Attention Is Earned: A Better Way to Write

How many of us struggle to find genuine, human content on our LinkedIn timelines. The fatigue of seeing AI generated posts is real. As experts in content creation, we believe that even if they are not expressed in the best way, your personal thoughts can be far more interesting that those AI groomed essays. Because when everyone is producing polished content, being human can be a differentiator.   

So where do you start?  To write on any platform it is important to understand how it works. The way LinkedIn works has changed over the years, more so since the advent and ease of access to AI tools.  

Look closely at your LinkedIn feed. Most of the content on your feed is no longer from your first-degree connections. LinkedIn’s LLM-generated embeddings ensure that your feed is filled with the kind of content you engage with regularly.   

Your feed responds to changes in your interests.  

Having a large network and then pushing content to it is no longer enough. You need to write explicitly on one topic or a close cluster of topics that you have knowledge on.  

Not only that, the connection between the topics also matters. If you write on a variety of unrelated topics, your posts will not receive traction as both your audience and the algorithm will be confused. 

Also remember that consistency matters. You may not necessarily post every day, but if you write a post and then vanish for weeks, you will end up at the bottom of the pile when it comes to reach. Try to post at least 2–4 times a week and give your audience a reason to keep coming back.    

Lastly, hashtags no longer act as the clues to your content. Use them sparingly and only when they genuinely help categorise your content. One to three hashtags per post is optimum. Up to three hashtags appear on the url to your post, thus making it easy to categorise by search engines.  

 So, with that context in mind, how do you write something people actually want to read? 

1. Understand your audience. Be clear whom you are writing for.

2. Be clear about your purpose. How is your post relevant to your readers? What problem(s) will it solve?

3. Create an outline first. Arrange your ideas in a coherent fashion.

4. Earn the first few seconds. The hook/introductory lines must make readers click on ‘more...’.

5. Start with your experience. Your perspective is what makes your content yours. Base your post through the lens of your experience in a given field.

6. Keep it easy to read. Write in short paragraphs. Aim for quality and depth over volume.

7. Ensure that your post has clear takeaways: an idea, a strategy that worked for you, or a suggested course of action.

8. Take a stand, even if it is unpopular. People scroll past formulaic or vanilla pieces. That said, don’t ragebait.

9. Keep the language simple and accessible. You don't need complicated words to sound intelligent.

10. Write as you would speak. Your authentic voice trumps AI slop any day.

Finally, don’t edit as you write. Write first, edit later; and if you must make a personal LinkedIn post, sleep over it before you hit publish!