LinkedIn now has a billion members worldwide — yet only just over a million LinkedIn users post weekly content. Which means a lot of missed opportunities, because 77% of content marketers say LinkedIn brings them the best organic results.
In other words, LinkedIn has a huge audience, works well for organic marketing, and still has an imbalance in the demand and supply of content. There’s your reason to start posting on LinkedIn!
But simply posting isn’t enough. Take it from someone who scrolls LinkedIn a lot (seriously). Most LinkedIn posts are boring and bland — huge blocks of text lulling you to sleep.
Not only is it important to post on LinkedIn, but also necessary to make your content eye-catching. Creating visually engaging posts on LinkedIn is a surefire way to make your content stand out from the walls of text.
Visual content can bring you more impressions, engagement, leads, and ultimately, clients. So, let’s dive in!
Make Your LinkedIn Posts Visually Appealing
1. Use Emojis to Add Emotion, Structure, Direction, and Emphasis
Using emojis is the easiest way to elevate the visual appeal of your LinkedIn post. Emojis add a touch of personality and emotions to your posts. See how Allan Dib uses an emoji in the hook (first line of the post) to convey the emotion of making a mistake.
You can even use emojis to directionally guide the reader. This next post uses an emoji to urge the reader to look below the fold or click on see more.
Or, you can brand an emoji, like Isabel Sterne does in this post. Isabel uses the yellow circle emoji next to her name to make her posts pop and uses the same emoji in her content as bullets. Very creative!
Finally, you can use emojis to emphasize a part of your hook, like how Ryan Law uses the stars to highlight the topic of his post, intent classification. This brilliant and simple tactic highlights the core topic of your content.
And, toward the end of his post, Ryan uses the goofy, geeky emoji to set a tone of playfulness.
You can use emojis on LinkedIn by copying them from a site like Emoji and pasting them into your content. Emojis can pique your readers’ interest and make your personal brand feel more human.
2. Use Images to Grab Attention
There are several ways to use images in your LinkedIn posts.
Create Image Templates
Here’s a template I use when posting my client testimonials. The orange brand color makes the image stand out so a reader focuses on what’s in the image first. Then, they read the accompanying post, where I build more context about what I did for this client, the process I used for them, and the results.
Create a similar visual template for different post types, such as testimonials, news, Ask Me Anything posts, etc. If you post a specific kind of content repeatedly that can be enriched with an image, design a template for it in Canva and use it every time you make that post.
Use Image Templates from LinkedIn
You can also use LinkedIn’s mobile app to create an image from the available templates. Tap “Post” on mobile and “Use a template.” You can choose a template with your preferred background and overlay text to create a simple image for your LinkedIn post.
Using templates can save you time and help maintain a consistent visual style across similar posts.
Post Infographics, Charts, Memes
Infographics, tables, and charts help visualize complex information in an easy-to-digest manner. John Harrison uses an infographic to explain all the science behind a high-converting landing page.
Shama Hyder uses a table to visualize the distinction between SEO and REO. Even if readers only consume the image, they get the complete picture (see what I did there).
Memes bring in the laughs, which are missing on LinkedIn. Sarah Greesonbach’s LinkedIn post here will make you LOL.
Whether it’s a picture of your latest project, an infographic, or a behind-the-scenes snapshot, images can help tell your story and make your posts more relatable.
3. Use GIFs for fun
Make your content lighthearted and dynamic with GIFs. Break the monotony of text on LinkedIn for your readers and add a fun element with GIFs.
Liz Heflin uses a GIF to augment her message that clients should respect freelance writers. No matter how serious your topic, you can make it slightly fun and human by adding a GIF.
Here’s another example from Liz.
GIFs make your content (and you) seem approachable.
4. Post Carousels
Carousels give your readers a break from vertical scrolling by allowing them to scroll horizontally. And, if created strategically and intentionally, carousels contain a ton of value for the reader. I’ve bookmarked several carousel posts and return to them time and again.
If you’re demonstrating several examples, ways of doing something, or a step-by-step framework for achieving a goal, design a simple carousel in Canva. In this post, Matt Drzymala uses a carousel to highlight the mistakes we often make in our business messaging.
5. Use Numbers in Your Hook
This was a revelation to me! Whenever I post on LinkedIn with a number in the hook, no matter its context, I get more impressions and engagement. It’s like our brain is wired to focus on digits. Using numbers in your content creates a sense of urgency and curiosity in the reader.
Bonus points if there’s a $ dollar sign prefixed. This post got me new followers and inquiries about my blog writing process.
Erica Schneider uses the good ol’ listicle to add some numbers to the hook.
Whether it’s a listicle, a statistic, or a dollar value, numbers can help make your posts more impactful.
Experiment with these visual techniques to make your posts engaging, shareable, and memorable this week. You’ll notice a difference in the reach and engagement of your content. Do share your success stories in the comments below!
