In 2022, Fernanda Acosta Ballesteros, Marketing and Communications Officer at Archaeology Scotland, realised that LinkedIn users were looking at the charity’s profile on the platform despite them not having any content (or even a logo) on their account.
Fernanda also noticed that LinkedIn was no longer where organisations just dumped their job ads, there was other, more creative content appearing in her feed. She also found that she was already using X in the way that others were using LinkedIn too – for example, by sharing their success stories, volunteer opportunities, etc.
It got Fernanda thinking – Since the platform had the potential to serve their marketing and communications goals, why not devote some time and energy to it and see what happens?
After using LinkedIn for several months to connect and grow their audiences with the aim of encouraging and empowering people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy, care about and connect with Scotland’s heritage, she shared her experience and advice with Scottish Heritage Social Media Group (SHSMG) in July 2023.
Why Use LinkedIn in the Heritage Sector?
Fernanda pointed out that your audience might already be there. LinkedIn has over 38 million users in the UK alone. This is a significant opportunity considering the big changes to X (formerly Twitter) at the moment. Other platforms like Mastodon are emerging, but it’ll take a while for them (and you) to build a committed audience there. In the meantime, why not reach the LinkedIn users who are already trying to engage with their passion and celebrate the work the sector is doing? Even just having a profile gives them the opportunity to reference your work and add it to their own profile (e.g., staff profiles).
It could also help you target different demographics. LinkedIn offers an easier way to engage with users – 60% of whom are between 25 and 34 years old – somewhere other than Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, without having to produce tailored content like you might for newer platforms (e.g., shortform video on TikTok).
In Fernanda’s experience, it’s also just a nice platform to work with and offers a relaxed way to engage with audiences. You can start good conversations and the positive environment invites other people to comment and react, unlike some of its competitors.
Fernanda’s LinkedIn Tips:
1. Stick to Your Tone of Voice or Content
Fernanda started off trying to be “super professional” (no emojis allowed), but the Archaeology Scotland voice is very celebratory, approachable and friendly, and she realised that audiences don’t necessarily want to see serious and professional content just because they’re seeing you on LinkedIn. Embrace your brand’s personality as you would on any other platform.
2. Use the Data
Your organisation’s LinkedIn profile probably holds a lot of demographic information about your audience (studies, interests, etc) which you could tap into, including who’s searching for your organisation. Archaeology Scotland, for example, noticed that a lot of teachers and educators were liking/sharing their content on LinkedIn, (compared to other platforms like Instagram) which was ideal for them as one of their objectives is to promote learning.
3. Go Beyond Career-Related Content
Fernanda started off by posting career-related content (for example, new Archaeology Scotland interns and what they were doing) but noticed that other type of posts were also working well (for example, posts from teachers interested in their new resources). She also realised that people were looking for more general development opportunities and were coming to the Archaeology Scotland account because they wanted to learn from them.
4. Get Your Visuals Right
Attractive visuals do well on all social media platforms and LinkedIn is no exception. A word of warning though: LinkedIn is a bit like Facebook in that it creates its own collages so try not to post several images with text in them (e.g. infographics) as they don’t look great when it automatically arranges them. You should also try to post videos if you have the capacity.
5. Post in the Mornings or Afternoons
In Fernanda’s experience, the best time to post is early in the morning or late afternoon. You should also keep your target audience in mind. For professionals, post Monday or Thursday but try early on weekends for posts geared towards the general public.
6. Get Inspired
LinkedIn gives you a monthly table of who’s doing well in the sector which is great because you can learn from their profiles. She’s been particularly impressed by Wessex Archaeology, Historic Environment Scotland and Cotswold Archaeology. She also recommends taking time to explore LinkedIn overall, including accounts of individuals because these are essentially influencers who regularly post engaging content. Fernanda has learned a lot from seeing how people post and the styles they use from taking time to get to know the platform.
Head over to LinkedIn to connect with Fernanda or Archaeology Scotland – and don’t forget to sign up to the SHSMG e-newsletter or Follow us on Twitter to hear about our next event and blog post.
