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This is Episode 43 of This Old New Business weekly business podcast with Jeff Korhan.

In this fast-paced episode you will learn that LinkedIn is making a strong push to be a source of valuable media for business professionals. So, if you want to stand out on LinkedIn, you want to learn how to use the platform to create and publish customer-facing media that lives on your LinkedIn profile – and Viveka von Rosen will show you how.

Our Featured Guest: Viveka von Rosen

Viveka von Rosen is the author of LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day, and known internationally as the “LinkedIn Expert”. Her seminars, workshops and programs have trained over 100,000 people, including executives at several Fortune 500 Companies. Forbes listed her as a top social media influencer for 3 years running, and she has been cited and featured in Money Magazine, CNN, Fortune, Mashable, Social Media Examiner and many other leading publications and events.

Focus on the Benefits of What You Do

LinkedIn wants to be a valuable resource for business professionals, and they reward those contributing to the platform with greater visibility for connecting with new opportunities.

LinkedIn initially became a publishing platform for a limited group of influencers that already had a large fan base. Now everyone in the North America and parts of Europe has access to the LinkedIn Publisher platform, and there are enormous advantages for taking advantage of it.

In fact, Viveka speculates that the time may come when reaching an extended audience with your content on LinkedIn becomes a pay-to-play game, as it is now on Facebook. So, the smart money says take advantage of this free opportunity today to build your influence with LinkedIn publishing.

Why Use LinkedIn Publishing?

#1 – LinkedIn Publisher content significantly enhances your profile by featuring your expertise with text, images, video and Slideshare presentations.

#2 – LinkedIn is searchable, and your long-form content can be rich with keywords to make your profile more discoverable

#3 – LinkedIn is a ready-made community ripe for attracting a larger audience. Think of it as a blogging platform for connecting with like-minded professionals.

10 LinkedIn Publisher Best Practices

#1 – Long-form, in-depth and relevant content that is 900-1500 words is recommended by LinkedIn.

#2 – Create an interesting headline with a question or numbered tips or steps that suggests the value of your informative content.

#3 – Follow appropriate LinkedIn Pulse Channels to learn what type of content is most desired by your audience.

#4 – Choose an attractive header image for your article, with 698 x 400 pixels being optimal.

#5 – Include hyperlinks to related content that further adds value.

#6 – Embed YouTube or Vimeo videos or links to them.

#7 – Choose from up to 3 of the available tags to optimize your content for search and ensure it lands in the appropriate LinkedIn Pulse channel.

#8 – If you have a premium account, study the analytics to learn more about the demographics of those consuming your content and be certain you are attracting the right audience.

#9 – Reach out and engage further with those liking, commenting and sharing your content.

#10 – Always include a signature and a call-to-action with your content to build your network.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on LinkedIn Publishing? Meet me over on Twitter to take the conversation further.

Lighting Round Tips and Advice

Viveka’s Top Sales or Marketing Advice – Really know your audience. Write your LinkedIn profile and create helpful media for them.

Her Favorite Productivity Tip – Viveka recommends 17Hats – a new app for automating workflow for entrepreneurs, and she is also fond of Evernote because it plays well with LinkedIn.

A Quote that has Inspired Viveka’s Success – “All things being equal, people do business with, and refer people to, those they know, like and trust.” Bob Burg

Key Take-Aways

• Use LinkedIn to describe what you bring to the table to help your clients. Also, be mindful that LinkedIn frowns on and downgrades profiles that blatantly stuff keywords, especially to promote products and services.
• If you have a premium account, LinkedIn will suggest keywords for your summary. Include them there and throughout your profile and published content.
• Check out Viveka’s LinkedIn course on Lynda.com. Try it free for 10 days.
• You can learn more about Viveka at LinkedIntoBusiness.com and on Twitter @LinkedInExpert
• And check out the weekly LinkedIn chat to connect with other LinkedIn enthusiasts every Tuesday evening at 8:00 PM Eastern US time.

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About the Author:  Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business and host of This Old New Business podcast.

He helps mainstream businesses adapt their traditional growth practices to a digital world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+