Hey, friend,
Last week wrapped up my very first 6-week group coaching program: How to Win on LinkedIn.
And the conversation around getting clients continues to stand out to me, even as I write this now.
One of the women in the program is a fractional marketing leader. Extremely smart. Experienced. More than capable of helping companies.
But she admitted something I think a LOT of people consistently struggle with on the platform. That she had been spending hours creating content.
Brainstorming post ideas.
Writing and rewriting.
Then opening Canva and spending forever trying to make a visual look “good enough.”
All while trying to keep up with posting 4–5 times per week.
And it actually gave me flashbacks to myself in early 2023 when I was first building my business more intentionally on LinkedIn. Back then, most of my energy went into content creation, too.
And to be fair…at the time, the platform felt a little different.
Inbound DMs came more frequently. I saw that people would reach out after reading my posts and ask about my work. Not a crazy amount, but enough to notice a trend.
At that point, my primary offer was SEO blog writing and website copy, and I was figuring out LinkedIn from a whole lead-generation standpoint to build my business.
But by late 2024, I started realizing something important…
Content alone wasn’t enough. And if I’m being honest, I think I knew deep down that it was never enough to get to where I needed to be, making connections and financially grow my business to the level I needed.
That’s when I had to make a pretty major shift.
I pulled back from constantly posting (I was posting 6x/week at one point) and started spending significantly more time behind the scenes.
In the comments.
In the DMs.
In actual conversations.
In Google Meets and in-person coffee chats.
And that’s when things really started changing.
So during the coaching program, I gave the group some advice that honestly surprised a few people.
I told them… if you currently NEED clients…
Then 80% of your LinkedIn time probably should NOT be spent creating content.
It should be spent on behind-the-scenes relationship-building.
Yes, content creates visibility.
But conversations build trust, which can lead to clients.
And I think a lot of people hide inside content creation because it feels productive.
It feels safer to spend three hours designing a carousel than to message someone directly and start a conversation. And I say this because it was totally me at one point!
If your business genuinely needs momentum right now, posting constantly isn't the highest-ROI activity.
You do not need to become a full-time content creator to grow a service-based business.
But you do simply need to post enough to establish credibility and show people how you think. And that “enough” could be 1x/week…
- One strong “show your work” post each week
- Consistent commenting on posts from ideal clients and strategic connections
- Intentional DM conversations with warm leads
- Following relationship breadcrumbs from profile views, comments, reactions, and mutual connections
That’s what some people can miss, but it’s also the intentional work that tends to move business forward the fastest.
And before anyone misunderstands me…I’m NOT saying content doesn’t matter.
It absolutely matters.
Your content builds trust at scale, and it warms up future conversations. It also builds authority and solidifies your status as the right person for the job.
But if you are sitting there stressed because you need clients right now…
Then spending 15 hours this week obsessing over Canva graphics is not going to move the needle.
Now the next question becomes…
“Okay…but what do I even say in the DMs without sounding awkward, salesy, or icky?”
A few simple approaches that work well…
1. Respond to something specific they said
This is the easiest and most natural entry point.
You can get specific or keep it broader for that first initial touchpoint.
Just be honest and human:)
2. Use profile views as a conversation starter
If someone repeatedly views your profile after engaging with your content, that’s often a warm signal.
You don’t need to overcomplicate it.
Simple. No pitch.
3. Use mutual connections intentionally
This is wildly underutilized. Go look at who your ideal clients are connected to.
Then start engaging with people in those circles consistently.
Familiarity builds surprisingly fast on LinkedIn when people repeatedly see thoughtful comments from you. And then those comments make it easier to send a DM directly to talk more 1-on-1.
4. Invite conversations, not sales calls
One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to force the leap too quickly.
You don’t need every DM to become a discovery call.
Sometimes the goal is simply:
“I want to learn more about you and what you’re working on.”
That’s it.
Some of the best client relationships I’ve built started with a casual conversation that turned into a coffee meeting months later.
I think this is the bigger mindset shift people need around LinkedIn right now…
Viral just isn’t the goal. Sure, the hundreds of likes give you a good dopamine rush, but I’ve never seen floods of ideal customers coming to me as a result.
What you’re trying to do is to become familiar.
Trusted.
Recognizable.
Relevant to the right people.
That happens far more through repeated interaction and relationship-building than nonstop posting.
So if you’re currently in a season where business development matters most, give yourself permission to stop treating LinkedIn like a publishing machine.
And start treating it more like what it actually is…
A connection platform where most of the magic happens behind the scenes and off-platform.
Because sometimes the highest-ROI thing you can do this week isn’t creating another post, but starting five meaningful conversations.
Hope this helped!
Anything else on your mind right now? Reply now and let me know. I always enjoy getting to know my readers:)
Talk soon,
Find me on LinkedIn, YouTube, or book a 1-on-1 clarity call​
​
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​
Columbus, OH