How I Sourced 60% of Customers From Linkedin, Organically
Howdy (growth) hackers, solopreneurs, and anyone in between,
A little while ago I shared the progress of growing my product-design-as-a-service agency from $0 through to $4,000 and subsequently $16,000 in monthly revenue. Still going strong from there, we've started honing in on a growth strategy that's been working extremely well for us, and has mystified other Indie Hackers based on comments, as well as messages on Linkedin and emails.
60% of our customers are sourced from LinkedIn.
Organically.
The key to our success on LinkedIn has been posting consistently, constantly, and with varying formats until we found a handful that hit the mark just about every time. And these posts, organically, drive our potential and future customers,
Linkedin, however, differs enough from other, more short-term, dopamine-thrill focused platforms such as X, TikTok, or (nowadays) even Youtube. Its inherently more professional, knowledge-sharing foundation makes it so that things that would work on these other platforms often fail to stick the landing on Linkedin.
Controversy Works
Much like X, starting a post with a controversial thought or opinion is guaranteed to draw attention. In this case, with an audience and network that is largely comprised of designers and engineers, we tell designers not to learn how to code. Knowing full well that, A) that first sentence alone will get people to stop scrolling, and B) it's a notion that will urge people to share their opinion even if they never read beyond that first sentence.
And here, much like the other social media platforms, controversy just works. So if there's a status quo in your industry, a behaviour that everyone exhibits, or a trend that the majority of your competition sheepishly follows, go against it. I guarantee you that going against the grain will earn you more engagement.
Emojis, emojis, emojis
LinkedIn loves two (okay, three) things.
1️⃣ Emojis.
2️⃣ Nerdy, nitty-gritty deep dives by a domain expert.
3️⃣ Lists.
See what I did there?
But really, LinkedIn users seem to eschew your traditional, "look-at-me-do-this-thing" content that other platforms favor, and enjoy a solid deep dive into a nerdy topic, be it in their area of expertise or not. Because being an expert, or at least appearing to be one, is how you build your network quickly, and ensures that your following is actually interested in the topics you talk about.
Whether it's diving into the use of flags to signify languages, or alienating entire departments of a software startup though, the one thing that has consistently worked for us though, is emoji lists. Whether they're numbered, like the above, or use emojis to reinforce their point, they simply work.
Imagery is King
While it might appears to us as a no-brainer, but the vast majority of user-generated content we see on LinkedIn does not use imagery in any format.
And yet, imagery is king on LinkedIn.
Posts that contain images drastically outperform those without images, to the tune of 50 to 60% more engagement. It's what gets people to stop doomscrolling, captures their attention, and invites them to read what you have to say.
So be bold. Use colors. Try to stand out from the drab, corporate landscape that LinkedIn usually placates.
Don't just tell people you're hiring, or having a sale, or just launched a new feature. Show them. With the ever-fading attention spans of the current and upcoming generation of professionals, you don't have a lot of time to get them interested. And your post that is just a wall of text isn't going to cut it.
And that's it, really. Those 3 key points are what drives 60% of our customer acquisition at the moment. All organic.
Hope that helps you level up your Linkedin game. Happy to answer any and all questions you might have!
Protect your momentum like your life depends on It
How do I change my username on Indie Hackers?
Use of imagery is a wise suggestion. Thanks for sharing.
Yet another sign that I need to up my efforts on LinkedIn. Definitely noting the tip about use of imagery. Thanks for sharing.
Paul, your insights into LinkedIn success are truly enlightening. In your experience, what qualities make a controversy truly impactful? thank you for sharing!
I definitely agree with the controversy point
Thank you so much for sharing this! It will help me optimize my LinkedIn prospects for Logomakerr.ai. I'm kind of having difficulties to do so, but this info definitely helps a lot!
cool site! we were actually just looking for a tool along those lines. will check out your product
That's cool! I can't wait to hear your feedback about this AI logo generator I made!
It did a really great job! We waiting for some further financing / product development to lock into a new logo - but Im a fan! I think its smart the flow you used - allowing the potential customer to create it, see a result, and be attached to having it. 1 suggestion id give is allowing the user to see the price of it before requiring them to create an account / sign up. seeing a price would give them a better chance to determine if signing up was worth it
Hi! I am so glad that you liked it! I can't wait to share this feedback with the team.
In regards to your suggestion, you can actually do that already even if you don't create an account. Just go to Logomakerr.ai and click "Pricing" from one of the 5 top buttons we have!
Thanks again and I wish your business well! :))
Will try for my project in the future! Just need more leverage for the customer xd
Thanks for sharing such useful insights!
thanks for your sharing... I am sure it will be useful for many people
Thanks for the tips Paul. Will try it next time! I am guessing you are mostly using your personal account to post. Is that right?
Great read! The way you’ve used LinkedIn to connect and pull in customers organically is really smart. Genuine interactions worked best for us too in the past. Makes me think we should also spend more time on this again with a bit of smart tech to keep it personal :))
Thanks for sharing your insights on leveraging LinkedIn for customer acquisition! Consistent posting, embracing controversy, and using emojis seem to be key strategies that have worked wonders for your agency. Embracing imagery to capture attention is also a valuable tip. Appreciate you sharing your experiences!
That really helpful. As someone who already having success in linkedin I would like you to test out the tool that I made.
The tool will help you analyze your competitors performance on social media. This tool will give you insight on what type of content is working and what is not.
If you want to check it out you can try it at socialtrendanalysis.com
I sourced 60% of my customers organically from LinkedIn by optimizing my profile with relevant keywords and consistently posting valuable content tailored to my target audience. I engaged actively with connections through comments and messages, which helped to build trust and establish my expertise. Joining and participating in industry-specific LinkedIn groups also proved invaluable, allowing me to network with potential clients and share insights. Additionally, I utilized LinkedIn's publishing platform to write articles that resonated with my network, driving further engagement and exposure. This strategic approach helped me leverage LinkedIn’s vast professional network to significantly grow my customer base organically.
Thanks a lot for this Paul. I actually started focusing more on linkedIn recently and this has helped a lot.
Would you recommend posting from your personal or company profile?
Thanks for sharing! I noticed in your first visual reference (for Controversy Works) that you had "Check the comments for the full story." at the end, a clever way to get more engagement. Is that something you do consistently and do you find it works for engagement and to "feed the algorithm"?
Great! Yes, I do agree that controversial posts get the most engagement.
This is amazing, thank you! I can confirm that using images really works, I got 70% more engagement on my first image post.
Loved the post and the deep dive - emojis , nerdy content and lists for the WIN!
Tremendous thanks for sharing this.
I am a logo designer and I want to attract clients from LinkedIn.
People who have nothing to do with design, but who appreciate it.
Sore everything for their ventures and theirr brands.
Could you shed light on the number of posts you make? And also if you pay attention to posting schedules?
Thanks for the great tips! Controversy garners attention because people always want to prove a point, in other words — "do whatever it takes to trend and stay fresh in people's mind" (as long as they will recieve value at the end of the discussion).
Great valuable article, thanks Paul 🙌
in those posts, the most imagery you can use is emojis? am i understanding that right?
So is it all about getting people talking?
Thanks for the post! I think it needs to be highlighted here that going in with an apology for the concern can be the key to getting answers and avoiding blocking 💡
Engaged consistently by sharing valuable content, connecting with prospects, and participating in relevant groups.