Don't chase virality on LinkedIn. Millie posted daily for 1,000+ days, focusing on building a reputation for consistency and trust. The payoff wasn't a single viral post, but a deep-seated industry reputation that led to speaking engagements and being recognized as a thought leader.
The primary reason new LinkedIn content gets no traction isn't poor quality, but a lack of an initial audience. Before focusing on content creation, prioritize building a relevant network through connection requests and engagement to ensure people actually see your posts.
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.
For executives hesitant to post, a great starting strategy is to commit to only commenting on five posts per day for a few months. This builds comfort with the platform and grows their network before they have to create original content.
Posting daily on platforms like LinkedIn can feel like an "exercise in futility," yielding minimal tangible results like new subscribers. Time is often better invested in creating high-quality, long-form "cornerstone" content that can be repurposed later and provides more lasting value.
A powerful LinkedIn strategy involves a two-part approach: use your main posts to share a contrarian or challenging point of view to capture attention and establish expertise. Then, in the comments section, remain unfailingly positive and supportive—even when disagreeing—to build relationships and goodwill.
To rapidly build influence and trust, commit to creating valuable content daily for a year with zero sales pitches. Focus solely on educating or entertaining. This counterintuitive approach bypasses the audience's natural aversion to ads and positions you as a genuine authority, leading to faster growth.
The easiest way to increase your visibility is to consistently comment on other people's content. To make this effective, be strategic: comment on posts by industry leaders where your target audience will see your name, photo, and headline in a relevant context.
Creators who see massive success with daily social media posting, like Tom Alder on LinkedIn, often treat it as their sole creative outlet. Those balancing it with other major commitments like a podcast or newsletter will struggle to dedicate the necessary brainpower and consistency.
Nick Tran observes that spikes in LinkedIn activity often telegraph that someone is looking for a new job. He advises professionals to maintain a consistent presence by sharing insights regularly, which builds a stronger, more stable personal brand and avoids signaling desperation during a job search.
The most strategic use of LinkedIn is to treat it as your primary blog for business and marketing insights. This reframe from "social channel" to "media channel" builds an invaluable asset that generates credibility, relationships, and revenue.