How to Schedule an Article on LinkedIn

You can't schedule an article directly on LinkedIn, but that doesn't mean you're stuck posting in real-time. There's a powerful two-part workaround that gives you complete control over your content calendar and helps drive significantly more traffic to your long-form pieces. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from structuring the perfect article to scheduling a promotional post that guarantees it gets the attention it deserves.

Why You Can't Directly Schedule a LinkedIn Article (And Why It's a Good Thing)

First, let's clear up the common confusion. LinkedIn's platform has a native scheduling feature, but it only works for posts - the shorter status updates, images, and videos you see in the main feed. LinkedIn Articles, which function more like blog posts hosted on the platform, must be published manually. When you hit "Publish" on an article, it goes live immediately.

While this might seem like a limitation, it's actually an advantage. It separates the act of publishing from the act of promoting. Your article lives permanently on your profile as a piece of evergreen content, but the real power comes from how you introduce it to the world. By strategically scheduling promotional posts that link to your article, you can control when your audience sees it, test different hooks, and re-promote your content over time without it feeling stale. This two-step process - publish the article, then schedule the announcement post - is the industry-standard method used by top content creators on the platform.

LinkedIn Posts vs. LinkedIn Articles: What's the Difference?

Understanding the distinction is crucial for getting this strategy right:

• LinkedIn Posts: These are your day-to-day updates designed for the feed. They are short-form (under 3,000 characters), optimized for immediate engagement, and have a relatively short lifespan. They are perfect for announcements, quick tips, questions, and linking to external content - including your own LinkedIn Articles. This is the piece of content you will schedule.
• LinkedIn Articles: These are long-form, evergreen content pieces that showcase your deep expertise. They can be thousands of words long, include rich formatting (like headers, blockquotes, and attachments), and are indexed by search engines. They are your pillar content, meant to provide lasting value. This is the piece of content you will publish manually just before your scheduled post goes live.

Part 1: Crafting and Publishing a Remarkable LinkedIn Article

Before you even think about scheduling, you need an article worth sharing. A weak article won't get traction no matter how well you promote it. Follow these steps to set your content up for success.

Choose a Topic That Solves a Problem

The best content on LinkedIn is generous. It shares knowledge, provides a unique perspective, or helps the reader solve a specific problem they face in their professional life. Don't just write about your company's product updates. Instead, focus on challenges your ideal customer or professional connection faces.

• Serve Your Niche: If you're a project manager, write about "The 5 Mistakes That Derail Software Projects (And How to Avoid Them)." If you're in marketing, tackle "Why Your Content Isn't Converting: A 10-Point Checklist."
• Share a Personal Story: Frame your expertise within a personal narrative. A title like "How I Landed 3 Clients in 30 Days With Zero Ad Spend" is far more compelling than "Tips for Finding Clients."
• Listen to Your Network: Pay attention to the questions people ask in relevant LinkedIn Groups or in the comments of posts from industry leaders. Those recurring questions are your content goldmine.

Format for Maximum Readability

No one wants to read a giant wall of text. The LinkedIn Article editor gives you all the tools you need to create a visually appealing and easy-to-scan piece of content. Your goal is to guide the reader's eye down the page effortlessly.

• Craft a Killer Headline: Your headline should make a clear promise. Use numbers ("7 Ways to improve..."), ask a question ("Are You Making This Common Leadership Mistake?"), or use a "how-to" framework.
• Use a High-Quality Cover Image: An article's cover image is its billboard. It must be compelling and professional. Use a tool like Canva to create a custom graphic (Aim for 1920x1080 pixels) or choose a high-resolution stock photo that fits the article's mood.
• Break Up Text Aggressively:
  • Keep paragraphs short (2-3 sentences max).
  • Use subheadings (H2, H3) to organize your thoughts into clear sections.
  • Use bolding and italics to emphasize key points.
  • Use bullet points (like these!) and numbered lists to simplify complex information.
  • Use the quote feature for impactful statements or to cite experts.
• Embed Rich Media: You can embed videos (from YouTube or Vimeo), presentations (from SlideShare), or tweets directly into your article to create a more dynamic experience.

Publishing Your Article and Grabbing the Link

Once your article is written, proofread, and beautifully formatted, it's time to hit "Publish." Immediately after it goes live, LinkedIn will take you to the article's page. Copy the URL from your BROWSER'S address bar. This is the secret link. You will need it in the next step. Save it somewhere handy like a notepad or a draft email.

Part 2: Scheduling the Promotional Post That Drives Results

With your article published and the link in hand, the real strategy begins. This is where you use a third-party social media management tool to schedule the perfect announcement post that sends a flood of traffic to your brand-new article.

Craft a Captivating Teaser Post

Simply dropping a link with "Check out my new article" is a recipe for low engagement. You need to create an appetizer - a compelling, feed-stopping post that makes clicking the link irresistible. A great teaser post has four components:

1. The Hook

Start with a punchy first line that grabs attention. LinkedIn's feed often cuts off posts after the first couple of lines, so make yours count. Your hook could be:

• A Provocative Question: "What if everything you've been told about cold outreach is wrong?"
• A Startling Statistic: "90% of startups fail, but not for the reason you think."
• A Relatable Problem: "That feeling when you spend 5 hours on a proposal and get ghosted? Let's talk about it."

2. The Core Idea

Next, write a few short sentences summarizing the central point or benefit of your article without giving everything away. Think of this as the trailer for your movie. Tease the conflict, hint at the solution, and prompt curiosity.

3. Paste the Article Link

Paste the URL of your LinkedIn Article. Wait a second for LinkedIn to generate a preview box with your article's cover image and headline. This makes your post look clean and professional.

4. The Engagement Prompt (Call to Action)

End your post by telling people what you want them to do. A good CTA encourages both clicks and comments. For instance:

• "You'll find the full 5-step framework in the article. What's your biggest sales challenge right now? Let me know in the comments!"
• "Read the full story in the article linked below. Would love to hear your thoughts on this approach."

5. Targeted Hashtags

Add 3-5 relevant, niche hashtags at the bottom to increase your post's discoverability. Avoid overly broad tags like #business. Opt for more specific tags like #ContentStrategy, #ProjectManagement, or #SaaSMarketing.

A Quick Example: Bad Post vs. Great Post

The Bad Post (low engagement):

Check out my latest article on productivity. Let me know what you think! [link] #productivity #work

The Great Post (high engagement):

I started getting 10 extra hours back in my week, but not by using trendy apps or complicated systems.

Turns out, I was just making one huge mistake in how I planned my day. Most professionals are doing it, and it's killing their focus without them realizing it.

In my latest article, I share the single counter-intuitive change I made that unlocked all this extra time - and the simple template you can use to do the same.

Click the link to get your time back!
[link here]

#TimeManagement #ProductivityTips #Focus #FutureOfWork

See the difference? The second post tells a story, creates an information gap, and makes a specific promise. You *have* to click to find out what the "one huge mistake" is.

Finding the Best Time to Schedule

Scheduling allows you to publish your promotional post when your audience is most likely to be online and engaged. While generic advice often points to Tuesday through Thursday mornings, the real "best time" depends on your specific industry and audience's habits. Check your LinkedIn Analytics for data on when your past posts have performed well. A good scheduling tool can also offer data-backed recommendations for your accounts.

Beyond the Schedule: Advanced Tips to Maximize Reach

Your work isn't done once the post is scheduled. Execute these final steps to give your article the momentum it needs to go viral.

• Engage with Early Comments: When your scheduled post goes live, be ready to engage. Respond to every comment within the first hour. This activity signals to the LinkedIn algorithm that your post is valuable, which helps push it out to a wider audience.
• Reschedule it for Next Week: Don't let your article be a one-hit-wonder. If it's a piece of evergreen content, schedule it to be shared again a week or two later. Write a completely new teaser post using a different hook or pulling another novel insight from the article.
• Tag relevant influencers or people in your post. If you quoted an expert in your article, tag them. This not only gives credit where it's due but also notifies them, which could lead to a reshare that significantly expands your reach. (Just be sure your tags are genuinely relevant - no spamming!)

Final Thoughts

While you can't hit a "schedule" button on a LinkedIn Article itself, this two-part method - publishing the article manually and then scheduling a compelling promo post - gives you far more strategic control. It turns your article launch into a well-timed, high-impact event that drives awareness and establishes your authority.

Managing this process across multiple pieces of content and various social platforms is exactly why we built Postbase. We were tired of wrestling with clunky legacy tools to keep our content calendars organized. Our visual calendar lets you plan out your entire LinkedIn strategy at a glance, our scheduling is rock-solid reliable so your posts go live exactly when you intend, and our unified inbox gathers all your comments in one place. This simplifies your calendar across all platforms, reduces busywork, and eliminates complications.