In this guide, I’ll take you through the process of automating your LinkedIn posts using Make.com connected to Airtable. This step-by-step approach covers how to manage text, image, and video posts seamlessly.
With this automation, I can schedule posts, manage content types, and update statuses easily. The process begins with organizing content in Airtable, where I can input text, images, and videos. Once everything is set, the automation takes over, posting the content directly to LinkedIn as per the defined parameters.
This method is perfect for anyone looking to maintain an active social media presence without dedicating hours each week to manual posting. It helps in creating a systematic approach to content distribution, ensuring that posts go live at optimal times based on engagement analytics.
Setting Up Your Airtable Base
To get started, I set up an Airtable base where all post content would reside. This base serves as the central hub for managing text, images, and videos. Each record can hold specific fields for the post text, status, and type of content.
In Airtable, I included fields like:
- Post Text: The main content of the post.
- Status: Indicates whether the post is ready for publishing.
- Post Type: Determines if the content is a text, photo, or video post.
- Image URL: Stores any images used in the posts.
- Video URL: Stores video content.
Once the base is configured, I can easily add new records and adjust statuses as needed. This setup allows for flexibility, as I can quickly change or update posts before they go live.
Connecting Make.com to LinkedIn
After setting up the Airtable base, the next step involves connecting Make.com to LinkedIn. This connection is crucial as it enables the automation to post directly to my LinkedIn account. I began by creating a user text post within Make.com.
During the setup, I provided permissions for Make.com to access my LinkedIn account. This step is straightforward; it requires a few clicks to allow access. Once connected, the automation can pull post text from Airtable and publish it to LinkedIn.
Creating Your First LinkedIn Post
With everything connected, I moved to create my first LinkedIn post. I selected a record marked as “ready for posting” in Airtable. After choosing the correct record, I mapped the post text to the LinkedIn field.
Once I confirmed the visibility settings, I ran the automation to see if it worked. To my satisfaction, the post appeared on my LinkedIn profile shortly after. This step demonstrated the effectiveness of the automation and how easily it can handle publishing tasks.
Adding a Router for Post Types
To enhance the automation further, I added a router that differentiates between post types: text, photo, and video. This feature allows the automation to follow specific flows based on the type of content being posted.
For instance, if a record is marked as a text post, the automation will follow one route. If it’s an image or video post, it will follow a different path. This routing ensures that each post type is handled correctly and efficiently.
- Text Post: The automation creates a user text post on LinkedIn.
- Image Post: A user image post is created, pulling the image URL from Airtable.
- Video Post: A user video post is created, using the video URL from Airtable.
After setting up the router, I ensured that once a post was published, the status in Airtable would update to prevent reposting the same content again. This feature adds another layer of efficiency to the automation process.
Updating Post Status in Airtable
Once a post is published on LinkedIn, it’s essential to update its status in Airtable. This step helps keep track of which posts have gone live and which are still pending. I configured the automation to change the status of each post from “ready for posting” to “published” right after it successfully posts on LinkedIn.
In Make.com, I added a module to update the Airtable record. It pulls the record ID from the previous module, ensuring that the correct record gets updated. This way, I avoid reposting the same content and maintain a clean workflow.
Publishing Image Posts
Publishing image posts requires a slightly different approach compared to text posts. I set up an additional module in my Make.com scenario specifically for image posts. This module retrieves the image URL from Airtable and maps it correctly for LinkedIn.
To do this, I first added a “Get a File” module. This module pulls the image URL from Airtable, ensuring that the image is available when creating the LinkedIn post. After that, I created an image post on LinkedIn by selecting the appropriate fields for the post text and image content.
This method guarantees that each image post is shared correctly, with the right visuals accompanying the post text. I also included a status update to Airtable, just like with text posts, to keep everything organized.
Publishing Video Posts
Publishing video content follows a similar process to image posts but requires additional permissions. I created a new module for video posts in my Make.com automation. This module needs to handle video files differently to ensure they’re posted correctly on LinkedIn.
First, I cloned the existing modules for image posts and adjusted the settings to accommodate video content. The video URL is pulled from Airtable, and I ensured that the correct permissions are set in LinkedIn to allow video uploads.
After the video is successfully posted, I updated the Airtable status to reflect that the post has been published. This keeps the workflow streamlined and prevents any mishaps with reposting the same video.
