How to Write a LinkedIn Post (With Templates)

To write a LinkedIn post, open with one or two lines that make a specific promise, deliver it in short paragraphs that each carry one idea, then close with a single takeaway and an easy question. The rest of this guide covers structure, length, voice, which format to pick, how to mention people properly, and ready-to-adapt templates for the posts people search for most: a new job, a certification, an internship, an event, a launch and a job search.

Start with the lines people see first

The opening is the only part of your post that is guaranteed to be read. In the feed, LinkedIn shows the first few lines and hides the rest behind "see more", so those lines have to earn the click. The exact cut-off depends on the device and is covered in our LinkedIn character limit guide.

A good first line does one of three things:

• Names an outcome: "We cut our onboarding time from two weeks to three days."
• States a clear opinion: "Most job descriptions are written for the hiring manager, not the candidate."
• Opens a specific story: "On my first day as a manager, I made a mistake I still think about."

Avoid openers that could start any post ("Excited to share...", "I have been thinking a lot lately..."). If you are stuck, the free LinkedIn hook generator gives you several first-line options to react to.

A simple structure that works for most posts

1. Hook (1 to 2 lines): the promise or the tension.
2. Context (1 to 3 lines): why this matters, or what happened.
3. Body: the steps, the lessons, the numbers or the story. One idea per short paragraph, with a blank line between them.
4. Takeaway (1 line): the sentence you want people to remember.
5. Question (1 line): something easy and specific to answer, like "What was the first tool you automated?" rather than "Thoughts?"

Short paragraphs matter more on LinkedIn than in most places, because posts are mostly read on phones. For line breaks, lists and symbols, see the LinkedIn post formatting guide.

How long should a LinkedIn post be?

A LinkedIn post should be as long as the idea needs and no longer. LinkedIn sets a hard character limit, but there is no official ideal length, so treat length as a craft decision:

• Short (a few lines): announcements, quick opinions, questions and polls.
• Medium (a few short paragraphs): a lesson, a story with one point, a tip with an example.
• Long (close to the limit): step-by-step guides and detailed stories, where every paragraph adds something new.

A useful test: read the post aloud and cut every sentence that the reader would not miss. If the post still needs more room after that, consider a document post or a LinkedIn article instead.

Write in your own voice

People follow people, so the post should sound like you talking to one colleague. A few habits help:

• Use "I" and "we" and name real situations. "Last quarter our team..." beats "Many teams...".
• Be specific: numbers, names of tools you actually used, the exact mistake you made.
• Cut corporate filler ("leverage", "synergy", "thrilled and humbled") unless you really talk that way.
• If you draft with AI, rewrite it until it matches how you speak, and remove anything you did not actually do or think.

Choose the right format

LinkedIn's post box supports several formats. Here is what LinkedIn Help says about each, and when each one fits.

If you make document carousels, our LinkedIn carousel size guide covers page dimensions. Polls also have content rules: LinkedIn's Polls FAQ says authors may not ask for sensitive data such as health, religious or political beliefs.

How to tag someone in a LinkedIn post

To tag (mention) someone, type "@" in the post box, start typing their name and pick them from the list. According to LinkedIn Help, the person receives email and app notifications, you do not need to be connected to them, and you can edit a post later to add a mention. Some members turn mentions off, and LinkedIn may limit mentions of people you are not connected with.

Etiquette that keeps mentions welcome:

• Tag people who were genuinely part of the story: a manager who helped, a speaker you quote, a teammate on the project.
• Say why you are tagging them in the text itself.
• Do not tag well-known people just to borrow their reach. It reads as spam and they get the notification.
• For a common name, add the company to your search, as LinkedIn Help suggests.

Hashtags work differently from mentions; see our LinkedIn hashtags guide for how many to use and where.

Can you edit a LinkedIn post after posting?

Yes, you can edit the text of a published post from the More menu, and LinkedIn then shows an "Edited" label next to it. Photos, documents, videos and articles in a post cannot be replaced; to change them you delete the post and create a new one. Proofread before you publish, especially names and links.

Templates for the posts people search for most

These are starting points. Replace every bracket, add one detail only you could know, and cut anything that does not sound like you. LinkedIn also offers a "Celebrate an occasion" option in the post box's More menu if you prefer a guided version.

Announcing a new job

"I'm starting a new role as [title] at [company]. For the last [time] I [what you did before]. What drew me to [company] was [one specific reason]. Thank you to [person] for [specific help]. If you work on [topic], I'd like to hear what you wish someone had told you in your first 90 days."

An accomplishment or certification

"I just completed [certification/milestone]. The part that changed how I work: [one concrete lesson]. I'm already using it to [real application]. If you're considering it, my honest tip is [tip]. Thanks to [instructor/mentor] for [help]."

Finishing an internship

"Today is my last day as a [role] intern at [company]. Three things I'm taking with me: 1. [skill] from working on [project]. 2. [lesson] from [person or moment]. 3. [habit you will keep]. Thank you to [names] for [specific support]. Next, I'm [next step]."

An event or conference you attended

"I spent [day/days] at [event]. The idea I can't stop thinking about came from [speaker]: [one-sentence idea]. Here's how I'll apply it to [your work]: [action]. If you were there, which session would you recommend I watch next?"

A project or product launch

"Today we're launching [project]. It helps [who] do [what] without [pain]. We built it because [real reason or story]. The hardest part was [challenge], and we solved it by [approach]. If you try it, I'd value one piece of honest feedback: [specific question]."

Looking for work

"I'm looking for my next role as a [title] in [field/location or remote]. Over the last [time] I've [two concrete results]. I do my best work when [type of team or problem]. If you know a team that needs this, an introduction would mean a lot. Thank you for reading."

LinkedIn also has an Open to Work setting. If you share it with all members, LinkedIn adds an #OpenToWork frame to your photo, and that audience includes people at your current company.

A quick check before you post

• Does the first line make sense on its own, before "see more"?
• Is there one clear takeaway?
• Are names, titles and mentions correct?
• Would you say every sentence out loud to a colleague?
• Is the question at the end easy to answer?

Need a topic to start with? Browse our LinkedIn post ideas.

Writing and scheduling your posts with PinBoostr

PinBoostr includes a LinkedIn composer for personal profiles. You can write by hand, or draft with AI in a voice trained on your own past posts, then check the live feed preview (phone or desktop) to see exactly where "see more" cuts your opening. Drafts save automatically, and you can add posts to your weekly time slots. Nothing posts until you approve it, and everything goes through LinkedIn's official API. See the LinkedIn scheduling tool, or turn notes into slides with the carousel maker.

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