I Blew Up My LinkedIn Following As Fast As I Could!

Lara Acosta
28 Jul 202418:38

TLDRIn this video, the speaker shares a seven-step strategy for rapidly growing a LinkedIn following from zero to 100,000 without a team, paid ads, or prior experience. Key steps include a digital detox, creating a 'dream 100' list of connections, optimizing profile visuals, and engaging with the community through commenting. The speaker emphasizes the importance of micro-niching, high-performance content that educates, inspires, or entertains, and building meaningful connections to foster growth and monetization.

Takeaways

  • 😀 Start with a clean slate on LinkedIn to avoid irrelevant noise and self-comparison.
  • 🎯 Create a 'Dream 100' list to identify the people you aspire to connect with and their networks.
  • 📸 Invest in a high-quality profile picture that represents your current and desired professional self.
  • 🔖 Craft a compelling headline that succinctly communicates your value proposition.
  • 🏞️ Keep your banner simple with a solid color that aligns with your brand for a strong first impression.
  • ⏰ Commit time to engage with the LinkedIn community, especially through commenting on posts.
  • 🗣️ Focus on building connections by commenting early and often on relevant posts to increase visibility.
  • 📈 Niche down to a specific area of expertise to establish authority and credibility quickly.
  • 📊 Prioritize educational and inspirational content that provides value to your target audience.
  • 🎨 Use visual content strategically to enhance engagement and make your posts more shareable.
  • 🤝 Foster genuine connections by actively networking and engaging in meaningful conversations.

Q & A

  • What was the speaker's situation in 2022 regarding LinkedIn?

    -In 2022, the speaker had no job, was living at their parents' house, and had zero LinkedIn followers.

  • How did the speaker grow their LinkedIn following?

    -The speaker grew their LinkedIn following by using a seven-step strategy which included a digital detox, creating a 'dream 100' list, focusing on first impressions, investing time, commenting, micro-niching content, and building connections.

  • What does the term 'digital detox' mean in the context of the speaker's strategy?

    -In the context of the speaker's strategy, 'digital detox' refers to the process of removing irrelevant connections and noise on LinkedIn to focus on posting consistently and attracting the right audience.

  • What is a 'dream 100' list and how does it help in growing a LinkedIn network?

    -A 'dream 100' list is a term coined by Russell Bronson, which involves listing 100 people you'd like to connect with, including those who have your ideal connections in their networks. This strategy helps increase the chances of reaching out to them and growing your network.

  • Why did the speaker choose to start with a new LinkedIn account?

    -The speaker chose to start with a new LinkedIn account to have a clean slate, avoid the fear of being seen by old work friends, and to focus on building a network of CEOs, Founders, and like-minded people.

  • What are the three main things the speaker suggests focusing on to make an impression on LinkedIn?

    -The speaker suggests focusing on a high-quality headshot, an impactful headline, and a simple banner to make a strong first impression on LinkedIn.

  • How important is the number of connections visible on a LinkedIn profile according to the speaker?

    -The speaker emphasizes that the number of connections visible on a LinkedIn profile is crucial as it acts as a form of social proof and helps in building trust with potential connections.

  • What is the strategy the speaker used to get 500+ relevant connections on LinkedIn?

    -The speaker's strategy to get 500+ relevant connections involved commenting on posts of active accounts in their niche, focusing on a range of following sizes, and engaging in meaningful conversations.

  • What does the speaker mean by 'micro-niching down' their content?

    -Micro-niching down refers to the process of focusing on a very specific area of expertise within a broader topic to become a leader in that specific area and gain more authority and credibility.

  • How does the speaker define high-performance content on LinkedIn?

    -The speaker defines high-performance content on LinkedIn as content that educates, inspires, or entertains. They suggest focusing on educational and inspirational content to attract and retain an audience.

  • What is the significance of building connections and having coffee chats or zoom calls according to the speaker?

    -Building connections and having coffee chats or zoom calls is significant because it helps in creating a network of like-minded people, gaining mentorship, and becoming a valuable asset within the industry.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 From Zero to 100K LinkedIn Followers in a Year

The narrator shares a personal journey, starting in 2022 with no job and no LinkedIn followers, to being named one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurs on LinkedIn in just 12 months. They emphasize that the growth was achieved without a team, paid ads, or prior experience. The strategy consists of seven steps that helped them grow to 100,000 followers, and it has been used successfully with hundreds of clients. The first step involves performing a digital detox by removing irrelevant LinkedIn connections and starting fresh.

05:00

📋 Building Your Dream Network with Intent

The narrator describes the importance of building a meaningful LinkedIn network, starting with a clean slate and strategically connecting with high-value individuals. They introduce the 'Dream 100 List' concept, coined by Russell Bronson, which involves listing 100 key people to connect with. These connections should be individuals who align with the narrator's goals, like CEOs and founders. Instead of spamming direct messages, they highlight the importance of giving people reasons to engage with their profile by presenting oneself professionally with a quality headshot, clear headline, and minimal distractions on their profile.

10:01

🎯 The Power of First Impressions and Commenting

Emphasizing the importance of first impressions on LinkedIn, the narrator explains that LinkedIn operates like a massive business conference where first impressions are critical. They stress the importance of reaching 500+ connections for social proof and building credibility. Commenting strategically on 20 to 30 active LinkedIn accounts from similar niches is recommended to build connections and visibility. The narrator outlines three types of effective comments: personal takes, motivational quotes, and humorous responses. These practices can exponentially increase engagement and establish trust within the community.

15:01

🧩 Mastering LinkedIn Content with the Rule of One

The narrator emphasizes the importance of focusing on a specific niche, using the 'Rule of One': one problem, one solution. They share their experience of narrowing down their broad niche of marketing to personal branding, allowing them to establish authority and credibility. By creating content consistently and experimenting with different formats, they gained valuable feedback and grew their audience. This approach led to a significant increase in engagement over time. The narrator stresses the importance of refining expertise and focusing on one key area to create impactful content.

🎥 Creating High-Performance Content that Resonates

The narrator discusses the key elements of creating high-performance content: educating, inspiring, and entertaining the audience. They point out that successful LinkedIn content often hits two of these three points. For the next 90 days, they recommend posting 3-5 times a week, with 80% educational content and 20% inspirational content. The content should align with the creator's core expertise. Visual content like infographics and carousels are encouraged to increase engagement, while formatting for clarity and mobile optimization is critical for building a strong personal brand.

💬 Building Connections Through Networking and Collaboration

In the final part, the narrator underscores the importance of connection and networking for long-term growth on LinkedIn. They share their experience of booking numerous coffee chats and Zoom calls to establish relationships with people at various stages of their career. This networking approach helped them find mentors and collaborators who supported their journey. They emphasize that by following the earlier steps and providing value in every interaction, individuals can build personal leverage, grow their network, and attract new opportunities.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Digital Detox

Digital detox refers to the practice of stepping away from digital devices and online platforms for a period of time to reduce stress and focus on self-improvement. In the context of the video, the speaker suggests removing irrelevant connections on LinkedIn to reduce noise and self-comparison, allowing for more focused and consistent posting.

💡Connections

Connections on LinkedIn refer to the professional relationships one establishes on the platform. The video emphasizes the importance of curating these connections to build a relevant network that can contribute to one's professional growth. It suggests removing connections that do not align with one's professional goals.

💡Dream 100 List

The Dream 100 List is a concept introduced by Russell Bronson, where one lists 100 people they aspire to connect with, including those who have their ideal audience. The video uses this strategy to target specific individuals who can help grow one's network and potentially lead to opportunities.

💡Headshot

A headshot on LinkedIn is a professional photo that represents one's personal brand. The video stresses the need for a clear, high-quality headshot that is approachable and relevant to the image one wants to project, as it is a key element in making a strong first impression.

💡Headline

The headline on a LinkedIn profile is a brief summary that appears under one's name, showcasing their professional title and value proposition. The video provides templates for creating effective headlines that can attract the attention of potential connections and convey one's professional focus.

💡Banner

The banner on a LinkedIn profile is the large image at the top of the page that sets the visual tone for the profile. Contrary to common advice, the video suggests using a simple, solid-color banner that matches one's brand to avoid distraction and focus on initial growth.

💡First Impressions

First impressions on LinkedIn are crucial as they can determine whether others engage with one's profile or content. The video discusses the importance of having a complete profile with a professional photo, headline, and connections to establish credibility and trust.

💡Reciprocity Bias

Reciprocity bias is a psychological phenomenon where people tend to return favors. The video mentions that by actively engaging with others' content through comments, one can leverage this bias to build relationships and increase the likelihood of receiving engagement in return.

💡Micro Niching

Micro niching involves focusing on a very specific area of expertise within a broader field. The video advises narrowing down one's focus to a micro niche to become a recognized authority, which can lead to increased visibility, credibility, and growth on LinkedIn.

💡High-Performance Content

High-performance content on LinkedIn is content that educates, inspires, or entertains. The video explains that to grow an audience, one should create content that falls into at least one of these categories, as it resonates with a broader audience and encourages engagement.

💡Visual Rhythm

Visual rhythm refers to the aesthetic flow and organization of text and images in a post. The video suggests that using visual rhythm in content can improve readability and engagement by making the content more visually appealing and easier to scan.

Highlights

Grew LinkedIn following from 0 to 100,000 in 12 months without a team, paid ads, or previous experience.

Used a seven-step strategy to achieve rapid growth on LinkedIn.

Advocates for a digital detox to remove irrelevant connections and noise on LinkedIn.

Suggests starting with a clean slate on LinkedIn to avoid self-censorship due to fear of judgment.

Recommends creating a 'dream 100' list to identify key people to connect with.

Emphasizes the importance of a high-quality headshot for a professional LinkedIn profile.

Advises on crafting a compelling headline that clearly communicates your value proposition.

Cautions against overcomplicating the profile banner, suggesting a simple, solid color is sufficient.

Stresses the importance of time investment and active engagement over monetary investment for growth.

Encourages commenting on others' posts to build connections and visibility.

Details how to strategically comment to build trust and community on LinkedIn.

Highlights the significance of micro-niching to become a leader in a specific area.

Advises focusing on content that educates, inspires, or entertains.

Recommends a content mix of 80% educational and 20% inspirational posts.

Suggests using visual content to enhance engagement and growth.

Advocates for the rule of one – focusing on one problem, one solution, one thing – for content creation.

Encourages building personal connections through coffee chats and networking.

Shares personal experience of meeting a mentor through consistent engagement on LinkedIn.

Emphasizes the compound effect of consistent effort in building a strong LinkedIn network.