Stanford University professor Chip Heath conducted an experiment with his students. He asked them to deliver a one-minute speech on non-violent crime. Most students presented data, averaging 2.5 statistics per speech. Only one out of 10 students opted to tell a story.
The results were surprising. When the students were asked to recall the speeches just 10 minutes later, 63% remembered the story, and only 5% could recall any of the statistics.
Storytelling is powerful because it relates to human emotions and experiences. Humans correspond directly to stories and easily remember them for long periods.
Storytelling enhances the impact of your message and makes the complex information easy to remember for a longer period.
According to NY Licensing, stories are 22 times more memorable than facts alone.
Storytelling is an ancient tool to resonate with human emotions, but in the modern era, its dimensions have changed. Businesses are now using it to:
LinkedIn is a professional platform that provides opportunities for many people to learn and earn. They are more likely attracted to stories than facts and remember stories for a longer time.
Storytelling has been an effective strategy for LinkedIn posts because it keeps readers interested and shapes your brand’s voice. Posts that include stories often get noticed.
Here are some LinkedIn writing tips that help improve storytelling to make your LinkedIn posts viral.
In this article, we’ll explore how you can effectively increase your LinkedIn posts reach through 7 storytelling techniques. They are:
Let’s discuss each one further.
The foundation of great storytelling is engagement. Using a conversational tone will bring that. People love it when they read like the author is talking with them. Conversational writing creates a friendly tone. It draws readers in and makes them feel like they’re busy in real-time communication with the author.
The first technique you should follow to make your LinkedIn posts viral is to “make them conversational.” To make a LinkedIn post conversational, use:
A conversational style makes your posts less boring and more friendly. It sticks the reader to your content because they feel more “secure” reading it.
Tips:
Instead of saying, “Our company is dedicated to using synergies to drive innovation,” try, “We’re all about working together to create new ideas.”
A curious hook grabs attention immediately. People don’t open the “see more” of a post if it doesn’t resonate with them. The hook itself should contain a factual story to entice a reader to read the whole content.
Include the most interesting part of your story/post in the hook. Make it more suspenseful.
While storytelling helps in reaching more people, eye-catching hooks make them so. If your hook isn’t worth sticking to, your story won’t matter.
Tips:
“Do you know what 90% of successful LinkedIn posts have in common? They all start with a strong hook.”
Numbers capture the reader’s interest quickly. People are naturally inclined towards numbers more than words. Because they differ visually from typical text, readers are much more likely to notice them.
This is a proven technique for making your posts viral on LinkedIn. Use numbers throughout the content, especially in the hook.
Numbers can add readability and grab attention, especially when used in hooks and titles. The numbers provide concrete evidence to support your claims.
Don’t: “Did you know that most LinkedIn users engage with content that includes statistics? Here are some stats that will boost your LinkedIn posts engagement.”
Do: “Did you know that 78% of LinkedIn users engage with content that includes statistics? Here are 5 stats that will boost your LinkedIn posts engagement.”
When readers feel something, they are more likely to engage with your posts.
About 2 million posts are published on LinkedIn every day. This means it’s very hard to get your content seen if you are not a big creator (and no one starts as a “big” creator.) You have to be different to make an impact.
Build a strong emotional connection with your audience throughout the post (including the hook.) This will make them stick to your content. Use emphatic language, supportive phrases like “You’ve got this,” “I believe in you,” “Keep pushing forward,” “Stay strong, you’re doing great,” “I’m here to support you,” etc.
Consider your reader as the character of your story and use the “stream of consciousness” technique to hit their internal thought process.
Tips:
“Ever felt like giving up on a project because it seemed too daunting? I’ve been there too. Here’s how I pushed through…”
Using humor makes text less boring and more engaging. Humor is a powerful tool that brings a taste of joy to your content.
Use a light-hearted joke, hyperbole (exaggeration), puns, or a witty remark to make your LinkedIn posts a viral sensation in no time.
LinkedIn guru Luke Mathews uses this strategy in most of his posts and comments. Here’s how he describes it:
Tips:
Example:
“Ever felt like your to-do list has a to-do list? Welcome to my world. But here’s how I tackled it…”
Personal stories build an emotional connection with your audience. It allows your audience to connect with you on a deeper level. People want to read personal stories to understand real problems and their solutions. This helps them to maintain a professional existence online.
Share your personal stories on LinkedIn. While sharing your personal stories on LinkedIn, follow a problem-solution pattern, use emotional expressions, develop a plot, and keep them reader-centered.
Sharing your personal stories on LinkedIn helps you generate more impressions and viral content on LinkedIn.
Tips:
“Last year, I hit rock bottom with my business. Here’s how I turned it around…”
High-quality visuals are scroll-stoppers on LinkedIn. They make your posts more engaging and eye-catching. Visuals enhance your LinkedIn storytelling.
The use of visuals is another top-notch technique for making your LinkedIn posts viral. You may use images, but the better choice is using carousels.
According to a LinkedIn study, multiple picture posts (carousels) are in the lead and generate significantly more engagement compared to other post types.
Tips:
Writing content for professional platforms like LinkedIn requires a strategic approach. You cannot learn it overnight.
It’s a whole process where you start from zero and move forward with a more sophisticated approach. Once you learn the tactics behind the LinkedIn algorithm, everything seems perfectly easy.
You should have a strong profile (and personal brand) before incorporating these techniques into your LinkedIn content strategy. Consistent “quality” posting, and engagement (with others’ posts) are all you need to grow quicker.
All I needed to get my first 3 clients on LinkedIn was just a comment. Believe me. 🙂
Storytelling has never been an easy job, especially in online writing. You should follow these techniques to increase your impressions and engagement. To build a strong personal brand on LinkedIn, include a mix of storytelling, consistency, and engagement in your LinkedIn strategy.
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I publish posts (daily) and articles (weekly) on LinkedIn about writing and storytelling.
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