Here's a LinkedIn post that stopped me in my tracks today. Media analyst Thomas Baekdal questioned the common LinkedIn practice of putting the URL of an article in the comment section instead of in the main post.

To my surprise, the comments seem to debunk this myth.

Like many of you, I've been operating under the assumption that LinkedIn is allergic to links. Sneaking them into the comments improves reach and visibility of the post (or rather it prevents posts being downranked).

Either way, I considered this conventional wisdom and as of lately, quite a few have done well with this approach - nothing crazy - like this one about Jim Waterson's London Centric, nearly on 100 engagements. This one and this one are on 50 more or less. I have posted with the links in the post, and I'd say it's rare to crack 30 engagements.

So, I did a very unscientific test this week with a standard post about an ex-BBC staffer's take on the BBC-Trump drama. A big piece. I put the link in the post and after a couple of hours it had just one like. I then edited the post and put the link back in the comment section, and now its sat on 38. Go figure.

But then I went back to Thomas' post and one of his commentators pulled out an answer from the horse's mouth. A top LinkedIn exec says the problem isn't the links, but that posts are usually boring. Don't skimp out on the insights and advice, and you'll give yourself a fighting chance.

It doesn't explain the u-turn with the previous post. But I naturally try not to do a "Here's my interview with X, go check it out" post.

What's working for you? Have you noticed a difference since switching strategy? Hit reply and let me know.

📰 Today’s must-read

When it comes to marketing podcasts, news publishers usually opt to cut out a few of the best soundbites and push them onto socials.

There are levels to this game, though. Diary of a CEO's Anthony Smith shares with us his ten-step process to creating podcast trailers: cinematic teasers that showcase upcoming episodes.

Tell me this doesn't make you want to reach for the popcorn:

Check out our article with Anthony Smith and all his top tips:

"You don’t need to be the most technically gifted, but if you have this skill stack — storytelling, psychology, care — that’s your unique gift."
DOAC’s Anthony Smith on creating podcast trailers
The brains behind cinematic teasers reveals his 10-step process to building up hype for episodes
Journalism UKJacob Granger

🗳️ Community pulse

Shout-out to Brice Agamemnon for jumping on a call with me yesterday to share his thoughts on ... well, what you're reading right now!

Brice is a B2B newsletter specialist and there was plenty of actionable feedback for us.

He had a great idea about how to deliver exclusive value to you, reading this: exclusive series.

We've run a few popular series on the website over the years, some highlights being:

Would you be interested in getting some new and exclusive series through the newsletter? And if so, what you'd like these to be about? Let me know.

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đź’¬ Conversation starter

In case you missed it over the weekend, Sky Sports shut down its TikTok account, Halo, which was supposed to be female-focused and ended up becoming sexist.

Sky said the TikTok account aimed "to build a welcoming community for female fans, whether casual or committed, through fun, trend-led, and relatable content".

This is exactly the mistake that legacy media routinely makes when entering new social media platforms, according to journalist and content creator Sophia Smith Galer. These are brand goals. But successful and trusted content creators aim for the opposite: audience needs.

Sophia provides a handy checklist so you don't make the same blunder.

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Thanks for reading - Jacob Granger, community editor

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Jacob Granger
Jacob Granger
Jacob Granger is the community editor of JournalismUK