TRACKING ENGAGEMENT
By: Cait Freedlander
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When I shared my blog via LinkedIn and Gmail, I expected the content to naturally attract attention and generate engagement. However, I quickly realized that simply presenting something to people doesn’t guarantee they’ll stop, read, or stay. Although both platforms directed some users to the site, overall engagement was lower than anticipated. Many users didn’t spend much time with the post, and interactions were limited. At first, this was discouraging, but examining the data more carefully helped me see the experience differently. The problem wasn’t necessarily the content itself, but how it was presented. On LinkedIn, especially, people scroll quickly. Without a strong hook or clear reason to click, even valuable work can be ignored. Gmail felt more personal, but without enough context or curiosity in the message, the blog link easily blended into other emails.
This experience made me realize that attention must be earned before engagement can occur. Moving forward, I will focus more on how I frame the blog before people arrive at the site. This includes writing more compelling email subject lines, sharing brief excerpts or reflections instead of just a link, and clearly explaining why the post matters and what readers will gain. I also plan to experiment with visuals, timing, and intentional calls to action to encourage readers to pause and spend more time with the content. Although engagement was limited this time, the experience was still valuable. It taught me that promotion involves storytelling and invitation as much as distribution, and I’m eager to continue improving in this area.
