Hi Reader,
A client asked me a question that made me smile.
We were reviewing his LinkedIn analytics together, and I showed him who's been viewing his content.
The top four job titles?
Founders.
Presidents.
Owners.
CEOs.
The exact people he wants to work with.
So he asks me, "Are you doing any paid promotion to reach these folks?"
And I said…
"No. This is all through intentional organic content."
He paused. "So you're not doing anything on the back end with paid promotions to reach these folks?"
Nope.
No ads. No boosted posts. No secret setting I flipped on.
And I'm not going to lie...in that moment it felt really good to say that.
Because it proved something I continue to see and try to share…
You don't need a paid campaign to get in front of decision-makers on LinkedIn.
You need to be specific and strategic with your content, and also how you engage.
Here's what that can actually look like in practice…
1. Say their title out loud (in your posts)
This one sounds almost too simple, but it works.
When I write for my client, I call out the people we're trying to address in his posts.
Ex. "If you're a CEO trying to…" or "Founders, this one's for you."
And this is what happens when you do this...
First, the right person reading it thinks, "Oh, that's me." There's no guessing on their end.
Second, LinkedIn and search engines (Google & AI included) get a clearer picture of who your content is for.
If you've been writing to "everyone," this is your sign to start considering being more specific.
Hello, ideal client persona:) Understanding who exactly you're trying to reach is absolutely crucial to content success.
2. Connect on purpose
Your content does half the work on LinkedIn.
The other half is who you're actually connecting with on the back end.
Every week, I intentionally send connection requests on his behalf to people with those titles mentioned earlier in the industries he serves.
It's not a numbers game. It's a "who do I actually want to see my content" game.
Because when those people connect with you, your posts start showing up in their feed. And the moment they comment, it can show up in their network's feed, too.
That's how you get more of the right eyeballs looking at your posts.
3. Give them something worth saving (and sending)
LinkedIn loves it when people save or send your post to someone else. It tells the algorithm, "This is good stuff."
Want to know which of my client's posts got the most saves AND the most impressions last month?
It wasn't a tip or a framework.
It was his story of why he became a fractional CMO.
People saved it…and then potentially sent it to folks they thought might need his help or just wanted to remember it themselves.
This could be your audience saving your post or passing it along to someone else in their network who they think you can help. You can't buy that kind of reach.
So now, looking at the data, we make sure there's a piece of his story in his content every single month.
I've known this for a while, but it's always great to have the data back it up.
4. Follow the warm signals
Your people are already raising their hands. You just have to notice.
My favorite example?
His LinkedIn newsletter subscriber list.
During a call with him, it jumped from 97 to 106 subscribers. We just posted about it 7 days ago!
And when we clicked into who was subscribing, there were founders and CEOs sitting right there.
So we're thanking them.
A simple "Thanks for subscribing!" message that opens the door to a real conversation in the future.
No cold pitch needed.
Just being intentional and following up with the right people who are already taking notice of him.
It's good relationship-building.
5. Check the data (and don't panic about the mix)
Once a month, look at your analytics. Who's viewing your content? What titles? What industries?
And real talk…not every follower will be a perfect-fit lead.
My client has old coworkers, friends, a competitor or two, and even some college students following along. That's normal!
Or mostly normal for folks😋
The goal isn't a perfectly filtered audience. It's making sure the right people keep showing up at the top of that list.
Maybe you've heard me talk about the long-game mindset. It's true. LinkedIn and building a personal brand is a journey and not a sprint.
This isn't overnight. It's months of showing up, being clear about who you're talking to, and connecting on purpose.
But when your client asks, "How are we targeting?"…and the answer is "We're just doing the foundational stuff really well"…
That's a pretty great feeling.
Consider these actions:
- Look at your post analytics and check the top job titles viewing your content. Is this who you're trying to reach? (If not, the content and connections need to change.)
- Write one post that names the exact title of the person you want to reach.
- Send 5 intentional connection requests to people with that title (ideally from 2nd & 3rd degree connections already engaging on posts or viewing your profile).
- Click into your newsletter subscribers (if you have one) and thank a few. If you don't have a LinkedIn Newsletter yet, I can tell ya why you need to learn to love them:)
Do some of this and tell me what you found. Every time you send me a message, it brings me a smile:)
​
Talk soon,
There are two ways I can help you:
- ​Hire me to create your LinkedIn content & strategically connect on your behalf. Just think of me as the natural extension of you & your business.
- ​Book me to come speak at your next corporate or student-led event.
Allison Ditmer
Find me mostly on LinkedIn​
Watch my YouTube and motivate me to make more videos:)
Was this forwarded to you? Join for free here.​
​
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​
Columbus, OH