Don't treat influence as a vague metric like followers. Define it operationally as the probability that your audience will take a desired action—from a 'like' to a purchase. All content should aim to increase this probability.

Related Insights

A text-only LinkedIn post with low engagement but a strong problem-solution focus can generate significant sales pipeline. This is because it targets a niche audience with a specific pain point, making vanity metrics like likes and views misleading indicators of business impact.

The amount of time a prospect spends with your content is the key predictor of how much money they will ultimately spend. Structure all marketing to maximize this engagement time, as it directly builds purchase intent and trust.

The true measure of a thought leader's impact is not social media engagement but the adoption of their ideas and language by influential figures. When politicians or industry leaders begin to use your specific phrasing or champion your core arguments, it serves as a qualitative but powerful indicator that you are genuinely shaping the broader discourse.

A successful content strategy isn't random. Each post must have a specific job. Content should be intentionally designed to either attract new followers, nurture the existing community to build trust, or directly drive sales with conversion-focused messaging.

Chasing followers leads to short-term hacks. Asking what makes your content worth following forces a focus on long-term value creation. It shifts your perspective from what you can get (a follow) to what you must give your audience (a reason to follow).

Most communicators mistakenly focus on the medium (podcasts, TV, blogs). The most leveraged approach is to first craft an irresistible hook and a compelling story. True distribution power is achieved when an idea becomes so interesting that people cannot help but share it themselves.

Social media algorithms value time spent more than passive engagement like "likes." To increase your visibility with target prospects, engage in back-and-forth conversations in their direct messages. This signals to the algorithm that your relationship is important, making it more likely your content will appear in their feed.

Stop debating followers versus community. Treat followers as the first step in a conversion process where the goal is to nurture them from passive observers into active community members, brand advocates, and ultimately, customers. The real relationship-building begins post-follow.

Counterintuitively, dedicating budget to campaigns optimized for engagements, follows, and shares can be a powerful brand-building tool. This approach reaches more people less expensively than conversion campaigns, building an audience and 'searing memories' that lead to future demand, complementing direct response efforts.

True influence isn't about chasing views. It's built on a framework of four key elements: Status (controlling scarce resources), Power (your advice gets results), Credibility (objective proof), and Likeness (relatability).