LinkedIn has been attracting major attention since it first started posting original content in 2012. The newest update opens the floodgates with an open-network approach to submitting and publishing content.
“Content for all” is touted as a welcome approach to publication, even empowering. After all, the sentiment goes, we’ve all got something insightful to share based on our experience and unique perspective within our own industry.
Here’s a look at the upsides and downsides of LinkedIn’s open publishing network so that you can use the platform the best way for your business.
Downsides of Open Content on LinkedIn
Let’s get the negative stuff out of the way: you may have heard that LinkedIn open content is going to encourage duplicate content and negatively affect your SEO ranking. Fortunately, that’s not necessarily true.
Duplicate content refers to users re-posting full articles from their own original content or -- unfortunately-- appropriating someone else’s original content with no link to the source. The search engine spiders search the content looking for that original source link so that it won’t detract from your SEO rankings. As of now, neither LinkedIn nor Google is concerned with duplicate content so long as you follow these two guidelines:
- Do not re-post every piece of your website’s content or blog, and
- Link back to the source once within the LinkedIn post
Upsides of Open Content on LinkedIn
The upsides of open content on LinkedIn for B2B businesses fall mostly in the realm of thought leadership. You likely will not receive any SEO boost from penning a popular LinkedIn post, but it will certainly help with spreading awareness of your brand and connecting with potential customers via Internet networking.
As LinkedIn shared in its announcement, members are now able to follow other members that are not in their network and build their own group of followers. This open-network approach to LinkedIn is an entirely new opportunity to help you connect and influence key players in your industry, perhaps becoming a member-voted “Influencer” of your own right!
Every new advancement or technology has its fair share of pros and cons -- but we hope you’ll agree that LinkedIn’s open content program is a great new addition to any B2B company’s inbound marketing program.
How will you use LinkedIn’s open content platform to grow your business?
Additional Resources
- Read LinkedIn's blog post about their publishing platform to learn what it is (LinkedIn)
- LinkedIn’s Blogging Platform Is Now Open To Users, Not Just Influencers (Search Engine Journal)
- Want to Publish on LinkedIn? Now You Can (HubSpot)
