it took 3 years, 800+ posts and 100s of hours on the platform. here are 5 contrarian truths i wish someone had told me about using linkedin for business growth and i would have achieved the business growth in half the time:
1. likes don't equal revenue.
i played the "viral game". made the cheatsheets. copied everything big creators did with carousels and linkedin hacks. sure, i got 500+ likes and 50,000 impressions. didn’t lead to business. now i write for my economic buyer and their influencers. reach? in the toilet. but profit? doubled.
2. stop paying attention to people flogging courses in a gold rush.
a lot of the so-called "linkedin kings and queens" are just great at self-promotion. doesn’t make them business coaches. their viral brand cohort works for them because they have a low-ticket offer that needs scale. if you’re in services or tech, that model doesn’t translate. focus on writing for one person — your buyer. forget formatting. forget hacks.
ask yourself: if you’re playing their game, do you want their prize? it’s probably sponsors and course sales. not pipeline.
3. pick your idols carefully (or don't pick them at all!)
i’m bad for this. every month i get infatuated with a new b2b creator. "charlie big potatoes says it so i have to do it!" nope. people preach what worked for them. doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. even my own demand gen system is just a tested hypothesis.
if you must take inspiration, pick creators in your niche. don’t model your brand after growth hackers if you’re in b2b. find people with real experience in your space. niche advice > inflated likes.
4. you can drive revenue from content on day 1.
"it takes time to generate pipeline" — the most overused excuse in b2b content. yes, inbound takes time. but pipeline? you can start today.
linkedin intent → dm → curiosity gap → zoom
don’t wait 6 months to hope for inbound. activate your team now and tie content back to pipeline immediately (interested? maybe we should talk).
5. don't pick a niche. differentiate based on your ideas.
i could’ve niched years ago. worked with dev companies and m&a firms. but i'm not a domain expert. picking a niche where you're not credible limits you. niche buyers won’t trust you. and you’ll cut yourself off from bigger opportunities.
want to stand out? don’t niche. think differently. find a unique way to solve a common problem. that’s your edge.
last quarter i launched a new offer: building gtm infra to help tech and consulting firms build pipeline. same core offer, new angle. spoke to sub-$500k businesses tired of retainers. helped them own their systems. didn’t niche. just reframed the idea. it worked.
there’s 5 spicy takes.
but also, thank you. seriously. your attention over the last 3 years means everything.
i’m doubling down on quality and value. whether it’s 100 or 100,000 — if one person gets value from a post, it’s worth it.
appreciate you for reading this.
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