LinkedIn’s Most Underutilised Feature: The LinkedIn Newsletter

There’s a LinkedIn product that very few are making the most of.

It’s not video. It’s not ads. It’s LinkedIn Newsletters.

What are LinkedIn Newsletters?

Newsletters are a way to talk about a professional topic you’re passionate about on a regular basis through LinkedIn.

They can be set up by brands or people for all LinkedIn members to subscribe to.

Here’s the useful bit: when you create a newsletter, existing followers are alerted to it, inviting them to subscribe so you can create a following from day one. They also make it easy to create buzz around them, with push, in-app, and email notifications pinged to subscribers every time you post.

Why do LinkedIn Newsletters matter more now?

LinkedIn recently published guidance on getting cited by AI tools. Key here was Articles, which drive around 60% of citations.

Why?

Their longer-form nature allows for depth of insight which LLMs LOVE 💚

The same is true for Newsletters.

Because they’re longer-form, regular pieces of content, that often dive deep into niche topics, they’re great for AI visibility.

PLUS, they’re easy to distribute and get in front of key audiences, meaning metrics can be great on them too. When attention matters more than ever, that’s important.

What content to include in a LinkedIn Newsletter?

Your LinkedIn Newsletters can be whatever you want to make it.

Broadly, we see four different types of Newsletter, including:

1. A regular post round-up in which you pull out key posts from the past month, helping extend their organic reach, and giving them a new lease of life (this is a great way to fuel a Newsletter with no additional effort or content creation!)

2. Long-form topic deep-dives, or personal notes, especially for execs, providing a format to go all-in on a niche topic, or round-up of recent events (similar to LinkedIn articles)

3. A collection of third-party content you find interesting, whether from employees across the business, wider industry commentators, or broader news sources

You could also consider LinkedIn Newsletters to be a Substack equivalent, distributed straight to your existing followers with the potential to grow your audience too. 

Who does LinkedIn Newsletters well?

Newsletters can be used by both brand pages, and people, and can centre on any topic.

A few we think are interesting are:

• Google’s Monthly AI Recap, published each month to summarise their AI announcements, updates, and breakthroughs

• PwC’s ‘The Spotlight’, a monthly deep dive into the issues affecting us all, told through short-form video bites featuring senior execs

• Vodafone’s monthly policy digest from telecoms across Europe

• Virgin Media 02’s Monthly Social Wrap, re-linking to key content shared throughout the month 

• BP Energy in Focus, a bi-weekly summary of corporate announcements from across the organisation  

• Priniple Perspectives by Ray Dalio, an ongoing flow of research and perspectives about the economy, markets, life and work

• Ask Richard by Richard Branson, used as a format for answering audience questions with long-form answers

JLL’s Christian Ulbrich on Leadership Perspectives, reviewing key events both within, and outside JLL, from Davos, to their latest organisational strategy

So, what’s the opportunity?

We see Newsletters as LinkedIn’s most underutilised feature. Here are three ways you can trial them:

1. As a brand page, to share regular summaries of company news, or a download of content from the past month (ICYMI!)

2. From an exec page, to demonstrate deep expertise in specialist topic areas

3. Within a paid journey, with ads re-targeting users who opened and engaged with your Newsletter, forming part of a wider customer journey

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