Why you should use LinkedIn for public affairs

This summer’s riots fuelled by social media use and controversial statements by Elon Musk have prompted an exodus of some users from X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, with others vowing to reduce their usage. This shift has led many to consider alternative platforms, with some people migrating to Threads. 

Meanwhile, LinkedIn, another social media platform which had previously been dismissed as a site for résumé and self-promotion, has been emerging as a serious platform for political engagement.

With parliament returning from recess today and the latest departures from X – which became a hub for political discourse, where politicians, journalists, and the public interacted extensively – LinkedIn should be recognised for its increasing role in shaping political discourse and be adopted as a key part of a public affairs strategy. Here's why: 

A growing user base

LinkedIn’s popularity surge is evident. According to the Social App Report 2024, there are 990 million members, with about 42.9 million LinkedIn users in the United Kingdom. Key figures, including politicians, Fortune 500 CEOs, and influencers, are increasingly active on the platform. This growth creates a multiplier effect, attracting more users  and engagement, with the site now hosting a diverse audience, from students and job seekers to professionals and corporate leaders. 

From a public affairs point of view, this expanding and diverse user base makes the platform a valuable space for engagement. It offers opportunities to connect with industry stakeholders, journalists, and everyday people who could become potential allies, campaign backers or clients. 

Moreover, there has been increasing engagement by MPs, ministers and government departments on the platform, with many of the newly elected MPs (including former lobbyists) actively engaging on LinkedIn, making it an ideal platform to catch their attention and foster connections.

Great tool for ‘winning friends and influencing people’

Public affairs revolves around building relationships, showcasing thought leadership, and influencing key stakeholders – all of which LinkedIn excels at. The platform's connection-based model promotes professional yet warm interactions. Being in the circles of people or pages you are connected to, provides an opportunity to be informed about relevant developments, engage in meaningful conversations, and build lasting relationships which can be harnessed when needed. It provides an avenue to further interact with people who engage with your posts, take conversations further through direct messaging and build new relationships.

Even its most mocked features which enable people to share work updates or stories, foster a conviviality that is difficult to replicate on other platforms and provide an opportunity to strengthen relationships. The opportunity to join groups and to interact with industry stakeholders, facilitates networking with like-minded professionals and staying updated on political/policy issues. 

The platform's thought leadership capabilities also allow public affairs professionals to position themselves or their organisations as industry leaders. This can attract the attention of policymakers and key stakeholders, lead to requests for commentary, result in new clients among others. This ability to ‘thinkfluence’ can be done through posts that share insights on industry and political developments, uploading position papers and highlighting key events. 

Consistent posting too can pave the way to lead conversations and news cycles, for instance by being featured in LinkedIn News. The follow button amplifies this advantage by allowing a vast majority of people to follow a page or to read and engage with posts by people whom they are connected to.

Balancing proactive and reactive engagement

LinkedIn offers the flexibility to balance proactive and reactive engagement, a crucial skill for public affairs professionals. The platform’s tools, such as the ability to schedule posts and its diverse content formats (eg carousels and documents), enable a consistent and strategic posting regime.

Unlike X, where the fast news cycle and chronological timeline display could render late posts seemingly redundant, LinkedIn works well for real time reaction or thoughtful commentary even days after an occurrence.  

It also fosters the achievement of equilibrium between the urgent and the important through the ability to schedule consistent update posts related to the work of an organisation while responding in a timely manner to breaking news through statement reactions. 

It facilitates a diversified posting regime that strikes the balance between engaging and professional content that is suited to varying attention spans and levels of interest. The ability to use eye-catching media forms such as carousels and pictures, in tandem with document uploads and written text enable the showcase of the breadth of an organisation’s  work that can be consumed in a passive manner while building a reputation. 

When used consistently, this versatility allows organisations to maintain a steady and engaging stream of content and build a robust portfolio of work through even seemingly unremarkable updates that help build credibility and visibility, making it easier to influence stakeholders over time.

In summary, LinkedIn's growing influence, relationship-building capabilities, and flexibility make it an essential platform for public affairs strategies. As users seek alternatives to X, LinkedIn offers a unique opportunity to engage effectively in political discourse and influence key decisions.

Coming next week Part II: How to use LinkedIn for public affairs

Esenam Agubretu is parliamentary and regulatory affairs manager at London Chamber of Commerce.