8 Viral Linkedin Post Examples And Why They Went Viral

LinkedIn posts that captivate our attention and spread like wildfire across our feeds—they're hard to miss.

Have you ever wondered how and why they go viral, amassing thousands of views, likes, and comments?

We certainly have!

That's why we decided to delve into the mechanics of LinkedIn virality.

We selected 8 standout LinkedIn posts and examined everything from their topics and writing styles to their formatting to uncover the secrets of their success.

So, let's dive in and explore them together!

List of 8 Viral LinkedIn Post Examples to Inspire You

We'll look at each of the viral LinkedIn post examples one by one and break down what makes them tick.

Our analysis will commence with the initial part of the post—the portion visible in the feed before the 'See More' button is clicked. This is where the first engagement factors come into play.

After that, we'll analyze the rest of the post to see how it keeps people engaged once they click 'See More' and what encourages them to interact with it by liking, commenting, or sharing it.

Viral Post #1: Hyper-Effective LinkedIn Post Strategy

We begin our exploration of viral LinkedIn posts with a compelling piece by Charles Miller, an adept online writer. His expertise in crafting engaging content is evident in this viral post.

The Hook Analysis

The post opens with a striking headline that immediately captures attention, prompting readers to pause their scrolling.

Let's dissect the headline to understand its effectiveness:

✒️ Triggering Curiosity: The phrase "I recently discovered" sparks curiosity. It suggests fresh, exclusive information that's just been uncovered, making the reader feel privy to new, advantageous insights.

✒️ Promising Excellence: The term "hyper-effective LinkedIn post strategy" uses "hyper" to signify exceptional efficacy, setting it above standard strategies.

This promise of superior tactics attracts anyone eager to enhance their LinkedIn presence, from casual readers to active content creators.

Building Engagement

Charles masterfully maintains interest with the following claims:

👉 Offer to Share Insights: By stating he will "let the reader steal this strategy today," Charles builds further curiosity and introduces urgency. The use of "today" suggests a limited-time offer, while "steal" implies high value.

👉 Lead-in to More Content: The phrase "Here it is:" serves as a smooth transition, urging readers to expand the post to learn more by clicking 'See More'.

Content Delivery

The post continues to impress as Charles delivers on his promise:

✍️ Clear Explanation: He outlines the strategy—melding significant life events with valuable content—to provide a clear, concise description of his approach.

✍️ Practical Examples: He includes three examples to illustrate how to apply this strategy, enhancing understanding and applicability.

✍️ Engaging Conclusion: Charles ends with a call-to-action, encouraging readers to try the strategy themselves. He adds a personal touch with a postscript featuring an emoji, directing readers to the comments for more on his newsletter, thereby promoting further engagement.

Overall Structure

The post's structure is straightforward and well-formatted, making it accessible and enjoyable to read.

The combination of an intriguing headline, engaging content, and strategic structuring explains why this post achieved viral status.

Plus, it likely helped Charles gain many subscribers to his newsletter.

💡 Pro Tip

Utilize AuthoredUp's library of over 200 handcrafted hooks to inspire and craft engaging content that attracts and captivates readers across various storytelling contexts.

Viral Post #2: Understanding Changes in LinkedIn Visibility

Richard van der Blom is recognized as a leading expert on LinkedIn and is highly regarded for his deep understanding of the platform.

When his posts go live, his audience pays attention. And his recent post is no exception. Let's break down why this post resonated so strongly.

Capturing Attention

This Richard’s post opens powerfully with the following elements:

✒️ Direct Address to Audience: "Just a quick shout out to content creators!" This immediate acknowledgment of his audience sets the stage, making it clear that this message is specifically for them.

✒️Identifying Common Concerns: Richard taps into a widespread issue among his readers—declining impressions and reach on their posts.

By stating, "It's probably not just you," he offers reassurance, emphasizing a shared experience.

This validation, especially coming from a trusted source, adds significant weight to his message.

Offering Insights and Reassurance

Richard mentions in his post that his team has noticed the same trends and provides critical insight: while reach has decreased, engagement remains robust.

This suggests that the quality of interactions is high, even if fewer people see the posts.

Such information is crucial for content creators, as it shifts focus from quantity to engagement quality.

Engaging and Encouraging Interaction

In the subsequent part of the post, Richard continues to engage his audience effectively with:

👉 Data Presentation: He shares the data collected in a manner that is clear and accessible, reinforcing the post's value.

👉 Interactive Questions: Richard poses 2 relevant questions to his readers, making it easy for them to engage by commenting on their own experiences. This technique not only fosters a community discussion but also boosts the post's visibility through increased engagement.

👉 Strong Call to Action (CTA): He concludes with multiple CTAs, encouraging readers to stay connected by following his profile, activating notifications, and connecting directly. These CTAs help maintain ongoing engagement with his audience.

Overall Structure

Richard's post exemplifies how to craft a viral LinkedIn post by combining:

☑️ relevance,

☑️ clear communication,

☑️ valuable insights,

☑️ interactive elements, and

☑️ strong calls to action.

For those aiming to enhance their LinkedIn strategy, emulating Richard's approach could significantly increase the impact and reach of their posts.

💡 Pro Tip

Leverage AuthoredUp's library of over 150 customizable CTAs to drive audience action and boost post conversion rates, tailored to your content type and objectives.

Viral Post #3: Revamping Your LinkedIn Job Ads

Let’s now review one of my posts that went viral.

It serves as an excellent case study on unexpectedly using common elements to capture attention and drive engagement.

Crafting the Hook

The post begins with 3 familiar phrases:

• "We are hiring,"
• "Join our team," and
• "Here are our open positions."

At first glance, these may not seem particularly compelling.

However, their commonality is precisely what makes them effective hooks.

These phrases are universally recognized by anyone who has ever skimmed job ads, setting the stage for a twist.

Generating Curiosity

By leveraging these well-known phrases, the post instantly resonates with a wide audience, sparking curiosity with the prompt, "Wait, why is she writing about this and what she has to say about it?"

This approach is an effective method to halt the scrolling of both job seekers and recruiters, urging them to read further.

Delivering the Unexpected

After capturing the reader's attention, the post introduces a surprising assertion: "If this is the way you are communicating your job ads on LinkedIn, you are losing candidates."

This statement challenges the status quo, directly addressing HR managers, recruiters, and hiring authorities—those who craft these ads and are invested in their effectiveness.

Relating to the Audience

The content resonates on 2 levels:

✒️ For Recruiters and HR Professionals: It provides a direct challenge to their current practices, prompting them to consider why their familiar methods might be failing and how they can improve.

✒️ For the General LinkedIn Audience: Almost everyone on LinkedIn has encountered these types of job ads, and seeing a critique of a common practice piques interest in learning more to avoid these pitfalls themselves.

Building Further Interest

The phrase "Here is why 👇" at the end of the introduction adds an element of intrigue, encouraging readers to click "See more" to uncover the detailed explanation provided in the full post.

Explaining the Problem

Upon expanding the post, readers find a detailed analysis of why traditional posting methods are ineffective, including which key target groups are being missed and why reaching these groups is crucial for effective recruitment.

Encouraging Action and Interaction

The post concludes with a call to action, urging readers to rethink their strategies and make necessary adjustments.

Strategic use of hashtags enhances discoverability and broadens reach, while a concluding question would invite comments, increasing engagement and potential virality.

Reflection and Improvement

Reflecting on the post's success, considerations for future improvements include:

👉 Enhanced Formatting: Utilizing tools like AuthoredUp to add formatting and emojis could make the post more visually appealing and easier to read.

✒️ Optimized Hashtag Use: Incorporating up to five relevant hashtags could further extend reach.

✒️ Engagement Boosts: Adding a question at the post's end could foster more interaction, amplifying its viral potential.

💡 Pro Tip

Use AuthoredUp's feature-rich editor to enhance your posts with bold or italic text, bullet points, emojis, and more, creating visually engaging content.

Viral Post #4: Debunking SEO Stability Myths

Kevin Indig's post gained viral status on LinkedIn by challenging a common misconception in the digital marketing world—that SEO rankings are static once achieved.

This topic is particularly resonant for anyone involved in managing or optimizing websites.

Crafting the Hook

The post opens with a compelling line: "A lot of marketers assume SEO ranks are stable."

This statement serves as an excellent hook because it directly challenges a prevalent belief among its target audience, creating an immediate sense of intrigue and skepticism.

When people read that "a lot of marketers assume," it implies a gap in understanding or a potential oversight, which naturally piques curiosity.

Engaging the Audience

Kevin's approach raises immediate questions among readers:

"Why do a lot of marketers assume this? And why is Kevin saying it's wrong?"

These questions engage the audience right from the start, prompting them to delve deeper into the content to uncover the answers.

Explaining the Misconception

Kevin builds on his initial statement by emphasizing the common but outdated belief that once you achieve certain SEO rankings, they will remain constant.

This setup leads to a natural progression into why this belief persists but is fundamentally flawed.

Revealing the Truth

After establishing the common misconception, Kevin introduces the reality: "That's how it used to be. But not anymore."

This revelation shifts the narrative, acknowledging past truths while highlighting recent changes in SEO dynamics.

He then uses a simple, relatable example to illustrate how SEO rankings are, in fact, quite volatile and subject to change.

This method of presenting a counterpoint followed by an explanation helps maintain the reader's engagement and trust.

Providing Solutions

Once he has fully captured their attention with the emotional rollercoaster of realizing a long-held belief might be incorrect, Kevin outlines practical steps that marketers can take to adapt to the new realities of SEO.

This transition from identifying a problem to offering solutions is a key element that adds value to the post, making it not just informative but also actionable.

Conclusion and Impact

Kevin's strategic use of a controversial statement to grab attention, followed by valuable insights and actionable advice, results in a post that not only attracts views but also encourages discussion and sharing.

His post effectively keeps the audience engaged, educates them on current SEO practices, and prompts them to share the insights with others, enhancing its viral potential.

With 15 shares, which is significant for such content, this approach proved highly effective in spreading the message across LinkedIn.

💡 Pro Tip

Take advantage of AuthoredUp's Drafts feature to capture and save post ideas for later, allowing you to conveniently jot down notes and prepare posts at your own pace.

Viral Post #5: Challenging Conventional LinkedIn Networking

Sandy Zhen's post is a prime example of how a well-crafted message that combines a strong headline, a controversial topic, and a personal, relatable approach can captivate and engage a large audience on LinkedIn.

Captivating Headline

Sandy's post leverages a powerful headline to draw immediate attention: "80% of LinkedIn is networking backwards."

This bold statement, paired with a specific statistic, stirs curiosity and urgency.

It prompts readers to question their own networking practices and piques interest in discovering the right approach.

Intensifying Curiosity

The following statement, "People will HATE this post," adds an element of controversy.

This not only heightens curiosity but also introduces a sense of challenge and defiance. Readers are compelled to uncover the reasons behind the potential backlash and to determine their own stance, driving them to engage more deeply with the content.

Promising Bold Revelations

The phrase "But I'm calling it out regardless" signals Sandy's confidence and commitment to truth-telling, regardless of potential criticism.

This show of confidence is attractive to readers, as it promises insights that are not only honest but potentially transformative in understanding LinkedIn networking.

Why the Post Went Viral?

Sandy's post excels due to several factors:

👉 Relatable Topic: The discussion centers around "engagement pods," a contentious issue within the LinkedIn community.

By addressing a divisive topic, Sandy taps into ongoing conversations and debates among users.

👉 Controversial Stand: Portraying users of engagement pods as part of the problem stirs significant conversation and debate, naturally leading to a viral spread as people share and comment on the post to express their opinions.

👉 Personal Insight and Advice: Sandy shares her personal approach to networking on LinkedIn, advocating for generosity in engagement.

This advice not only resonates with readers who aspire to genuine connections but also contrasts sharply with the manipulative tactics discussed, further enhancing the appeal of her message.

👉 Community and Connection: By encouraging a more authentic way of interaction on LinkedIn, Sandy not only challenges the status quo but also invites her audience to join her in a higher standard of networking.

This approach not only wins respect but also fosters a sense of community among readers who value integrity over tactics.

Overall Impression

By boldly addressing a common but seldom-discussed problem, Sandy sparked widespread discussion while also positioning herself as a thought leader advocating for meaningful change in networking practices on the platform.

💡 Pro Tip

AuthoredUp's Reaction Timeline can help you to understand audience reactions to different post styles and emotions, helping you craft content that truly resonates with your followers.

Viral Post #6: 'Women Don't Like Sales.'

Jenny Anderson tackles a prevalent stereotype in her viral LinkedIn post, addressing the claim that "Women don't like sales."

Her direct and assertive approach to debunking this misconception makes her post particularly engaging and impactful.

Engaging Opening

Jenny begins her post with the provocative statement, "Women don't like sales," and immediately counters it with, "No. You're wrong."

This bold opening serves multiple purposes:

✒️ Captures Attention: The straightforward contradiction grabs readers' attention by challenging a common belief.

✒️ Sets the Tone: It establishes Jenny as a confident and authoritative voice ready to challenge societal norms and misconceptions.

Building Curiosity and Suspense

Following her assertive opening, Jenny employs a strategic ellipsis after starting to list reasons, "Women make up..."

This technique effectively builds suspense and curiosity, compelling readers to click 'See More' to discover the full argument and data she presents.

Providing Evidence

In the expanded content of the post, Jenny supports her refutation with compelling statistics that illustrate women's involvement and success in sales.

This data not only strengthens her argument but also adds credibility to her claim.

Addressing Broader Issues

Jenny goes further to explore why women may be underrepresented in certain sales roles, specifically in SaaS sales.

She provides a thoughtful analysis and suggests systemic changes needed to encourage more women to consider careers in tech sales.

Practical Advice

The post concludes with actionable advice for companies on how to attract more women to tech sales positions.

This practical guidance adds value to her post and also engages HR professionals and industry leaders directly, expanding the post's relevance and impact.

Strategic Hashtag Use

By incorporating relevant hashtags, Jenny ensures that her post reaches a broader audience interested in topics like gender equality, sales, and tech industry trends.

This strategic use of hashtags helps increase the visibility and viral potential of her post.

Overall Impression

Jenny Anderson’s post is an excellent example of how addressing a controversial topic with clear arguments, backed by data, and concluded with practical advice can resonate widely on LinkedIn.

Her approach challenges misconceptions while providing a pathway for positive change, making her post both viral and impactful.

By combining an assertive tone with valuable insights and actionable tips, she effectively engages a diverse audience and fosters meaningful discussions around gender roles in sales.

💡 Pro Tip

Enhance your hashtag strategy using AuthoredUp’s comprehensive table to track:

• frequency,
• comments,
• reactions,
• shares, and
• engagement rates.

This can help you to optimize topic organization and performance monitoring.

Viral Post #7: Clarifying Content Marketing Misconceptions

Erin Balsa's post tackles a common yet often misunderstood aspect of content marketing: the difference between an editorial calendar and a content strategy.

Her clear focus on clarifying this distinction appeals to both seasoned marketers and newcomers alike, making her post particularly engaging and informative.

Setting the Stage

Erin's post starts off by addressing a prevalent misconception head-on with her title: "An editorial calendar is NOT a content strategy."

This assertive statement immediately sets the expectation that she will be clearing up confusion, which is a compelling draw for her audience.

The effectiveness of debunking misconceptions has been proven in previous viral posts, and Erin adeptly uses this approach to capture her audience's attention.

Engaging Content Structure

In the initial visible portion of her post, Erin clearly defines what an editorial calendar is.

This strategy effectively piques the reader's curiosity about the broader concept of a content strategy, compelling them to click 'See More' for a fuller understanding.

By only revealing part of the information upfront, she leverages the power of curiosity to drive engagement.

Educational Deep Dive

Beyond the initial hook, Erin's post delves into the specifics of what constitutes a content strategy, distinguishing it from the simpler concept of an editorial calendar.

She enriches her post by detailing the components that typically make up a comprehensive content strategy.

This not only educates her audience but also adds immense value for anyone looking to enhance or develop their own content marketing efforts.

Practical Insights

By sharing the elements she includes in content strategies for her clients, Erin offers practical, actionable advice that readers can apply in their own marketing practices.

This practical approach solidifies her expertise in the field while also making the post extremely useful for her audience, which increases the likelihood of engagement and sharing.

Overall Impression

Erin Balsa’s post exemplifies how effectively addressing a specific misconception within a professional field can resonate with a broad audience.

By clearly distinguishing between commonly conflated concepts, providing detailed explanations, and offering actionable insights, Erin:

• clarifies a complex topic and
• establishes herself as a knowledgeable and reliable source in content marketing.

This combination of educational content and practical advice is precisely why her post achieved notable success on LinkedIn.

💡 Pro Tip

Use AuthoredUp's Post Highlight to closely examine and compare the performance of individual posts through detailed stats, mentions, hashtags, and links, enabling a comprehensive analysis.

Viral Post #8: A Personal Journey in Marketing

Nick Bennet's post offers a refreshing change from the typical business-focused content on LinkedIn by sharing a personal narrative about his career growth and challenges.

Personal stories resonate deeply on social media because they tap into our innate love for storytelling and human connection.

Captivating Beginning

Nick begins his post with an honest revelation about his initial salary when he started in marketing, "When I started off in my career as a marketer, I was making under 75k."

This straightforward admission sets the stage for a relatable journey of career progression, which instantly grabs the attention of readers.

It's a compelling way to start because it prompts curiosity about how he evolved from that point to his current success.

Building Intrigue

In just the next sentence, Nick adds layers to his story by mentioning his experiences with company acquisitions and being let go.

These snippets of his career ups and downs further engage readers, who are eager to learn more about how these experiences contributed to his career path and personal growth.Detailed Narrative

As the post unfolds, Nick describes how he strategically improved his earnings and job positions over time, eventually focusing on building his personal audience—a wise long-term career move.

This part of the story not only provides insight into his professional strategies but also serves as a guide for others looking to navigate their career paths effectively.

Provocative and Inspirational Elements

👉 Challenging Perceptions: "Some may call it job hopping, although do people even say that anymore, considering you have to look out for yourself?"

This rhetorical question challenges the negative connotation of job hopping and aligns with modern career norms where frequent changes are often necessary for growth.

👉 Motivational Message: "Not bad for a marketer who was a terrible student and only cared about playing baseball through school."

This revelation is particularly inspiring because it showcases that past academic struggles do not dictate professional success, broadening the appeal to a wider audience who may see themselves in his story.

👉 Empowering Conclusion: "Don't let anyone hold you back or put a label on you." Ending with this powerful statement, Nick leaves his audience with a motivational takeaway that encourages self-belief and resilience in the face of adversity.

Overall Impression

Nick’s post is a prime example of how personal stories can effectively engage and inspire a wide audience.

By sharing his career challenges and triumphs, he humanizes himself while also providing valuable lessons and encouragement to others navigating their professional journeys.

This combination of personal vulnerability, strategic insights, and an uplifting message is what propelled his post to viral status on LinkedIn.

💡 Pro Tip

Utilize AuthoredUp's Readability Score feature to quickly assess and ensure the clarity and understandability of your content.

Wrapping Up

Crafting a viral LinkedIn post is not an exact science, and there’s no foolproof formula for virality.

However, by studying examples of successful posts and understanding their common elements, you can enhance your chances of creating impactful content on LinkedIn.

From analyzing various viral LinkedIn posts, we've identified several strategies that typically resonate with audiences:

✔️ Provocative or Contradictory Statements: Start with a bold statement that challenges common beliefs to grab attention.

✔️ Personal Stories: Share personal experiences or career journeys that many can relate to or find inspiring.

✔️ Debunking Misconceptions: Correct a common misconception within your industry to engage and educate your audience.

✔️ Practical Advice: Provide actionable tips or solutions to common problems faced by your target audience.

The key to finding what works best for you and your audience is experimentation. Try out different techniques and strategies:

🎯 Mix and Match Elements: Incorporate a few of the effective strategies from viral posts, but avoid overloading a single post with too many tactics. This keeps your message clear and focused.

🎯 Monitor and Adapt: Pay close attention to how your audience reacts to different posts. Use LinkedIn analytics to track engagement and refine your approach based on what resonates most with your followers.

Here’s how you can leverage insights from viral posts along with the capabilities of AuthoredUp to optimize your LinkedIn strategy.

Use AuthoredUp to Streamline Creation

AuthoredUp is designed to simplify and enhance the content creation process for platforms like LinkedIn.

Here’s how you can use its features to craft potentially viral posts:

👉 Preview Posts: Before publishing, use AuthoredUp to preview how your post will appear in the LinkedIn feed. This allows you to adjust formatting and visuals to ensure optimal readability and engagement.

👉 Custom Formatting: Take advantage of AuthoredUp’s formatting tools to structure your post effectively. Whether it's bullet points, bold text, or strategic use of whitespace, formatting can significantly impact how readers interact with your content.

👉 Idea and Draft Organization: Keep all your post ideas and drafts in one place. This helps you refine and iterate on different versions of your content, ensuring that you’re fully satisfied before anything goes live.

👉 Reuse Your Old Posts: Utilize AuthoredUp's Reuse feature to recycle high-performing LinkedIn posts, repurposing content that has previously resonated with your audience.

👉 Plan and Schedule Your Content: The Calendar View in AuthoredUp shows all scheduled posts in a calendar format, simplifying content management and optimization for maximum engagement.

👉 Monitor Your Performance: AuthoredUp's analytics tools provide detailed insights into your LinkedIn content's performance, enabling you to make data-driven decisions to enhance post virality.

👉 Manage Saved Posts: AuthoredUp's Saved Posts feature simplifies content curation by allowing you to organize, filter, and review saved LinkedIn posts, streamlining the process of gathering ideas for viral content.

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