How to Post an Article on LinkedIn

Sharing a quick update on LinkedIn is simple, but publishing a full article is a powerful way to establish your authority and connect with an audience on a deeper level. If you've been hesitant to use the platform's long-form publishing feature, this guide is for you. We'll walk through a complete, step-by-step process for crafting, publishing, and promoting a LinkedIn Article that gets noticed.

First Things First: Post vs. Article - What’s the Difference?

Before we get into the "how," let's clarify the "what." Understanding the difference between a LinkedIn Post and a LinkedIn Article is fundamental to using the platform effectively. They serve entirely different purposes.

When to Use a LinkedIn Post

Think of a Post as a short, real-time update. It's the perfect format for:

• Sharing a quick thought or an interesting statistic.
• Asking your network a question to spark conversation.
• Sharing a link to an external website, like a news story or your company's latest blog.
• Posting a photo, video, or document with a short caption.

Posts are designed for immediate engagement. They appear directly in your connections' news feeds, have a 3,000-character limit, and are relatively ephemeral. They are sprints, not marathons.

When to Use a LinkedIn Article

An Article is LinkedIn's built-in blogging platform. It's your space for long-form, evergreen content designed to position you as a thought leader. Choose an Article when you want to:

• Provide an in-depth analysis of an industry topic or trend.
• Share a detailed case study or a personal story about a professional accomplishment.
• Create a comprehensive "how-to" guide or tutorial.
• Republish content from your own blog to reach a new audience.

Articles live permanently on your profile under their own tab, are indexable by search engines like Google, and have a much higher character limit (around 125,000). They are your professional library, built to offer lasting value.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Post an Article on LinkedIn

Ready to go? Here's the complete breakdown of how to bring your article to life on LinkedIn.

Step 1: Start at the Top

Navigate to your LinkedIn home feed. At the top of the feed, in the same box you’d use to create a post, you'll see an option to "Write article." Click it. This will take you to LinkedIn's dedicated publishing editor, a clean, distraction-free interface where you can begin crafting your piece.

Step 2: Add a Compelling Headline

Your headline is the single most important part of your article. It’s what grabs attention in a busy feed and convinces someone to click. Don't rush this step. A great headline is specific, promises value, and piques curiosity.

Here are a few formulas that work well:

• The Listicle: "7 Unconventional Ways to Improve Your Team's Productivity"
• The "How-To": "How to Build a Content Strategy From Scratch (Even with No Budget)"
• The Question: "Is Hybrid Work Actually Hurting Your Company Culture?"
• The Bold Statement: "Why I Quit My Six-Figure Marketing Job to Start Over"

Pro Tip: Take five minutes and brainstorm at least 5-10 different headlines before choosing the strongest one.

Step 3: Choose a High-Quality Cover Image

Every article needs a cover image. This is the visual banner that accompanies your headline everywhere your article is shared. It gives your content a professional polish and helps it stand out visually.

Cover Image Best Practices:

• Dimensions: The recommended size is 1920 x 1080 pixels. This 16:9 aspect ratio looks good across both desktop and mobile devices.
• Content: Your image should be high-resolution and relevant to your topic. Avoid generic, cheesy stock photos. Abstract visuals, relevant graphics, or even a professional photo of you can work well.
• Source: You can create custom graphics using tools like Canva. For high-quality free stock photos, check out sites like Unsplash or Pexels.

Step 4: Write and Format the Body of Your Article

Now it's time to write. As you craft your article directly in the LinkedIn editor, focus on making it highly readable and engaging. No one wants to read a huge wall of text.

Here’s how to format for success:

• Break it Up: Keep your paragraphs short and focused - ideally 2-4 sentences max. White space is your friend.
• Use Headings: The editor allows you to format text as "Headline" (H1) and "Sub-headline" (H2). Use these to create a clear logical structure for your article. This helps readers scan your content and find the parts most relevant to them.
• Emphasize Key Points: Use bold and italics to draw attention to important words or phrases. Use bulleted lists (like this one!) to make information easier to digest.
• Add Rich Media: You can embed images, videos (from YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), and even slideshows directly into your article. This is a great way to break up text and add more value.
• Include a Call-to-Action (CTA): End your article by telling your readers what you want them to do next. Do you want them to leave a comment with their own experience? Follow you on LinkedIn? Sign up for your newsletter? A clear CTA gives your article a purpose beyond just sharing information.

Step 5: Get Ready to Publish

Once your article is written and formatted, you’re almost done. Click the "Next" button in the top right corner. This will bring up a smaller window that looks a lot like the standard post-creation box. This is where you write the introductory text that accompanies your article in the news feed. This step is critical.

Your article's headline will be displayed automatically. Your job is to add a few compelling sentences to get people hooked. Pique their curiosity:

• "I spent 10 years working in project management. Here are the 3 biggest lessons I learned that no one ever talks about."
• "Struggling to get traction with your content? You might be making one of these common mistakes. Let's break it down in my latest article."
• "A personal story: Here’s what happened when our biggest project failed, and how we recovered."

This is also where you should add 3-5 relevant hashtags. Choose hashtags that your target audience follows. For this article, for example, good hashtags would be #LinkedInMarketing, #ContentStrategy, or #PersonalBranding.

Post-Publish: How to Promote Your Article for Maximum Reach

Hitting "Publish" isn't the final step - it's the beginning! A great article deserves wide promotion. If you don't actively share it, few people will ever see it. Here’s a checklist to get the most mileage out of your content.

1. Engage with Every Comment

As people start reading and commenting, respond to every single one of them. This is non-negotiable. Not only is it good etiquette, but it signals to the LinkedIn algorithm that your content is valuable and sparks conversations, which can boost its visibility in the feed.

2. Share it More Than Once

Don't be afraid to share your article link again a week or a month later with a new introduction. Frame it differently. For example: "For anyone who missed it a few weeks back, I wrote down my thoughts on [topic]." Not everyone saw it the first time.

3. Announce it on Other Platforms

Cross-promote your LinkedIn article on your other social media channels. Share the link on X, Facebook, Threads, or wherever else you have an audience. Let people know you have valuable content waiting for them on LinkedIn.

4. Send it to Your Email List

If you have an email newsletter, your subscribers are your most engaged audience. Send them a personal note sharing why you wrote the article and include a direct link. This is a fantastic way to drive high-quality traffic from day one.

5. Tag Relevant People and Pages (Thoughtfully!)

If you mention a specific company, influential person, or a colleague in your article, tag them in your promotional post. Don't spam people, but if your mention is genuine and relevant, a tag can get your article in front of their network as well.

6. Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose

A single LinkedIn Article is a goldmine of smaller content pieces. You can:

• Turn key takeaways into a carousel post a week later.
• Record a short video summarizing the main points.
• Pull out interesting stats or quotes and create standalone text or image posts.

This approach maximizes the value of the effort you put into writing your original piece and keeps your ideas circulating in front of your audience.

Final Thoughts

Posting an article on LinkedIn is more than just sharing text, it's a strategic move to build your professional brand, share your expertise, and create assets that drive opportunities over the long term. By following a structured process for writing and a consistent plan for promotion, you can turn your insights into powerful content that connects with the right people.

Crafting great long-form content is the first half of the equation, getting it in front of people consistently is the second. Our goal at Postbase is to simplify that second half. We designed our platform for modern social media, helping you plan your promotional posts on a visual calendar, schedule them across all your accounts at once, and manage all the replies and comments from a single, unified inbox. It makes the job of distributing and engaging around your content feel streamlined, not chaotic.