What Is LinkedIn Pulse? Publishing Articles and Newsletters Explained

LinkedIn Pulse was the brand name for LinkedIn’s article publishing and news aggregation platform, launched in 2013 and rebranded as part of linkedin articles around 2017. Today, the term “LinkedIn Pulse” is often used interchangeably with LinkedIn Articles, though LinkedIn has since evolved the feature into two distinct formats: LinkedIn Articles (long-form content that lives on your profile) and LinkedIn Newsletters (subscription-based content with email delivery).

When most people say “LinkedIn Pulse” today, they typically mean the ability to publish long-form written content directly on LinkedIn – as opposed to short-form posts in the feed. Understanding how the current publishing features work helps you use them strategically.

LinkedIn Articles (What Was Called LinkedIn Pulse)

LinkedIn Articles are long-form content pieces published directly on LinkedIn. They:

• Live permanently on your linkedin profile under the Articles section
• Are indexed by Google and can rank in organic search results
• Do NOT send push notifications or email alerts to your connections when published (unlike newsletters)
• Support rich formatting including headers, images, embedded video, and hyperlinks
• Have no character limit (vs. 3,000 characters for posts)
• Are best for evergreen content you want indexed for SEO

LinkedIn Newsletters (The Evolution of Pulse)

LinkedIn Newsletters, launched in 2021, add a subscription layer to articles. Key features:

• Subscribers receive an email notification AND a LinkedIn push notification every time you publish
• Subscribers opt in specifically to your newsletter, creating a dedicated audience list
• Newsletter editions also appear in the LinkedIn feed of your followers
• Available to creator mode users with an established presence
• Best for recurring content that benefits from a loyal, subscribed audience

LinkedIn Pulse Articles vs. Short Posts: Which to Use?

• Use Articles/Pulse for: long-form guides, thought leadership essays, evergreen how-to content you want to rank in Google, and content that benefits from rich formatting
• Use short Posts for: time-sensitive insights, personal stories, polls, carousels, and any content where you want immediate algorithm distribution to your network
• Key difference: Posts get pushed to the feed and receive algorithmic distribution on publish day. Articles do not get the same algorithmic push – they are better for organic search than for feed virality

How to Publish a LinkedIn Article (Pulse)

1. From your LinkedIn homepage, click Write an article in the post composer
2. The full-screen article editor opens. Add a headline, cover image, and body text
3. Use the formatting toolbar to add headers, bold text, lists, images, and links
4. Click Publish when ready
5. The article appears on your profile and is shared to your network’s feed