In our recent DeHavilland Masterclass, we were delighted to welcome public affairs and strategic communications specialist Esenam Agubretu, who walked us through the best practices of LinkedIn for Public Affairs.
Here are the most important takes from the masterclass and how you can integrate LinkedIn in your daily work.
Why LinkedIn is the best platform for public affairs
Credibility is what distinguishes LinkedIn from other platforms. On LinkedIn, you are presenting with your professional identity and communicating your views in any policy discourse. This helps to build your personal brand.
Your name also allows you to easily target and connect with policymakers and MPs, but also people working in government departments and committees, as well as business leaders and industry stakeholders.
What effective public affairs content looks like
The struggle on every social media platform, is to know how you can produce successful content and make an impact.
Balance your posts between visibility and value. Do not just share updates after they happen but build conversations with your audience adding value to ongoing policy discussions.
Aim to engage. Any post that explains why an issue matters now, what the organisation’s position is and how it relates to wider debates will create engagement. Your peers are always happy to contribute with their views and opinions.
Understanding LinkedIn’s features and algorithm
LinkedIn’s algorithm may be less obvious than other platforms, but you should stick to the following guidelines:
- Be consistent in your posting
- Produce variety in your content
- Work on engagement to boost visibility
- Create unique content
Reach can be improved by simple practices, such as placing links in the comments rather than in the main post.
Try to use all the features available. For example, LinkedIn Live is a good tool for public affairs professionals to announce timely updates and can help with reach as well.
LinkedIn as a stakeholder mapping tool
LinkedIn is not good just for publishing content, you can also use it as a research tool to:
- Identify key stakeholders and decision-makers
- Track conversations on specific policy issues
- Understand who is engaging with what content
Engagement signals such as likes, comments and reposts are also useful insights to know the interests and the priorities of stakeholders.
LinkedIn allows you to map organisational structures and look up the people that matter to you the most and reach out to them.
What to avoid when using LinkedIn
When using LinkedIn avoid:
- Posting without a clear strategy
- Creating content irregularly
- Sharing announcements without adding insight
- Failing to connect content to audience needs
Our next Masterclasses
At DeHavilland, we bring together public affairs professionals to share practical tips and real-world experience.
We cover everything from policy engagement to core public affairs skills, as well as industry-specific insights. All sessions allow for attendees to ask questions and develop their understanding of the touchpoints for engaging with policy and legislation. Sign up now so you never miss our masterclasses.
