How Small Accounts Generate Big LinkedIn Sales

Nov 15, 2024

How Small Accounts Generate Big LinkedIn Sales

“Why am I even bothering with LinkedIn?”

You know the feeling - posting into the void, getting engagement (oh wow, people are actually commenting on my posts! or are they bots? hmm…), watching your connection count grow while your client list... doesn't. Been there, done that, got the mug.

In November 2021, my original LinkedIn profile was unfairly suspended. After taking a long (almost 2-year) break, I returned with a new profile, which had 897 followers by October 2023.

That’s when I decided to get serious about my LinkedIn strategy—and the results have been eye-opening.

From 897 followers to $36K+: My LinkedIn Rebuild Story (And How You Can Do It Too)

Here’s what’s happened in 12 months. No viral story of 100K followers in 30 days. Sorry, not sorry.

My LinkedIn Growth:

As at 28 Oct 2023: 897 followers
3 Months Later: 1,500 followers
6 Months Later: 2,162 followers (141% increase)
12 Months Later (26 Oct 2024): 3,137 followers (250% growth)

But followers, likes, and comments don’t pay the bills…

That is, until they do.

In those 12 months, my activity translated into $36K+ in revenue from LinkedIn leads and referrals, including two fractional CMO gigs. Not too shabby for a year of effort, right?

Mindset: Show up where your target buyers are and show up as someone interesting and valuable.

This approach has driven consistent growth and generated real revenue for my business.

🎯 My Process (Oct 2023 - Oct 2024):

Daily:
- Post following a consistent daily theme
- Engage with other accounts. Make 5-10 meaningful comments before posting my own content
Weekly:
- Find and connect: Send 25-50 strategic connection requests with individuals who fit my ICP.
- Publish Community shoutouts every Sunday (supporting others works!)
- Publish weekly Trust Signals newsletter to demonstrate thought leadership.
Monthly:
- Attend a networking or learning event and post a recap (lesson or insight + photos + shoutout to person/s involved). My best performing posts of this type were:
  - a recap of a virtual summit I attended.
  - an uncomfortable story of how I went networking and knew nobody (and it turned out to be an amazing night). By the way, this post resulted in someone reaching out to me and a month later they became a Fractional CMO client)
  - sharing a personal win returning to basketball and winning a tournament with a bunch of strangers. Photos included.

Why these types of posts work well - Posts that highlight relatable challenges or memorable takeaways, along with photos and shoutouts, tend to perform well and foster genuine connections. Networking not only boosts visibility but can lead to real business and job opportunities.

Always be testing and learning

I recently attended LinkedIn expert Adam Houlahan’s LinkedIn Blueprint event in Sydney, which validated and sharpened my approach with fresh insights on LinkedIn’s algorithm and best practices. More on this below.

But first, what about results other small business owners have been getting? I’ve got you. Buckle up!

Real Results: LinkedIn Success Stories

Let me share some LinkedIn success stories that might just inspire you to update your profile and tweak your approach today:

James Michael, Founder & Chief Engagement Officer, The Justified Talent Group - SME Sales Recruitment

Achieved $225,000 in revenue from LinkedIn in the past 12 months
Generated $1.1M in revenue over five years from LinkedIn

My approach, quite simply, has been to post content, generally 3 times a week, which has the intention of educating, being thought-provoking, insightful and to a lesser degree, inspiring. I've rarely put a post up directly promoting our services. On the whole, my posts have been focused on discussing the challenges my ICP faces in recruiting their first sales professionals... and the high rate of failure which follows. It positions me as a subject-matter-expert and differentiates me from my competitors.”

Michelle J Raymond, LinkedIn Coach for B2B Teams & Consultants

Generated $2M in revenue from a single LinkedIn post
Built a targeted community over ten years, which continues to drive revenue

"I've been social selling on LinkedIn for almost a decade. During that time, I've had the thrill of winning $2M worth of business from a LinkedIn post. The post that won was very much a full-blown sales post. I knew there was a shortage in the market for the product, and I wanted to capitalise on this.
In reality, it wasn't the post at all. It was the targeted community I had been building for the six years prior that paid off. I strategically connected with key industry players and built my brand as someone you could trust.
Social selling, for me, has always been finding, connecting, and nurturing relationships so you are top of mind when that person or brand needs to buy. I was ready for that moment and have lost count of how many moments like this I've had since."

Mark O’Neill, Self-Publishing Consultant, Self-Employed

Signed a $500 client from this LinkedIn post. They’re still a client so Mark is going to make more as he continues working with them.
Consistently attracts self-publishing consulting clients through LinkedIn
Uses educational posts to create interest and build credibility

"There are always professional people wanting to publish books. So by writing LinkedIn posts on one specific aspect of self-publishing – such as book covers, marketing, the benefits – I get them interested wanting to know what more I can do for them.
This is how I get self-publishing consulting gigs. Give them a taster of your service by writing short but informative and useful posts on the publishing process, then invite them to get in touch for more details."

Sarah Hart, Founder & Graphic Designer, Hart & Co. (and new mum with a beautiful 2-year old)

Grew from 217 to over 10,000 LinkedIn followers in one year (check out Sarah’s amazing carousel post about this. btw, her carousels are EPIC)
954 email signups from two opt-ins
- virtual sales funnel webinar: 272
- visual brand Inso swipe file: 683
Gained 82 people on her waitlist and acquired 6 new clients, including retainers
Built her personal brand, replacing previous income and increasing revenue.

"When I started posting on LinkedIn, I had three retainer clients and almost zero leads coming in after my maternity leave. I actually let go of my main retainer client (40% of my income) and didn’t take on any new client work for three months to focus on writing and building my personal brand. Since then, I’ve replaced that income—and more.
My first posts actually had good reach and engagement for starting out, but gaining new followers felt like a slog. I think it was because I had such a low number of followers (215 doesn’t inspire an easy follow). After reaching 5,000, I felt like I finally had the social proof that made it easier for people to follow me.
When I started, my writing was pretty bad and it just took a lot of time creating content to get better (Im still really working on it and have a long road to go!). There really isn’t a shortcut for that I don’t think."

In her post Sarah also shared the struggles of getting through her first year (full respect!):

LinkedIn Blueprint: Key Takeaways from the Pros

Here’s what I learned from Adam Houlahan’s event:

LinkedIn’s Content Hierarchy: LinkedIn categorises content into four types: spam, marketing, Facebook-like, and thought leadership. LinkedIn only considers "thought leadership" to be of high value, while Facebook-like content—typical social posts common to platforms like Facebook—is viewed as "noise" and deprioritised by LinkedIn’s algorithm. My daily themed posts aim for this sweet spot, and I’ve seen the impact.
Quality Over Quantity: Adam recommends 2-3 quality posts per week, but I’ve found daily posting works well for my audience. The key? Consistency and engaging with other connections’ content before you post.
Strategic Commenting Works Wonders: Commenting with intention isn’t just about visibility—it builds real connections. As Adam said, “A well-placed, insightful comment can open doors for connections or deeper conversations.” The key? Identify 5-10 individuals
3x LinkedIn Top Voice, String Nguyen, echoed Adam’s thoughts on the power of commenting. She recently shared on her feed:

“Low on time but still want to stay active on LinkedIn? Here’s a simple tip: Start Commenting! Engage with 3-5 posts a day. Commenting is content too!”

Ready to Level Up? Here’s the Game Plan

Here’s a comprehensive approach, blending my strategies with Adam’s expert insights:

1. Profile Optimisation: The Essentials

Profile Photo: Use a professional image with a clean background. A genuine smile and a distinct colour will grab people’s attention quicker.
Banner: Keep it simple, with minimal text—remember, your profile photo overlaps it.
Headline: Focus on the results clients can expect from hiring you.
Role Titles: If you’re attracting a lot of spammers, you might want to avoid using “CEO” or “Founder”
CTA: Direct viewers to an external link (website, booking page, etc.).

2. Strategic Networking (My Tried-and-Tested Method)

Send 25-50 quality connections weekly to expand your network.
Build real connections by commenting on other people’s posts before sharing your own content.
Engage in regular community shoutouts to support others and tag them (I do mine every Sunday. Here’s an example).

Another way to do this is with a roundup-style post. Like Amanda Natividad’s post about top women founders with epic personal brands, and Kate Merryweather's post on the top Aussie creators on LinkedIn.

3. Content Strategy Options

👉 My Daily Content Plan:

Themed daily posts
Before posting your own content, engage by commenting on 5-10 other people’s posts to boost your reach
Search for and send connect requests to 5-10 people that match your ICP daily
Weekly community shoutouts

👉 Adam’s Recommended Monthly Content Mix:

2 Video Posts
2 Newsletters
3 Status Updates
2 Image Posts
1 Document Post
1 Poll Post

What’s Next?

LinkedIn is not just a social platform - it’s a powerful business tool. By implementing these strategies, you can start attracting high-quality leads, expanding your network, and ultimately driving revenue.

I recommend starting by choosing one action to focus on first—like updating your profile to optimise it for sales.

Want more support to grow your business?

A LinkedIn strategy is just one part of a broader sales and marketing strategy for your small business.

If you're ready to take a deeper dive into building a complete strategy that goes beyond LinkedIn, I’ll soon be launching a comprehensive program to help you do just that.

Want to be the first to know? Reply to this email with “waitlist”, and I’ll make sure you get all the details as soon as it’s ready.