You know you need to post on LinkedIn but you don’t know what to write. You know you need to connect with people but you don’t have the time. You know you need to engage with your connections but you haven’t got a process. I’ve been there.
I got serious about LinkedIn during 2024 and it changed my business. My account quadrupled and new customers for my startup began rolling in on a regular basis, citing LinkedIn as their source. I learned the system the long way, experimenting and documenting every move.
You haven’t got time to waste on LinkedIn and your brainspace is better spent on other problems. I get it. But don’t let your lack of a system stop you from getting the business wins this platform can bring you.
Here’s how to systemize your LinkedIn activity for growth, so showing up consistently is less effort.
Grow your LinkedIn with less effort: systemize for success this year
Stick to fewer post formats
Waking up each day with “write a LinkedIn post” on your to-do list is not the goal. It actually sounds like hell. Operating day-to-day is the worst way to do LinkedIn, because every post will take so much longer to write and you’ll waste time scrabbling around for ideas.
If you find yourself in this position, stop right there. Don’t write another post without planning out your entire month. For maximum success, post in themes. Look at your past content, see what kind of posts have performed well in the past, and spin each out into five more. Scroll your feed and see which types of post catch your eye and stop you in your tracks. Those are the formats you want to copy.
You don’t have to post in every format LinkedIn offers. Your jam might be carousels, text-only posts, images, vertical videos or horizontal ones. It doesn’t matter what you choose, it matters that you do. Making these decisions every day fatigues your brain, so decide the two or three post types you’re going to stick to and begin the next stage of planning from there.
Create a content schedule
Now you know which post formats you’re going to use, lay them out in front of you. Aim to post the same format of post every Monday. A different one every Wednesday. Repeat this for whichever day you will commit to posting on LinkedIn.
My LinkedIn activity became easier when I systemized this. Now, on Monday I share a 30-120 second vertical video from a past podcast episode I recorded. My VA makes the videos from longer recordings, and I write the LinkedIn post to go alongside it. Wednesday is a tweetshot with a hard-hitting one-liner that represents a fundamental belief of my ideal customer profile. The rest of the week follows a similar pattern.
Write your content schedule down. What kind of post format will you share, and on which day? Your first draft becomes a theory to test. You can always switch it up in the future. People give up on LinkedIn because they don’t see results. They don’t see results because they are too sporadic. Not you, not today.
Get fundamental about topics
Your LinkedIn content can achieve many things. Done well, it can position you as an expert, build familiarity and affinity with your target audience, and let them know you understand their challenges and can help them achieve their dreams. It can entice them back to your profile, to join your newsletter or make an enquiry. It can warm people up from cold to sold without you spending time with them 1-to-1.
Here’s how to think about your topics: base them on principles. Write down a list of the 10 fundamental strong beliefs you have, related to your work or industry, that your ideal customer also believes. Ask ChatGPT if you’re not sure.
The target audience of my startup is top coaches with content. The principles I share with this specific group of people include: showing up separates, intentionality is key, play the long game, share your work and teach what you know. I even shared these principles in a single post, with the hook “8 rules for life” which listed them, giving my target audience members a chance to see in one go what I stand for and realize we are aligned.
Combine principles with experience
Anyone can send out glib; motivational rubbish based on principles. You’ve probably seen it happen on LinkedIn. But on their own, these throwaway messages carry no weight. Your connections are looking for your take. Your worldview, your slant. Otherwise they might as well ask ChatGPT. Your audience wants you, so give them more of you.
For every one of the beliefs you listed, dig back into your experience. Take, “intentionality is key,” for example. What’s an example of a challenge that you have overcome where that was the lesson? Aim to find a story. Aim to teach that lesson to a former version of you, in a way that you would have appreciated reading back then.
One goal for your LinkedIn posts is that someone can thank you for sharing it. Because it adds value. Because it gave them a new perspective. Because it taught them something they can now act on. Be the person who enriches the lives and minds of your target audience to always have them coming back for more. Repeat this exercise for every one of your principles.
Follow a proven post format
If you’ve read my articles about LinkedIn, you’ll know this by now. The hook is the most important part of the post. Unless you have a strong hook, don’t hit publish. It will be a waste of your work. Every post you share should open with a short sentence, between 2-8 words long, that compels someone to stop and read it. The rehook, which is the second line, should compel them further to hit “see more.”
Get these right, and they will read the rest of your post. The step-by-step breakdown, the crux of the story, the golden nuggets you’re sharing.
Hook, rehook, main body of the post, then a hard-hitting single line that delivers the lesson. After that, make it easy for them to engage. Ask a question, invite comments, further the conversation with your followers.
Bring the system together
Now you have your fundamental beliefs and past experiences written down. You’ve got your formats picked out and your posting schedule mapped. Take these pieces and slot them together for maximum impact.
Block two hours this weekend. Write your hooks first, ten options for each post. Pick the strongest one. Fill in your content calendar for the next month. Test your hooks on Twitter if you want bonus validation before going live. Add all your content to a document where your VA can access it. Get them scheduling up your posts at the right time, with the right formatting. Ask them to add images (infographics and pictures of you) that give context to your words.
Set a recurring task in your calendar. Fifteen minutes before your post goes live, comment on ten relevant accounts to boost engagement. Stay online for fifteen minutes to respond to early comments. Make this your non-negotiable LinkedIn time.
Your system for LinkedIn success starts today
Stop wondering what to post on LinkedIn. Pick your formats, create your schedule, and share your principles through stories. Make posting easier when you plan your content in advance.
Write down your experiences and your fundamental beliefs. Follow a proven post format and finalise the process before you follow it without fail. The sooner you build your system the sooner your account will grow.
Read the full article here
