How to GROW on LinkedIn in 18 minutes to 300K Followers

Key Concepts

• Three-Line Hook: The critical importance of the first three lines of a LinkedIn post for engagement.
• Signposting: Hinting at your experience and expertise within a post to build trust and uniqueness.
• Pinned Comments: Using comments to extend the conversation, provide bonus content, and drive engagement.
• LinkedIn Hour: Dedicating a specific hour each day for LinkedIn engagement.
• Relatability in Case Studies: Framing case studies with broad, relatable problems to attract a wider audience.
• Effective Questioning: Asking simple, engaging questions at the end of posts to encourage comments.

Writing Hack: The Power of the First Three Lines

• LinkedIn's Preview: LinkedIn displays only the first three lines of a post (including spaces) in the feed.
• Hook Optimization: Hooks should be one-liners to maximize the information shared in the preview. Two-line hooks can lead to a 20% drop in reach and engagement.
• Reader Perspective: Consider what information you want readers to know if they only read the first three lines.
• Avoiding Clickbait: Clickbait tactics fail because they don't provide value or context in the preview, discouraging users from clicking "see more."
• Priming the Brain: When users click "see more" after reading a valuable preview, they are more likely to read the entire post.

Signposting: Establishing Expertise and Trust

• Unique Content: While educational content is common, signposting makes your posts unique by highlighting your personal experience and expertise.
• Example: Instead of just listing morning routine tactics, mention your experience managing teams for 20 years and the challenges you've faced.
• Building Trust: Signposting tells the reader that the information is coming from a credible source, increasing trust.
• Muscle Memory: Incorporate signposts throughout the post to consistently remind the reader of your expertise.

Pinned Comments: Building Community and Driving Engagement

• Community Backbone: Pinned comments are essential for building a strong community on LinkedIn.
• Extending the Conversation: Never end a post with the post itself; use pinned comments to encourage further engagement and discussion.
• BTS Content: Share behind-the-scenes content, such as selfies from events, and ask for opinions.
• Bonus Lessons: Repurpose older posts as bonus lessons in the comments to provide additional value.
• Calls to Action: Place calls to action (e.g., sales calls, downloads, subscriptions) in the comments rather than the main post to avoid appearing overly salesy.
• Free Q&As: Host Q&A sessions in the comments to build trust and provide value to your audience.

LinkedIn Hour: Time Management and Consistent Engagement

• Dedicated Time: Schedule a specific hour each day for LinkedIn engagement.
• Consistency: Post at a consistent time and stay online for at least an hour to respond to comments and engage in conversations.
• Business Activity: Treat LinkedIn engagement as a core business activity.
• Avoiding Overwhelm: Strict scheduling prevents feeling overwhelmed by LinkedIn.

Case Studies: Making Them Relatable

• Niche Problem: Traditional case study posts often focus on specific clients and industries, limiting their appeal.
• Educational Approach: Treat the first three lines of a case study post as an educational piece, focusing on a broad, relatable problem.
• Killing the Niche: Avoid mentioning specific industries or niche language in the hook.
• Example: Instead of mentioning a client in the aviation industry with churn problems, focus on the general problem of customer retention.
• Relatability: Make the first three lines relatable to a wide audience, regardless of their industry or experience level.
• Niche Details Later: After the relatable hook, you can include niche-specific details in the rest of the case study.

Effective Questioning: Encouraging Comments

• Asking Questions: Always ask a question at the end of your post to encourage comments.
• Bad Questions: Avoid open-ended questions that require a lot of thought and effort to answer.
• Medium Questions: Quantitative questions without context (e.g., "How much money have you made last quarter?") are not very engaging.
• Good Questions: Ask simple questions that are easy to answer and provide additional context (e.g., "Are you above or below your goals this month?").

Synthesis/Conclusion

The key to successful LinkedIn content lies in optimizing the first three lines to capture attention, establishing expertise through signposting, building community with pinned comments, dedicating time for consistent engagement, framing case studies with relatable problems, and asking effective questions to encourage interaction. By implementing these strategies, you can increase engagement, build trust, and drive business results without resorting to overly salesy tactics.