Beyond Expertise: The New Rules of LinkedIn Storytelling

LinkedIn ist voll von klugen Menschen mit wichtigen Themen. Und trotzdem bleibt erstaunlich viel davon unsichtbar. Nicht, weil die Inhalte schlecht wären. Sondern weil sie klingen wie das nüchterne Protokoll eines Jourfixe.

“If you want reach, relevance, and genuine interaction on LinkedIn today, you need more than expertise. You need context, personality, and a story.”

says Jennifer Nürnberger, senior consultant for storytelling on social media and in PR at Mashup Communications.

Storytelling is not a creative end in itself, nor is it a marketing buzzword, but rather an answer to a simple question:
Why should someone read this particular post and not just scroll on?

LinkedIn is not a trade magazine. And that’s exactly the point.

Many LinkedIn posts fail not because of their content, but because of their format. LinkedIn is not a white paper hub, a press distribution list, or a place for fully developed thought leadership essays. At the same time, however, it is not purely an entertainment medium.

What makes LinkedIn special is this productive tension between professionalism and personality. Users come for their jobs, but stay because of the people. This is exactly where storytelling comes in: it translates expertise into experiences, strategies into situations, and theories into comprehensible trains of thought.

Storytelling on LinkedIn does not mean sharing private anecdotes. It is about presenting professional content in a way that makes it relatable. For other roles, other industries, other perspectives.

Why storytelling works algorithmically and humanly

The LinkedIn algorithm is not a black box with secret knowledge, but surprisingly mundane: it rewards content that makes people stop, read, react, and comment.

– Jennifer Nürnberger, Senior Consultant for Storytelling on Social Media and in PR at Mashup Communications

This rarely happens with pure lists of facts – even if they are objectively relevant.

Stories, on the other hand, create cognitive tension. They have a beginning, a thought process, sometimes a break. They invite readers to think along with them. And that is precisely what prolongs the dwell time, increases the likelihood of interaction, and ensures that posts continue to be played out.

In short: storytelling works not despite, but because of LinkedIn’s platform logic.

Best practices: Who is already using storytelling strategically on LinkedIn?

A look at successful German LinkedIn profiles shows that reach is rarely a coincidence—it is the result of consistent storytelling patterns.

Verena Pausder
Entrepreneur, investor, trendsetter – and a prime example of how attitude can become a recognizable narrative framework. Her posts are rarely purely informative, but rather combine her expertise with insights into her real life, as seen here in her highlights from 2025.

Lea-Sophie Cramer
Her strength lies in combining entrepreneurship with a personal perspective. She uses storytelling to make structural issues tangible – without trivializing them. She also relies on formats with recognition value, such as her annual mind map at the beginning of the year. This is precisely what makes her contributions accessible to different target groups.

Tijen Onaran
She deliberately uses LinkedIn as a platform for narratives about visibility, diversity, and business. Her stories are rarely random, but strategically placed – with a clear message and a clear target audience, such as this post about a fateful encounter on the train:

What distinguishes good LinkedIn storytelling professionally?

“Successful storytelling on LinkedIn follows recurring principles – regardless of industry or role.”

– Jennifer Nürnberger, Senior Consultant for Storytelling on Social Media and in PR at Mashup Communications

Firstly: It starts with an observation, not a thesis.
Instead of “Studies show that…”, it says: “I’ve noticed something in recent weeks…” This lowers the barrier to entry and increases the willingness to read.

Secondly, it reduces complexity without trivializing it.
A good LinkedIn post doesn’t try to say everything. It aims to develop a thought clearly. Anyone who tries to cover a topic in its entirety will lose readers along the way.

Thirdly: It positions without lecturing.
Storytelling is not a monologue, but an offer of classification. The best posts don’t end with a solution, but with an open train of thought.

Common misconceptions and why they sabotage storytelling

A common mistake is to assume that storytelling must be emotional or personal. The opposite is true. Especially in a B2B context, storytelling works well when it is relevant rather than intimate. Personal, yes – but not arbitrary.

Another misconception: storytelling is the opposite of strategy. In fact, it is often its most visible expression. Those who know what they stand for can select stories in a targeted manner. Those who don’t know either tell everything – or nothing at all.

Conclusion: Storytelling is not a trend, but rather a translation task.

“LinkedIn storytelling is neither a reach hack nor a creative add-on. It is the ability to translate expertise into meaning,” says Jennifer Nürnberger, storytelling consultant at Mashup Communications.

For people who have little time, see a lot, and decide very carefully what to respond to.

Perhaps this is the most important question before the next post:
Am I sharing knowledge or creating understanding?

LinkedIn honors both.
But only one of them sticks in your mind.

Similar articles on the topic of “Storytelling on LinkedIn”

• Company Profile vs. Corporate Influencer – Who wins the Game of Reach, Relevance, and Resonance on LinkedIn?
• 5 Success Factors for Employer Branding on LinkedIn

FAQ: LinkedIn storytelling

1) What is LinkedIn storytelling and why is it more than just “telling a nice story”?
LinkedIn storytelling translates expertise: strategies become situations, theories become comprehensible trains of thought. It is not an end in itself, but makes content accessible to different roles, industries, and perspectives.

2) Why is expertise alone often no longer enough on LinkedIn?
Visibility comes not only from expertise, but also from context, personality, and a recognizable common thread that makes people want to read on.

3) How does the LinkedIn algorithm work in relation to storytelling?
The algorithm rewards content that makes people stop, read, react, and comment. Storytelling creates cognitive tension (beginning – thought process – break/realization) and thus increases dwell time and interaction—both of which boost playback.

4) What distinguishes good LinkedIn storytelling in B2B professionally?
Good posts start with an observation rather than a thesis, reduce complexity without trivializing, and position without lecturing. They develop a thought rather than covering an entire topic in its entirety.

5) What are some common mistakes that sabotage storytelling on LinkedIn?
Storytelling is confused with “private” – but relevance counts more than intimacy. Or people think storytelling is unstrategic – but it is often the most visible expression of clear positioning.