7 Lessons I learned building my business on LinkedIn.

If you prefer to listen to this, you can listen on the Mindset, Marketing, & Monday Podcast

Building a business on LinkedIn can feel like an uphill struggle.

You post, tweak, and try to crack the code, but nothing sticks.

You watch others with seemingly perfect strategies racking up likes and followers, and you start to think, What am I doing wrong?

I’ve been there.

I spent years chasing trends, second-guessing myself, and falling for “LinkedIn hacks” that promised overnight success.

Spoiler: they didn’t work.

What did work? Focusing on the fundamentals.

These seven lessons transformed how I use LinkedIn - and my business.

Learn from my mistakes, and you’ll save yourself years of frustration.

1. DMs aren’t the problem. Generic DMs are.

Let’s be honest - no one likes those awful, spammy DMs. You know the ones: a generic pitch offering to revolutionise your car parks when you don’t even have any.

For years, I avoided outreach because I didn’t want to come across as desperate or salesy. But here’s the truth: it’s not about avoiding DMs - it’s about how you do them.

Bad DMs are irrelevant, lazy, and impersonal. But thoughtful, researched, and personalised outreach works.

Some of my best opportunities have come from sending targeted messages to the right people at the right time. It’s not about sending hundreds of messages; it’s about starting meaningful conversations with people who matter.

The lesson? Don’t lump all DMs into the “desperate” category. Done right, they can be really effective.

(I send 20 DMs and book 2-3 calls in my diary per day)

2. You don’t need a big following to make big money

One of the biggest lies about LinkedIn is that you need a massive audience to succeed. It’s not true.

If you can’t convert 500 ideal clients in your network, why do you think 5,000 will make a difference? More followers don’t equal more clients.

Many influencers with huge followings are broke. They’ve built an audience that loves motivational quotes, but those followers aren’t buying what they’re selling.

The key is having the right people in your network and a process to convert them. I’ve built a thriving business without chasing follower counts because I focus on quality over quantity.

The takeaway? Start with what you have. If your strategy relies on getting famous, you’re aiming at the wrong target.

(I generate more than £600k a year from my LinkedIn presence, with 60% fewer followers than my competitors).

3. If your message isn’t clear, you’re losing clients

Think about your LinkedIn profile and content. If your ideal client landed on your page, would they instantly know how you can help them?

For years, mine wasn’t clear. I thought it was because I understood what I did. But my audience didn’t.

I was trying to speak to too many people - small business owners, sales teams, and marketing teams - all at once. The result? My message resonated with no one.

When I focused on speaking to one audience at a time, everything clicked. Specificity is the secret to cutting through the noise.

(You have seconds to show you are relevant, so you have to make your profile and content so clear a 4 year old can get it quickly).

4. Vanity metrics don’t pay the bills

Likes, comments, and impressions are nice, but they don’t pay the bills.

Here’s the truth about those viral posts: most of the engagement comes from people commenting for their own gain. They’re boosting their visibility, not buying your services.

The reality? Ask any LinkedIn pro, and they’ll tell you the money comes from the lurkers.

Lurkers are the people who read your posts but never like or comment. They’re evaluating you in silence, and when they’re ready, they’ll reach out. These are the people you want to speak to.

Forget chasing engagement numbers. Create content that speaks directly to your ideal client’s challenges. It may not go viral, but it will resonate with the people who matter.

(I got 32m impressions on my content in 2023, this year I'm down by 60%, but my leads and revenue is higher).

5. Content isn’t king. It’s the icing on the cake

“Content is king.” You’ve heard it before, right? Wrong.

Content is important, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Most business owners who rely solely on content end up frustrated because content alone doesn’t generate consistent leads.

Think of content as the icing on the cake. It supports your strategy, but it can’t be your entire strategy. The real work happens behind the scenes - outreach, follow-ups, and referrals.

Content is the introduction. The rest is where the magic happens.

(Content and reaching your connections through content isn't reliable. At any moment, LinkedIn could rug pull and your lead source is gone)

6. LinkedIn is a room full of people - not profiles

It’s easy to see LinkedIn as a list of leads. But behind every profile is a real person with challenges, goals, and priorities.

The best results come when you treat people as individuals. Instead of sending generic messages, take time to understand what matters to them. Look at their profile, see what they’ve posted, and tailor your outreach.

When you show someone you’ve put in the effort, they’re far more likely to engage with you.

(At the end of the day, it comes down to being known, liked and trusted)

7. Systems beat shiny objects every time

LinkedIn is full of tools, trends, and tactics promising quick wins. But chasing shiny objects is exhausting.

Sustainable success comes from systems - simple, repeatable processes that bring in leads and clients consistently.

Systems give you control, predictability, and freedom. They don’t rely on algorithm changes or the latest hack. They just work.

The best part? Once you have a system, you’re no longer scrambling for leads. You can focus on what really matters - serving your clients and growing your business.

(There will always be someone peddling a new hack or secret tactic. You need a reliable, predictable and profitable system, you don't get that buying course after course, or trying tactic after tactic)

Build your business, not your frustrations

If you’ve been spinning your wheels on LinkedIn, it’s time to make a change.

Focus on the basics:

• Clear messaging that speaks to your ideal client.
• Targeted outreach that starts real conversations.
• Systems that work in the background so you don’t have to.

When you get these things right, LinkedIn becomes less of a hassle and more of a growth engine.

If you’re ready to build a LinkedIn strategy that works without living on LinkedIn, DM 🆆🅸🅽 to get started.

Let’s talk about how to create systems that bring in clients without running you ragged.