5 things I've learned from working with linkedin marketing

Scannability beats great writing

People don’t read LinkedIn posts the same way they read articles or reports. They scan while scrolling, often distracted, and usually in a hurry. Because of that, scannability often matters more than elegant writing.

Shorter paragraphs, clear spacing, and intentional line breaks make a post feel lighter and easier to enter. Even strong copy can underperform if it looks dense at first glance. If a post feels long before someone has started reading, it usually won’t get read at all.

More on why you shouldn't write too much text here:

Too much text is bad for user experience

This is less about writing skill and more about adapting to context. A LinkedIn post lives in a fast-moving feed, surrounded by notifications, comments, and other people’s content. If it doesn’t feel approachable at first glance, it rarely gets a second chance.

Hooks matter more than headlines

LinkedIn isn’t a blog, and posts aren’t discovered through headlines. The first one or two lines do almost all the work. If they don’t spark curiosity or feel immediately relevant, people keep scrolling.

A common mistake is trying to summarize the entire post at the top. On LinkedIn, that removes the incentive to continue. A good hook doesn’t explain everything, it creates just enough tension for the reader to want more.

Think of the hook as an invitation rather than a conclusion. If it doesn’t work, the rest of the post never really enters the conversation.

Visual hierarchy applies to text posts too

Visual hierarchy isn’t limited to design or images. It applies to text-only posts as well. The way a post is structured helps the reader understand what matters, where to start, and what can be skimmed.

Spacing, paragraph length, rhythm, and repetition all contribute to hierarchy. When everything looks the same, nothing stands out. The reader has to work harder to find an entry point.

Posts that perform well often feel quietly designed, even when they consist of nothing but text. The structure does part of the communication before the words are even read.

Walls of text quietly kill reach

This is something I see even experienced marketers struggle with. A post can be interesting, relevant, and well written, yet still perform poorly.

Large blocks of text increase friction. When a post looks demanding, fewer people read it. When fewer people read it, fewer people engage. And when engagement drops, reach follows.

Breaking text into smaller sections isn’t about simplifying the message or lowering quality. It’s about reducing the effort required to start reading in the first place.

Scroll-stopping images usually include people

When images are used, posts often perform better. And in many cases, images with people and faces stop the scroll more effectively than polished brand visuals.

Eye contact, real expressions, and slightly imperfect photos tend to feel more human in the feed. LinkedIn may be a professional platform, but it’s still social, and people respond to other people.

This is also where overly “on-brand” visuals often fall short. Clean, generic images may look good in isolation, but they’re easy to ignore in a busy feed.

Final thought

None of these points are secrets, and most professionals are aware of them in theory. Still, they’re often overlooked in practice.

Good LinkedIn marketing isn’t about tricks or algorithms. It’s about reducing friction and designing content for how people actually behave. When posts are easy to scan, easy to enter, and easy to engage with, they tend to perform better over time.