---
name: linkedin-strategy
description: "Builds LinkedIn personal brand strategy with posting schedule, content themes, engagement tactics, and connection outreach. Use when growing your professional presence and generating leads on LinkedIn."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# LinkedIn Strategy

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Build a LinkedIn personal brand strategy for lead generation or authority
- Create a posting schedule with content themes and formats
- Design a connection outreach approach that builds relationships
- Plan a systematic LinkedIn growth strategy for the next 90 days

**DO NOT** use this skill for writing individual LinkedIn posts or articles (use linkedin-article skill). This is for strategic planning.

---

## Core Principle

LINKEDIN REWARDS PEOPLE WHO SHARE EXPERTISE GENEROUSLY — BUILD AUTHORITY BY TEACHING, NOT BY PITCHING.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Your role / expertise** | "What do you do and what are you known for?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Target audience** | "Who do you want to reach? Job titles, industries, company sizes?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Business goal** | "What should LinkedIn drive? Leads, partnerships, job offers, thought leadership?" | Inbound leads |
| **Current LinkedIn activity** | "How active are you now? Post frequency, connection count?" | Minimal — posting occasionally |
| **Time budget** | "How much time per week for LinkedIn?" | 4 hours |
| **Content comfort** | "Are you comfortable with personal stories, or prefer professional-only?" | Mix of both |

**GATE: Confirm brief before building strategy.**

---

## Phase 2: Outline

```
1. Profile Optimization — headline, about, featured, experience
2. Content Pillars — 3-4 themes for consistent posting
3. Posting Schedule — cadence, formats, best times
4. Engagement Strategy — comments, connections, DMs
5. Connection Growth — outreach templates and approach
6. 90-Day Growth Plan
```

**GATE: Approve outline before full strategy.**

---

## Phase 3: Write

### 1. Profile Optimization

```
## LinkedIn Profile Overhaul

**Headline (220 chars max):**
[What you do] | [Who you help] | [Proof or CTA]
Example: "I help B2B SaaS companies close 30% more demos | Sales coach for 200+ AEs | Follow for daily sales tips"

**About Section (2,600 chars max):**
Paragraph 1: Who you help and what result you deliver (hook)
Paragraph 2: Your story — how you got here (credibility)
Paragraph 3: What you believe about your industry (perspective)
Paragraph 4: How to work with you + CTA (conversion)

**Featured Section:**
- Pin your best-performing post
- Link to your lead magnet or website
- Share a case study or portfolio piece

**Experience Section:**
- Write results-focused descriptions (not job duty lists)
- Include metrics: "Grew revenue from $X to $Y" not "Managed sales team"

**Banner Image:**
- Include your value proposition or CTA
- Dimensions: 1584x396px
- Clean, professional, on-brand
```

### 2. Content Pillars

```
## Content Pillars

**Pillar 1: [Expertise / How-to]** (40%)
- Share frameworks, tips, and tactical advice
- Format: text posts with bullet points or numbered lists
- Example: "5 things I tell every new freelancer about pricing"

**Pillar 2: [Personal Stories / Lessons]** (30%)
- Share failures, surprises, and behind-the-scenes moments
- Format: storytelling posts with a lesson at the end
- Example: "I lost my biggest client last month. Here's what I learned."

**Pillar 3: [Industry Opinions]** (20%)
- Take positions on industry trends and debates
- Format: contrarian takes, predictions, hot takes
- Example: "Unpopular opinion: cold email is still the best B2B channel."

**Pillar 4: [Promotional]** (10%)
- Share testimonials, launches, and offers
- Format: case studies, announcements, social proof
- Example: "Just helped a client double their demo rate. Here's how."
```

### 3. Posting Schedule

```
## Posting Cadence

| Day | Post Type | Format |
|-----|-----------|--------|
| Monday | Expertise tip | Text post with list |
| Wednesday | Personal story / lesson | Storytelling post |
| Friday | Industry opinion or engagement post | Question or hot take |

**Post timing:** 7:30-8:30 AM in your audience's timezone (Tue-Thu are strongest)
**Minimum:** 3 posts per week
**Format mix:** 70% text-only, 20% text + image, 10% carousels or documents
```

### 4. Engagement Strategy

```
## Daily Engagement Routine (30 min/day)

**Before posting (10 min):**
- Comment on 5-10 posts from target connections
- Leave substantive comments (3+ sentences, not "Great post!")
- Engage with people you want to connect with BEFORE connecting

**After posting (10 min):**
- Respond to every comment on your post within the first 2 hours
- Ask follow-up questions to keep conversations going
- Like comments to acknowledge engagement

**Outreach (10 min):**
- Send 5-10 connection requests with personalized notes
- Follow up with new connections via DM (value-first, not pitchy)
```

### 5. Connection Growth

```
## Connection Outreach Templates

**New connection request (300 chars max):**
"Hi [Name], I noticed [specific thing — mutual connection, shared interest, their recent post]. I share content about [your topic] and would love to connect. — [Your name]"

**Welcome DM (after they accept):**
"Thanks for connecting, [Name]! I noticed you're in [their field]. I share [type of content] here — curious, what's your biggest challenge with [relevant topic] right now?"

**NEVER:** Pitch in the first DM. Build rapport first. Earn the right to share your offer.
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Strategy Checklist

```
## LinkedIn Strategy Checklist

- [ ] Profile headline optimized with value proposition
- [ ] About section rewritten with results-focused copy
- [ ] Featured section has a lead magnet or best content pinned
- [ ] Banner image updated with brand message
- [ ] 3-4 content pillars defined with examples
- [ ] Posting schedule set (minimum 3x/week)
- [ ] Daily engagement routine planned (30 min/day)
- [ ] Connection outreach templates written
- [ ] First 2 weeks of post topics pre-planned
- [ ] Metrics and goals defined for 90 days
```

### 2. 90-Day Goals

```
| Metric | Current | 30-Day Target | 90-Day Target |
|--------|---------|---------------|---------------|
| Connections | [N] | [+N] | [+N] |
| Avg post impressions | [N] | [N] | [N] |
| Inbound DMs / week | [N] | [N] | [N] |
| Leads generated | [N] | [N] | [N] |
```

---

## Example: LinkedIn Strategy for a Fractional CMO

```
Headline: "Fractional CMO for B2B SaaS | Helped 12 startups hit $1M ARR | Follow for growth marketing tactics"
Pillars: Growth tactics (40%), Startup lessons (30%), Marketing hot takes (20%), Client wins (10%)
Cadence: Mon/Wed/Fri at 8 AM ET
Engagement: 30 min/day — 10 min commenting, 10 min replying, 10 min connecting
90-day goal: 500 new connections, 5 inbound leads/month
```

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Posting and ghosting** — posting without engaging with others' content limits reach. LinkedIn rewards conversations.
- **Pitching in DMs immediately** — sending a sales pitch in the first message gets you muted or reported.
- **Only posting promotional content** — if every post is "hire me," nobody follows. Lead with value.
- **Generic connection requests** — "I'd like to add you to my professional network" gets ignored. Personalize every request.
- **Inconsistent posting** — 5 posts one week, nothing for 3 weeks destroys algorithm momentum.
- **Writing like a press release** — LinkedIn rewards authentic, personal content. Drop the corporate tone.

---

## Recovery

- **Zero engagement on posts:** Test different formats (storytelling vs tips vs questions). Hook readers in the first two lines. Engage more with others' content to increase your visibility.
- **No content ideas:** Scroll your feed for 15 minutes. Respond to or riff on posts from others in your niche.
- **Feeling uncomfortable sharing personal stories:** Start small — share a professional lesson or a mistake. You do not need to share your life story.
- **DMs are not converting:** Build more touchpoints before pitching. Comment on their posts 3-5 times before sending a DM.
- **Time-strapped:** Batch-write posts on Sunday evening. Schedule with LinkedIn's native scheduler. Engage 15 min/day instead of 30.
