I've been building communities for years — from leading CreativeMornings’ San Diego chapter, growing my social media following, and as BAM’s Senior Community Manager. Here’s something I’ve learned: most people are overthinking LinkedIn strategy when they should be focusing on simply showing up as themselves.
In our previous blog post, we talked about the big picture of using LinkedIn for brand building and lead generation. Today, I want to get tactical about the stuff that actually moves the needle; the things I wish someone had told me when I was staring at a blank LinkedIn post wondering what the heck to write.
1. Lead with your best punch
Start with your strongest insight, stat, or takeaway. Don't tease, just deliver. A powerful first line should feel like the last line of most posts. You want to immediately deliver value to someone who's scrolling through dozens of posts.
2. Be a pro, not a promoter
People don't follow LinkedIn voices for press releases. They follow them for insights. Teach something you've shared with a colleague. Share the tactic you wish you'd known five years ago. Social media is a place to educate first, announce second.
3. Think like your audience
LinkedIn users aren't just browsing for entertainment. They have TikTok and Instagram for that. Speak to their next move. Whether it's landing a promotion, scaling a team, or navigating change, tailor your content to those high-intent goals. What keeps them up at night? What would make their Monday morning easier?
4. One nugget per post
Every solid post should teach one thing and teach it well. Want to say more? Save it for your next post. This specificity builds trust and follow-through. Trying to solve every problem in one caption just makes it messy and forgettable.
5. Turn experiences into lessons
What have clients asked you this month? What do you wish your younger self knew? These prompts build authority and relatability. They're also engagement gold because people love learning from real experiences, not theoretical frameworks.
6. Make repurposing intentional
Wrote a killer email? Turn it into a post. Did your founder speak on a panel? Pull a quote and build content around it. Smart marketers extend their best content.
But here's the key: when reusing content from a newsletter, blog, or podcast, don't just copy-paste. Give your audience a reason to engage right there in the feed. Summarize key takeaways, add your commentary, or explain why it matters now. Your LinkedIn post should be valuable even if no one clicks on a link.
7. Mix up your approach
Alternate between growth-oriented and engagement-driven posts. Growth posts (like educational content) build new audiences. Engagement posts (like questions or personal reflections) deepen relationships with your existing community..
8. Work with the platform
Forget trying to go viral and focus on connection, clarity, and helping others make smarter moves. LinkedIn’s algorithm favors genuine engagement over tricks.
9. Keep it clean
Font generators and excessive line breaks don't make your content more readable. Clean, readable, confident copy wins every time.
10. Use hashtags intentionally
No, you don't need 30. Your content should stand on its own. If you use hashtags, make them relevant and save them for the end. LinkedIn's algorithm won't penalize you for going light on hashtags, because quality matters more than quantity.
11. Show up consistently, not constantly
You need to post regularly, not necessarily every day. That means 1–5 times a week, ideally between 8–10AM when your audience is most likely to engage. But don't force it. A great post once a week beats five forgettable ones.
What nobody talks about
Here's what most LinkedIn advice misses: the magic happens in the comments and DMs. Your post is a conversation starter. When someone replies with their own experience, asks a follow-up question, or shares how they solved a similar problem, it’s a win.
I spend as much time engaging in those conversations as I do writing the original posts. That's where relationships get built and where opportunities happen.
The bottom line
Your LinkedIn strategy should feel like an extension of who you are in real life. If you're naturally curious, ask great questions. If you're a teacher at heart, share what you know. If you're a connector, highlight other people's work.
Don’t start posting with a goal to become LinkedIn famous. Your goal should be to build connections with people who care about the same things you do. Everything else — the leads, the opportunities, the recognition — that's just what happens when you show up authentically and consistently over time.
Trust me, your community will notice.
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