If you’re looking for a way to deepen engagement with followers on LinkedIn consider publishing a LinkedIn newsletter. These have increased in popularity – I probably get 2-4 newsletter subscription invitations each week – and have tripled in readership – now estimated at 1.3 million subscribers daily in 2023 (Forbes). 

New, easy to use graphic tools have made the platform’s newsletters a credible brand extension tool with which to share your thought leadership and build a subscriber base of fans separate and apart from your posts. More good news – thanks to LinkedIn’s algorithm, which promotes newsletters to users based on their connections and interests, your thought leadership can expand beyond your subscribers.

Here’s how to create a powerful LinkedIn newsletter:

✅Focus the newsletter on a singular topic. In my case, it’s raising executive visibility. Select your topic based on your core business offering to reinforce your brand positioning.

✅Pitch a catchy but descriptive title that explains the content and the problems you help to solve. Arianna Huffington (the 3rd most followed individual on LinkedIn) has a newsletter called On My Mind: Actionable advice on how to improve health, productivity, and resilience, and Bill Gates has one simply called Gate’s Notes. These titles very specifically describe the content. 

✅Create a newsletter description, which is the first thing subscribers will see. Simon Sinek’s description is a succinct call to action: “Stay in the loop with our latest insights, advice, and little sparks of optimism!” Motivational speaker Tony Robbins’ wording is simple and on point: ” “A place where I share one thing a month that will enhance your quality of life.” A one sentence description encapsulates the theme of the newsletter so in an instant you can decide whether it’s a good fit for you…or not. Descriptions beyond one sentence will not get the same amount of attention. 

✅Establish a regular publishing schedule. This could be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. For most leaders, weekly or bi-weekly is best as it keeps you in regular contact with your audience (you just need to keep up with content creation) and helps you measure which topics are most popular by Likes, Comments and Shares. Monthly newsletters are better suited for well-known individuals with an existing large following. Consistent publishing will help you to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. 

✅Provide value in your content that will keep people coming back. This may include a “how to” about something on which you’re an expert – advice that people can’t find elsewhere – or a business tip. 

Some of my favorite newsletters are: On My Mind – Arianna Huffington; Dorie Clark Newsletter – Dorie Clark and Emotional Intelligence – Daniel Goleman. 

What are your favorite LinkedIn newsletters? How did they catch your attention?

For more thought leadership building tips, head over to PR Patter, my LinkedIn newsletter, my podcast, and the Resources section of my website.