I tested the hacks (so you don’t have to)

In October 2024, I decided to take LinkedIn seriously.

Not casually. Not “when I feel like it.” Intentionally.

I mapped content pillars, refined my positioning, and posted daily, trying out hooks and hacks to see what would land.

For a while, it felt like momentum.

Engagement trickled in, conversations sparked in the comments, and I even got a few DMs here and there.

But about a quarter into the experiment, I had a realization:

Content alone wasn’t gonna crack the get-booked-out code.

To be clear, LinkedIn was working:

Sometimes a platform is working on you before it works for you.

But clarity doesn’t automatically convert.

And I knew, from my own professional and from the leaders I was ghostwriting for, that content without conversation is just procrastimarketing.

So I added another layer.

I started testing outreach like the bros.

I tried AI tools (yikes).
I tried cold pitching strangers (double yikes).

Fortunately, I landed on simple, personal messages and started real conversations. Soon, I started actively and intentionally growing my network.

I began locally:

Because the algorithm is unpredictable, but relationships aren’t. Besides, you never get a second chance at first impressions.

And that was just the beginning. Research shows 80% of B2B sales require five or more follow-ups.

Not five posts but five direct follow-ups. So my conversations had to grow from ABC (acknowledge, bridge, curiosity), to D&E (direct & easy ask) too. 

Posting builds awareness.
Conversations build trust over time.
Follow-up brings you buyers and believers.

If you’ve been posting consistently and wondering why it hasn’t translated yet, consider this:

For every public post, start three private conversations.

If DMs feel awkward, keep it simple:

Content opens the door. Conversations invite someone inside. Sales happen in private, not in public.

Maybe you don’t need to post more.

You may just need to talk more, intentionally.