posts, then this is essentially writing your own posts anyway, what we call "repurposing content".
Step 4: Just post
It is easy to say, "Just post." The first step is always the hardest, and after making it, things get easier. The same is for creating content on LinkedIn. The first post might not be the best one, but the following ones will be much better. Naturally, the more you practice, the better you get at it. So, when you focus on quantity, quality improves over time.
Don't stop yourself if you think that the content is not perfect. Social media moves fast, and your posts will only be in the feed for 24-48 hours. For a more accurate statistic, you can use SHIELD to see how long your posts have been visible in the feed.When you want to create high-quality longer content, maybe it is a great time to write a blog post, LinkedIn article, or Youtube video script. You can add them to the Featured section on LinkedIn so that others could benefit from your content. And remember to ask for feedback as that will help improve your content.
Bonus tip: After crafting a longer blog post or article, repurpose it into shorter LinkedIn posts.
Social media is not always about quality. Quantity matters a lot too, as it creates opportunities to test new ideas, practice writing skills, and stay consistent over an extended period of time. This goes back to focusing on B+ content with an A+ consistency because good content is good enough and then it turns into great content before you know it.
For more tips follow us on LinkedIn.
See you!
Joe Gannon x Pragya from Shield
