Let’s be frank: LinkedIn hasn’t always been the one.
Most of us started a LinkedIn account as we approached getting our first ‘proper’ job. We added our part-time work experience, uploaded a CV, endorsed our friends for silly things, and then logged out — for years.
But whether it’s due to the decline of X (formerly Twitter) or the saturation of Instagram, LinkedIn seems to be… good now? Sure, you’ll have to sift through plenty of ‘hustle bro’ posts to find the gold, but when you start following people you genuinely find interesting, it becomes a valuable space for learning — and even, dare we say it, some fun.
And founders across many industries are finding that a little activity on LinkedIn goes a long way. They’re generating leads and closing sales from posts, and growing in a tangible way. But not through their company pages (although there’s an opportunity here, too), but through their personal profiles. Building up their brand is translating into meaningful growth for their business.
What’s stopping you from posting on LinkedIn?
“I’m embarrassed”.
If you ask a founder why they don’t currently post on LinkedIn, this is the most common answer.
See also:
- I don’t have the time
- It hasn’t been a priority so far
- I didn’t realise LinkedIn was a thing now
- I don’t think our customers are on LinkedIn
- Our company page doesn’t get any traction, so why would my posts?
Feeling embarrassed to post on LinkedIn is totally normal. The way to overcome this is to post in a way that feels authentic to you.
Yes, LinkedIn posts are often formulaic, and certain things tend to become ‘trendy’ (like these little arrows, for some reason: ↳).
But there’s no need to follow these ‘rules’. You should post whatever feels comfortable to you, and that you think will be useful (or entertaining) to others, in your own voice and style.
We all have our own LinkedIn “icks”, those little things that make us cringe. Simply leave them out of your posts. And there’s no need to go too personal if you’re not comfortable with that, either.
As for the other reservations? We’re going to show you that LinkedIn doesn’t need to take up much of your time, but it’s worth at least experimenting with. We’ve seen founders across a range of industries achieve really promising results.
How to generate ideas (quickly)
You can put a lot into a personal branding LinkedIn strategy, but we’d recommend starting out with something simple. This will make it more manageable for your busy schedule, and make it more likely that you’ll actually start, rather than kicking it down the road for another few months.
We’d recommend starting with two to three posts per week. Here’s a simple process for coming up with your posts:
1. Choose three ‘content buckets’
‘Content buckets’ are essentially topic areas for your posts, and should be something you feel you have a lot to talk about. Adding this structure to what you post should actually make it easier to come up with ideas, rather than harder.
For a founder of a skincare brand, three content buckets might be:
- Founder life (highs, lows, behind-the-scenes, advice for other founders)
- Productivity and process tips (how I achieved X, how I saved X time, how I structure my week)
- Skincare as an industry (breaking down news, mythbusting, exploring new trends)
2. Pick three prompt questions for each bucket
When you start a planning session, say every month or fortnight, ask yourself these prompt questions to help you generate fresh ideas.
For the ‘founder life’ content bucket, three prompt questions might be:
- What has gone well for me and my brand over the past [timeframe]?
- What challenged me/the brand over the past [timeframe], and how would I advise someone in the same position now?
- What would other founders, or would-be founders, find interesting about my past [timeframe], and what could they learn from it?
3. Create a schedule
Commit to a posting schedule that you will actually be able to stick to. Posting around twice a week is ideal as a start.
That equates to around nine posts every month, so simply alternate between each of your buckets, so you cover a total of three posts per bucket each month. If you want to post more frequently, that’s great too.
4. Start!
Starting is the most important part, so do this as soon as possible — even if you don’t feel ready. The beginning is all about finding your voice, and experimenting with topics and formats to find what resonates with your audience.
The anatomy of a good LinkedIn post
A good LinkedIn post should do all or most of the following:
- Add genuine value
- Hook your reader in from the first line (so they're compelled to expand the full post)
- Help position you as an authority in your field
- Sound like you
- Inspire debate or discussion
Go through this simple checklist before you hit publish. If it’s not hitting most of these, it might be time for a rethink.
Founder hall of fame: our LinkedIn favourites
Let’s take a look at some of our favourite founders to follow, and what they’re getting right about LinkedIn personal branding:
1. Amelia Christie-Miller, founder of Bold Bean Co
Amelia goes beyond the Bold Bean Co. product to call for a shift in how we eat. She’s on a mission to make the world as obsessed with beans as she is.
She literally shows up for her brand, too, with casual images and chatty videos adding layers of personality to her profile, and boosting her engagement.
2. Ben McKinney, co-founder of Copy Or Die
As the co-owner of a copywriting agency, when it comes to wrangling words, Ben needs to prove that he knows his stuff. His ‘LinkedIn lyrics’ series does just that, and brings a touch of something different and fun to the feeds of anyone following him.
3. Hannah Samano, founder of Unfabled
If the product you’ve created is new (i.e. you have no direct competitors), you might want to pivot your profile to be more educational, so you can help those following you understand the industry, and the opportunity. Hannah’s breakdowns of key statistics and research help establish her as an expert in this space, as well as laying the foundation for Unfabled to be the go-to solution to the problem she’s outlining.
Getting the most out of LinkedIn
If you want to squeeze the most value out of your LinkedIn efforts, here are a couple of things we recommend doing alongside posting regularly:
1. Optimise your profile
People who don’t know or follow you will see your posts. From there, if they’re interested, they may well pop over to your profile for a look around.
So we recommend getting it spruced up before you start on your content plan. Amelia’s profile is a good example of a well-optimised LinkedIn profile:
Here’s a quick checklist of elements to make sure are in place:
- A profile picture and banner picture or image
- Short headline including your title & your brand as a minimum
- Link to your brand’s website
- A more detailed ‘About’ section
- Pinned posts or articles in the ‘Featured’ section (this section isn’t automatically included with your profile, but you can add it under ‘Add profile section’)
2. Engage with your community
Success on any social media platform is a two-way street, and this is particularly true on LinkedIn. Set aside half an hour or so every week to engage meaningfully with the posts in your feed. Add your own take to discussions and debates, and give out help and advice where you can.
Wrapping up
And that’s it! You’re all ready to get started on LinkedIn.
If at any point you find yourself hovering over the ‘Post’ button but unable to pull the trigger, try looping in a trusted friend to review what you’ve written. Getting an extra pair of eyes on your post before it goes live will give you peace of mind.
And if you want to talk about the wholesale side of your business, don’t forget to tag CREOATE in your post! We’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines.
