How to Measure the ROI of LinkedIn

How do you know if writing on LinkedIn is worth it for your business? How do you think about the ROI?

Writing on LinkedIn can be incredibly valuable to anyone with a business but I see so many questions (before getting started) about the ROI and knowing if it's working.

I know why you'd want to track this and measure it. But I'd like you to put away your traditional business thinking for a minute and trust me on this one:

IF IT IS WORKING YOU WILL KNOW.

It will become obvious.

Until you get started, you'll want to over-measure it. Once you start, it will be obvious.

- You're getting more comments than you're used to (even if it's three comments vs. one

- You got a random DM from a stranger telling you they also are interested in that thing you wrote about, and they agree with you (and that's one more DM that you've ever gotten before about your content on LinkedIn)

- Customers proactively TELL you that they saw something you wrote on LinkedIn and that's why the reached out

- You just got invited to participate on an industry webinar, and that's the first time that's happened from LinkedIn

- Three people you work with mention how they noticed you've started to write on LinkedIn and hey, it's pretty good. 

- A post you wrote got a good response and gave you an idea for an article that would be great for your website; or ideas for a talk track or an event, podcast episode, or video.

- A company reached out and wanted to see if you would be up for doing some co-marketing together; that's never happened before.

It doesn't always work, but when it works you will know.

You can think about measurement in three buckets:

1. Followers. Are you growing a following? This is not a vanity metric. More followers = more people that have opted in to see your content = more people that will learn about your products/services and how you can help.
2. Inbound. Are you getting more inbound interest for your business than you were before? (customers, employees, investors, partnerships)
3. Learning. Are you getting more ideas for content than before? Writing on LinkedIn can give you the ability to rapidly test ideas/thoughts/concepts related to your business.

Leave me a comment about how you think about LinkedIn and the ROI of the time spent writing here.