When I first started writing on LinkedIn, I had no idea what I was doing.

I just heard from a copywriting course I was taking it was the best way to get clients.

It mentioned how if you grow your account, you’re more likely to get inbound leads (which she said are the best for a sustainable business).

Taking the advice, I created a profile and started posting.

In the beginning,

I worked on hook writing to grab attention with my posts.

Putting into practice everything I was learning from this copywriting course.

After I got used to posting,

I focused mainly on connecting with accounts that were under 1000 followers (At this point I was swimming with the other little fishes)

My original goal was to connect with other writers to study how they were writing their posts.

The only connection requests I’d send were to other copy/content writers.

As I sent them,

My feed began to fill up with their posts.

To my surprise though, it wasn’t only their posts…

But also ones they commented on.

From time to time I’d see someone from my network comment on a post from an account with 50,000+ followers.

Intrigued, I would go read it.

I saw content like:

“X is the best strategy if you’re just starting out on LinkedIn.”

Then I’d scroll for another couple minutes and see another big account saying the opposite.

Me being in my infant stage on LinkedIn,

I became frustrated quickly.

I remember thinking:

“Clearly I’m missing something because they’re both saying different things.”

When you’re a beginner in the content game, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the different:

•Approaches

•Frameworks

•”Rules”

•Advice

•Tips

The last thing you need is to be second guessing yourself.

I decided I would try 1 of their suggested strategies out and see how it went.

I mean they had 50,000 followers, why wouldn’t I take their word?

I promised to stick to the exact guidelines they laid out so I knew I gave it an honest effort.

After about 2 weeks, I saw minimal results.

My only followers came from people I connected with vs people actually following me because of my content.

So,

I decided to switch it up to one of the other strategies a big creator suggested.

Once again,

I tried it for a couple weeks but was quickly filled with doubt due to the lack of traction I was gaining.

I began to ask myself destructive questions:

• ”Am I not cut out for this?”

• ”Am I just a terrible writer?”

• ”Am I not capable of learning this?”

These questions bugged me to my inner core as I’m naturally a competitive person and wanted to figure this whole content strategy thing out.

In hindsight my 1st mistake is very clear…

I didn’t stick with 1 strategy long enough to give it a fighting chance.

Switching after 2 weeks is too short sighted and barely enough time to see any real results.

This is a core principle not only for content strategy, but all facets of life.

Imagine if someone who’s trying to lose 50 pounds gave up after the first week because they didn’t lose 40…

It doesn’t make sense right?

Once I internalized this concept, I began to test different strategies for a minimum of 1-2 months at a time.

My 2nd mistake was over complicating it.

The goal isn’t to have the “perfect” content strategy (it doesn’t exist)

The goal is to have a strategy sustainable over a long period of time.

It’s not a get rich quick scheme.

It’s a long-term game.

My 3rd biggest mistake was adopting the hustle culture mentality.

Thinking I had to post 7 days a week, grind for hours on LinkedIn, comment on every post I see, etc.

This only led to burnout which eventually, made a part of me started to resent content creation.

Which is not the goal…

Now that I’ve shared with you my 3 biggest mistakes,

I want to share with you what’s worked best for me & what’s been the most sustainable approach to creating content online.

I boiled it down into 5 simple steps:

1. Have fun

Corny I know.

But true.

Seriously,

If you don’t have fun and learn to enjoy writing online, engaging with others, and the journey…you’re going to quit sooner rather than later.

After all, why would you keep going if you don’t enjoy doing it.

That’s the first key point.

2. Define your target audience

You gain attention through specificity.

You can write to:

• Beginners in your niche to build authority

• Your past self to attract people similar to you

• Your ideal client if your focus is inbound leads

Craft all your content towards whichever you choose.

3. Post 3-5 times a week

This will prevent you from burn out.

There are accounts I started with in February who were posting 7 days a week, made a public oath to post every day for a year, then disappeared after a few months of it.

Never forget about the most important person in your journey (you)

Take days off to rest and re-energize.

As far as what posts to write, the best starting point is to:

Share Stories, How-To’s, & Social Proof

• Stories build genuine connections

A great story shows a desired transformation the reader can relate to.

• How-To’s build authority

Explain what you’re teaching, why it’s important, then finish with how to do it in actionable steps.

• Social proof proves competence

This can be case studies, client results, testimonials (frame them as client success to avoid looking arrogant)

A well-rounded strategy hits all 3 of these post archetypes.

4. Study the best

There’s lots to learn from people who’re crushing it.

Study their:

•Content (hooks, frameworks, target audience)

•Path (Did they start on Twitter? Start with slow growth on LinkedIn?)

•Brand (Do they use specific colors? What are they known for?)

5. Network

It’s called “social” media for a reason.

Make sure you:

• Hop on 1-on-1 calls

• Reply to comments on your post

• Engage with other creator’s posts

This is how you build a real community.

There are a million other strategies out there, but I’ve found this to be the most sustainable with the highest ROI in terms of followers and growth.

Quick Recap:

Mistakes To Avoid

1. Switching strategies before results can take place

2. Overcomplicating it

3. Burn out

My recommended 5 step approach

1. Have fun

2. Define your target audience

3. Post 3-5 times a week

4. Study the best

5. Network

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I appreciate you for taking the time to read this far.

Every single letter is going to be 1 week closer to us building our own Utopia.

See you next Thursday!