Professional brand and networking Mastering LinkedIn

How to Post Articles and Updates That Get Engagement

Stop using boring 'Corporate Speak.' Use the Peer-Signal Framework to show proof of your skills, making sure important people see your real value.

Focus and Planning

Main Points to Remember

1 The Basic Format Needs to Be Clear

Make your post easy to read quickly by using short sentences, lists, and having one good picture or video so people don't scroll past you.

2 Think About What People Need to Hear

Instead of thinking, "What do I want to say?", think, "What does my audience need to hear?" Give them useful information or solve a problem to gain their trust.

3 The Start Is Everything

The first two lines are the most important. Start with a strong statement, a surprising fact, or a question people can relate to, so you grab their attention right away.

4 Always Ask for Replies

Always end with a simple, clear question to encourage people to comment. Social media systems prefer posts that start real discussions over just getting likes.

Why People Freeze Up and How to Move Forward

Most people get stuck because they worry about looking silly or unprofessional to their coworkers. This causes them to use boring, safe work language. This stiff writing might be okay for HR, but it means nothing to the people who matter in your field. You aren't failing because of the social media rules; you are failing because you are hiding who you really are behind boring words.

It is a common mistake to think you need to post every day at a certain time and use tricks to get views. The truth is, getting real engagement is about good posts, not many posts. One thoughtful comment from an important person in your job area is much better for your career than 10,000 likes from random people.

You need to stop giving general advice and start showing proof of how you fix real, difficult problems. Your goal is not to become famous; it is to give a "Social Sign" that shows people with hiring power that you are their equal. This guide will show you the step-by-step plan for technical things and for the right way to think.

The Peer-Signal System: The Mindset for Success

The Peer-Signal System

Most professionals use social media like they are putting up an advertisement, trying to find tricks to get more people to look. But important decision-makers are not looking for people who just get lots of views; they are looking for equals in the industry. When a recruiter or a boss scrolls past what you wrote, they aren't just reading the words—they are quickly judging your professional worth without even realizing it.

The Peer-Signal System helps you stop using boring work language and start using proof of your authority. Here are the three quick, hidden checks you must pass for your post to become a real career opportunity.

1
The "Robot Check"

What They Are Thinking Secretly

Is this a real person sharing a true thought, or someone just trying to impress an HR person?

The Psychology: If your post sounds like an official announcement, people naturally become guarded. They think you are a "safe but boring" person to hire—someone who follows rules but doesn't come up with new ideas. To pass this, you must stop writing for the website's system and start writing for the people in your industry.

2
The "Proof vs. Talk" Check

What They Are Thinking Secretly

Does this person truly know how complex the work is, or are they just repeating things they heard somewhere else?

The Psychology: When you share a "messy" problem you solved, you prove you are capable. Important leaders like people who actually do the work, not just talk about it. By focusing on proof, you secretly signal that you are already doing the job they need done.

3
The "Do They Fit In?" Check

What They Are Thinking Secretly

If I put this person in a meeting with a top executive, would they sound like they belong or would they feel out of place?

The Psychology: This check decides your industry standing. By writing specifically for the decision-maker—talking about the issues they care about in their language—you stop being just a "job applicant" and become an "expert." You go from needing a job to being someone who solves their problems.

The Main Idea

You must stop broadcasting general skills and start showing clear proof of your expert status through real stories aimed directly at the important people who can hire you.

What to Post Based on Who You Are

If you are: A Top Manager / Leader
The Hurdle

How to build trust and show you are a real leader without sounding like a boring corporate person.

The Action Steps
Format

Share a real story about a difficult choice you had to make. Focus on the lesson you learned, not just that you succeeded.

Mindset

As a coach, I know that "getting engagement" means different things depending on your career stage. You shouldn't post just to post; you should post to hit a specific goal.

Goal

Here is your guide to help you create content that speaks to the specific people you want to reach.

The Result

Shift from general leadership ideas to real, honest stories that build trust.

If you are: Moving to a New Field
The Hurdle

How to prove you fit into a new industry and show that your old skills are still useful.

The Action Steps
Format

Write a post connecting an idea from your old job to your new one. Example: "How being a teacher helped me become a better Project Manager."

Mindset

Pro-Tip for Everyone: The simple "Golden Rule" for getting attention is: Give Value, Don't Post Too Much.

Goal

Before you post, ask yourself, "Will someone feel smarter, more inspired, or know more after reading this?" If the answer is yes, you are doing it right.

The Result

Shift from feeling like you don't belong to showing that your past experience is a special advantage.

If you are: New to the Field / Entry-Level
The Hurdle

How to get noticed by people who hire and show that you learn fast and are curious.

The Action Steps
Format

Post a "Weekly Summary" where you explain three things you learned from a major industry podcast, book, or training.

Mindset

Focus on sharing ideas that make the reader feel smarter or more informed.

Goal

Remember the goal: post to reach a specific career point, not just because you have to post.

The Result

Shift from being a person no one knows to being a visible, active, and always-learning professional.

If you are: A Self-Employed Expert / Consultant
The Hurdle

How to show your work process and convince potential clients that you can solve their problems.

The Action Steps
Format

Share a "Quick Tip." Explain a small problem your clients often have and give them a simple, three-step fix they can use right now.

Mindset

Make sure everything you post gives immediate, useful help.

Goal

Structure your posts to show that you have a clear plan, moving from the problem to the solution.

The Result

Shift from just vaguely advertising to clearly showing the real skill that brings in good clients.

The Quick Check: Expert Content vs. Useless Filler

Expert Content vs. Useless Filler

Most advice you find online is low-value "Filler" meant to get quick clicks, not real career success. This check separates the empty methods from the powerful corrections that actually create opportunities.

The Problem

Your posts sound like a boring company announcement and get no real comments.

The "Filler" Fix

Use "tricks" to get attention, like ending every post with "What do you think?" and only using three hashtags.

The Expert Fix

Stop writing for your HR team. Change from giving "Advice" (telling people what to do) to showing "Proof" (showing how you solved a messy, specific problem).

The Problem

You feel awkward or fake posting, so you only share safe, boring updates.

The "Filler" Fix

Use fancy words like "Visionary" in your profile and post every day at 10:00 AM to stay in people's minds.

The Expert Fix

Write for your peers, not your manager. Your goal is not to be a "Top Thinker"; it’s to give a "Social Sign" that proves you are equal to the people who can hire you.

The Problem

You get "likes" from strangers, but no one important in your job field actually contacts you.

The "Filler" Fix

Focus on the website rules. Post more often to get more "reach" and go viral.

The Expert Fix

Aim for the Decision-Maker. Getting real interest is about quality. One comment from a Senior Manager in your field is worth more than 10,000 "Nice post!" likes from people you don't know.

Quick Questions: Beating the System & The "Awkward" Feeling

Why do my well-researched posts with outside links get ignored, but a simple text update gets lots of views?

The Real Reason: Social media sites want to keep you on their site so they can show you ads. When you post a link to your own website, you are telling people to leave. The system sees this and purposely shows your post to fewer people.

Smart Tip: Don't put a link in the main part of your post. Post your text/picture first, then immediately put the link in the very first comment. Or, post the text, wait two minutes, and then click "Edit" to add the link. This often tricks the system into showing it to more people initially.

I am a senior person. Won't short, simple sentences make me sound less smart?

The Real Reason: This isn't about making your expertise simpler; it's about how long people look at the screen and the fact that most people read on their phones while busy. If they see a huge block of text, they stop reading and scroll past quickly. If people don't stop, the system thinks your content isn't interesting and stops showing it to others.

What Recruiters See: I scan posts quickly. If I see a 10-line paragraph, I skip it. Use lots of empty space. Break your ideas into 1-2 sentence chunks. This forces the reader to keep scrolling down, which tells the platform that your post is "keeping attention," leading to a big increase in who sees it.

Does the time of day I post really matter, or is the "Best Time" idea just a made-up thing?

The Real Reason: The "Best Time" is half-true. The system watches Speed—how many likes or comments you get in the first 60 minutes. If you post at 2 AM when most of your connections are sleeping, your "speed" is zero, and the post will likely fail by morning.

Smart Tip: Don't just post and run. The best way to win technically is the "20/20 Rule." Spend 20 minutes liking and commenting on other people's posts before* you post yours, and then stay online for 20 minutes *after you post to reply to every comment. This signals to the platform that a discussion is happening, keeping your post visible for a longer time.

I feel like a fake sharing personal stories on a work site. Can't I just stick to technical facts?

The Real Reason: Posts that are only technical hit a limit on how many people will see them. Only a small number of your connections will truly understand your deep technical words. If only that small group replies, the system decides the rest of your network doesn't care.

What Recruiters See: We use your posts to see if you would fit in well with the team. We already know you're smart from your resume. We want to see how you handle tough situations. The best technical posts follow this rule: Start with a human point (the "hook" that gets attention), then give the technical information (the "value"). If you skip the human part, you are just talking to yourself.

Speak Your Real Thoughts.

Stop writing like a corporate robot and start talking directly to the people who will be your future coworkers. Drop the safe, boring words and post the actual proof of how you handle hard problems today. Your career doesn't need more tricks; it needs you to be real.

Share Your Real Thoughts