2. Thereâs a professional content revolution
brewing, are you going to join in?
At LinkedIn we are witnessing a revolution. Professional
content consumption is dramatically increasing,
especially on LinkedIn where over 1.5Â million publishers
actively use the LinkedIn Share button on their sites to
add content to the LinkedIn platform.
LinkedIn members are the forerunners of the revolution
â leading the way by consuming and sharing
professional content in record breaking volumes. We
like to call these people "content pioneers". Your
content needs to be tailored to this audience.
We conducted a survey of 485 LinkedIn members in the
UK who actively share and consume content â and it's
good news for marketing experts. This research reveals
the secrets behind why and how these content
revolutionaries are consuming professional content on
LinkedIn, and how you as a marketing expert can tap
into this. Itâs a big opportunity for people marketing
content everywhere. You are sure to be more effective
at reaching the content pioneers after reading this
report.
The choice is yours: watch from the side-lines or get
involved the professional content marketing revolution.
Read on for insider tips to give your content the best
chance of connecting with these content pioneers.
âLinkedIn members are the forerunners of the revolution â leading the
way by consuming and sharing professional content in record breaking
volumes. We like to call these people âContent Pioneers.ââ
3. 4 Key Attributes of the content pioneers
that marketing experts need to understand
1 3
2 4
Content pioneers spend a 7
hours per week consuming
professionally relevant content.
62% of content pioneers
consider professional content
necessary for success.
LinkedIn is the content pioneersâ
go-to source for professional content.
88% of them are using it weekly to
consume professionally relevant
content compared to 55% using
online news sites and only 42% on
Twitter and 19% on Facebook.
Content pioneers are much more likely
to consume and share content that is
geared towards their speciïŹc needs.
Below you will ïŹnd a 6-step checklist,
drawn from this research, that gives your
professional content the best chance of
connecting with your audience.
4. 6 Insider Tips for Connecting
with Content Pioneers
Does it present new
knowledge or help
them to make a
decision?
Will it start a
conversation?
Would sharing
it beneïŹt their
professional network?
Is it formatted
for mobile/tablet
consumption?
Does it feed their
desire for professional
accomplishment?
Would sharing
it enhance their
professional brand?
1 2 3
56
4
6. 0 20 40 60 80 100
Professionally Relevant Content News Entertainment
38%
Professionally Relevant Content News Entertainment
29% 33%
Content Pioneers are voracious
consumers of professional content.
7
On average, they spend about 7 hours per week
consuming professionally relevant content as a
way to educate themselves on their industry news
and trends.
hours
a week
have increased the amount of time spent consuming
professionally relevant content over the past year.
62%
Percentage of total time spent consuming various content, across all platforms, weekly:
7. Content Pioneers rely
on professional content.
62% of Content Pioneers ïŹnd it
necessary for professional success.
48% ïŹnd it easier to access
professionally relevant content.
Marketers have to deliver content that helps
them accomplish their professional goals.
Among content pioneers who had increased the amount of time spent consuming professional
content over the past year.
9. Content must be mobile-friendly.
In the ïŹrst quarter of 2014, an average of 43 percent
of unique visiting LinkedIn members were mobile users.
Mobile trafïŹc is calculated as a percentage of LinkedIn member-only unique visitors; calculated using Q4 average for each year.
Mobile TrafïŹc:
2003
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Q1 2014
2%
43%
10. The Array of BeneïŹts
of Consuming Content
on LinkedIn
11. 0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
75%
68%
59%
39%
58%
38%
Marketers must meet Content Pioneersâ
3 key needs.
ENHANCES
KNOWLEDGE
STRENGTHENS
NETWORKS
BOOSTS
PERSONAS
Top beneïŹts of consuming professional content on LinkedIn:
Discover new ideas within industry
Keep up with industry news
Spark conversations
Build relationships with colleagues/clients
Improve current job skills
Build professional reputation
12. 63% 37%61%
Content Pioneers share to build their
professional brands.
Members are more likely to share professional content that builds their professional
brands, strengthens their professional networks, or helps them sell to their
networks. Marketing content will be shared more if it fulïŹlls these needs.
Top beneïŹts of sharing professional content on LinkedIn:
Increases
Member Visibility
Enhances Memberâs
Professional Reputation
Demonstrates
member is forward
thinking
16. 0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
73%
69%
66%
58%
55%
52%
46%
24%
51%
38%
44%
35%
Popular content types
for gaining knowledge:
Popular content types
for helping decision-making:
New Research
Breaking Industry News
Case Studies
Career Advice
Brief, Concise:
Produced by Business Leader
SHARE
CLICK
Marketers must deliver the type of content
sought most often by Content Pioneers.
17. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
36%
46%
62%
36%
12%
8%
Conversation is fueled by sharing.
Sharing with
Commentary
Sharing without
Commentary
Using the âLikeâ
button
Copying
to Email
Share/Using
LI Mail
Other
Sharing Methods:
Marketers need to create content that sparks a discussion.
Total percentage who selected it as their primary or secondary preferred method; total = 200%.
18. For more information, please visit
emea.marketing.linkedin.com.
Appendix
About Us
LinkedIn has more than 300 million
professional members. That's over a third of
the 600 million professionals in the world, with
15 million members in the UK alone. This
represents the largest single group of
inïŹuential, afïŹuent and educated people
anywhere.
Professional Publishing Platform
Our evolution into a professional publishing
platform drives increased engagement on
LinkedIn. Compared with other professional
publishers, content on LinkedIn works
differently. The rich data on our platform
means we can deliver the most relevant
content to our members.
Relationships Matter
With LinkedIn marketing solutions,
brands build relationships with the worldâs
professionals by using accurate targeting
to deliver relevant content and
communications.
As todayâs connected professionals seek out
ideas and insights from the people and
brands they trust, marketing experts use
LinkedIn to target advertising and publish
relevant content in a professional context.
Brands extend reach through social sharing
which has become a natural part of LinkedIn,
as well as by extending LinkedIn data to their
sites and brand experiences through APIs.