# LinkedIn social standards

Source: extracted from the aether-plus PLG Cloud ideation skill and normalized for TiDB GTM skills.

## Organic LinkedIn post rules

Use LinkedIn when the audience is enterprise buyers, technical leaders, practitioners with budget influence, webinar attendees, case-study readers, or users who need a professional proof narrative.

| Element | Standard |
|---|---|
| Body length | Optimal 1200-1500 characters. Hard max 3000 characters. |
| Structure | Hook, 3-5 short paragraphs, concrete proof, one CTA cue, hashtags. |
| Hook | Lead with a personal story, concrete data point, hard tradeoff, or counterintuitive technical claim. |
| Tone | Professional but human. Prefer practitioner voice over corporate voice. |
| Emoji | 2-4 emoji maximum, used as scan markers or section breaks. Do not decorate every line. |
| Hashtags | 3-5 relevant hashtags at the end. Use specific tags over spam tags. |
| Publishing identity | Prefer a credible individual for technical content; company-page posts are acceptable for broad announcements but usually weaker for practitioner content. |

## CTA and link handling

LinkedIn post body should not contain URLs. This includes TiDB/PingCAP URLs and third-party URLs. Treat any visible URL in the post body as an algorithmic reach risk.

Put the CTA link in the first comment. In the post body, use a natural cue such as "Link in the first comment" only when needed.

Do:
- Put the primary CTA URL in the first comment.
- Keep one CTA per post.
- Make the CTA specific: "read the benchmark methodology", "try TiDB Cloud Starter", "join the webinar", "see the migration checklist".
- Match UTM source/medium to LinkedIn distribution when linking from the first comment.

Do not:
- Put external links in the post body.
- Use multiple competing CTAs.
- Use corporate language such as "we are excited to announce" as the hook.
- Post technical practitioner content only from the company page when a credible personal account is available.

## Social content asset fields

For generated campaign assets, LinkedIn social content should include:

```json
{
  "platform": "linkedin",
  "postType": "image",
  "imageUrl": "1200x627 image URL",
  "imageAltText": "specific description of the visual",
  "hashtags": ["3", "to", "5", "tags"]
}
```

Use `1200 x 627` for standard LinkedIn feed images. A square `1080 x 1080` variant can be generated for paid/social experiments, but the default skill standard is `1200 x 627`.

## LinkedIn distribution recipe

Use this campaign pattern when LinkedIn is both the primary distribution channel and the amplification channel.

1. Deploy the CTA result list before content goes live.
2. Publish the first LinkedIn post from the company page or primary operator.
3. Wait 2 days between posts to respect LinkedIn algorithm spacing.
4. Publish 2-3 follow-up LinkedIn posts with distinct hooks and visuals.
5. Amplify winners through credible personal accounts.
6. Cross-promote the strongest LinkedIn angle to Twitter/X when there is developer crossover.

The CTA result list should capture meaningful engagement beyond the first visit:

```text
utm_source IS_EQUAL_TO "linkedin"
AND utm_campaign CONTAINS "[campaign-utm]"
AND hs_analytics_num_page_views IS_GREATER_THAN "1"
```

Only one channel-traffic result list is needed per LinkedIn distribution campaign. Stage tracking should live in the broader campaign lifecycle lists.

## Practical copy checklist

Before returning LinkedIn copy, check:
- The first line can stand alone as a scroll-stopper.
- The body contains no visible URLs.
- The CTA URL is written as first-comment copy, not embedded in the post body.
- The copy has one primary reader and one primary action.
- Hashtags are present and limited to 3-5.
- Emoji count is 2-4 or fewer.
- The post does not introduce claims that are not supported by approved TiDB messaging or source content.