036: Selling on LinkedIn (Without Being Salesy)—Part 4: Your Posting Strategy
Learn a LinkedIn posting strategy that’s about you—your goals, schedule, and strengths.
Today’s email is for you if you’re experiencing these problems:
Your LinkedIn presence isn’t growing.
You feel like LinkedIn is a time suck with no payoff.
You’re overwhelmed by the idea of posting regularly (so you put off posting at all).
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Review
This is the 10th installment of the 4-Farmland Matrix (4FM) series. In it, we unpack a simple four-part framework that helps you identify and capitalize on your most promising sales opportunities—whether they’re new prospects, current clients, or ones that got away.
So far, we’ve covered these topics:
The 4-Farmland Matrix: Overview
Farmland 1: New (Desirable fields yet to be acquired)
033: Selling on LinkedIn (Without Being Salesy)—Part 1: Your Connections Strategy.
034: Selling on LinkedIn (Without Being Salesy)—Part 2: Your DM Strategy
035: Selling on LinkedIn (Without Being Salesy)—Part 3: Engagement Strategy
Preview
In a previous article, I introduced the four ‘components’ of Systematic Prospecting in your sales process:
Systematic Social Selling
Systematic Outreach.
Systematic Referrals.
In the past three articles, we’ve discussed the second component—Systematic Social Selling—with our ‘Selling on LinkedIn’ series:
Today, we break down Part 4: Your Posting Strategy.
Overview
In three articles, we’ve explored how to sell on LinkedIn through consistent connections, DMs, and engagement.
Yet, we still haven’t even touched on posting on the platform.
Why?
Because I wanted to show you that LinkedIn can be a powerful sales tool before you spend a single minute crafting posts.
You don’t need to be a famous content creator to start seeing results. But posting with intentionality and consistency can increase your audience, impact…and sales.
How?
That’s where today’s article comes in.
We’re diving into the questions that matter:
Why should I bother posting on LinkedIn?
How often do I need to post to make it worthwhile?
Who am I even posting for?
What should I post about? (Spoiler: Start with problems.)
What types of posts actually work?
Let’s tackle these one by one and give you a clear, actionable roadmap to make LinkedIn posting work for you.
1. Why should I bother posting on LinkedIn?
The answer hinges on one thing: your goal.
For me, posting isn’t about chasing vanity metrics or overnight fame—though I won’t complain if a post takes off.
It’s not about becoming a LinkedIn influencer, even if consistent effort might nudge me that way.
And it’s not directly about selling, though I’ve closed tens of thousands of dollars in engagements from LinkedIn alone in the past six months.
Those are nice side effects, not the main thing. Instead, I post with a four-fold purpose:
Goal #1: Share (Open Mic Marketing)
Posting on LinkedIn is like performing at an open mic night—except instead of comedy or music, you showcase your expertise, ideas, and lessons learned. It’s a free stage to demonstrate what you know to an audience that grows the more you post.
How do I measure this?
Simple: the number of posts I get out there. Consistency is the win.
Goal #2: Test (Content That Resonates)
Every post is an experiment. Will this idea land? Will that story stick? I use LinkedIn to test my content in real time and gauge what clicks with my audience.
How do I measure this?
The 36-hour Engagement Score: total engagements (likes, comments, shares) divided by my follower count. It’s a quick pulse check on what’s working—and what’s not.
Goal #3: Inspire (Lighting a Spark)
There’s nothing better than knowing something I’ve shared moves the needle for someone else, whether it’s helping a follower tackle a challenge or sparking a breakthrough.
How do I measure this?
Inbound DMs—messages like “Your post on XYZ really helped me” or “Can we schedule a Discovery Call?” tell me I’m hitting the mark.
Goal #4: Attract (Grow the Right Audience)
Posting is about attracting new followers and connections who share my perspective. Each post should be a magnet for the kind of people I want to work with or learn from.
How do I measure this?
The number of new followers and connection requests.
2. How often do I need to post to make it worthwhile?
Here’s the short answer: whatever’s realistic for you.
There’s no magic number carved in stone. If you can manage one solid post a week, start there. If you’ve got the bandwidth for two, three, five, or even every single day? Go for it.
The key isn’t the exact frequency—it’s consistency.
For years, I posted sporadically—here and there when inspiration struck—and my audience barely budged. No growth, no momentum.
Then, on November 7, 2024, I flipped the switch and committed to posting every day. Today, March 14, 2025, is Day 129 of that streak.
The difference? Night and day. My reach, engagement, and follower count started climbing—not because I’m a genius, but because I showed up consistently.
So, here’s the playbook: Pick a cadence that fits your schedule—whether it’s once a week or once a day—and stick to it.
Consistency builds trust with your audience and the algorithm. Then, as you get comfortable, find your voice, and streamline your process (more on that later), you can turn up the volume.
Start small if you need to, but start steady.
3. Who am I even posting for?
This is counterintuitive and goes against everything we’re taught:
But I start by posting for myself.
Yes, you read that right—me, first.
Focusing on “what’s in it for me” takes the pressure off chasing audience approval. This way, even if a post flops and nobody engages, I’ve still gotten something out of it—clarity, a reminder, or a stepping stone for bigger content. That alone makes the time worthwhile.
So, before I think about likes, comments, or shares, I ask myself a few questions:
Is this an important lesson I need to cement in my own mind?
Am I reinforcing a principle I should act on today?
Does writing this post help me flesh out a bigger idea—like a longer article or project?
Then, once I’ve got that foundation, I pivot to my audience.
For me, that’s my Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)—SMB owners in the service trades and their sales teams looking to scale their sales (without the chaos).
As I craft the post, I zero in on them:
Does this bring real value to their world—something they can use or learn from?
Even if it’s not strictly business (say, a personal story or a saxophone video😎), does it make me more accessible, relatable, or likable to them?
Posting for myself keeps it authentic and sustainable. Posting for my ICP makes it strategic.
It’s a win-win: I grow, they benefit, and over time, we connect on a deeper level where they DM me asking:
“Hey, that post on XYZ is something we’re dealing with. Can we schedule a Discovery Call to discuss?”
4. What should I post about?
If you’re staring at a blank screen wondering what to say, here’s where to start:
Problems.
Seriously, problems are goldmines. The bulk of my posts—educational and inspirational ones—begin with a challenge I’ve wrestled with or one my ICP faces daily. Then, I share a strategy, insight, idea, or best practice for tackling it.
It’s simple: identify the pain, offer a path forward.
But that’s not all I post about. I also mix in personal and company announcements—like a new milestone or project. I’ll share takeaways from networking events I’ve hit up, books I’ve read that sparked something, or shout-outs to new connections I’ve made.
I also love highlighting people I respect—mentors, peers, or anyone who’s shaped my journey. It’s a way to give credit and show that no matter what we achieve, none of us are truly “self made.”
Now, here’s something you might not expect:
Some of my best-performing posts on LinkedIn aren’t even about business.
I’ll post photos of my wife and me on a date night or shots of my family at an event. I even share videos of me playing saxophone at a gig or in the studio as my alter ego, TheSilverSax.
Those personal posts? They often outshine the rest in engagement. Why? Because they provide what I call “brand texture.”
They show there’s more to me than being a sales coach and founder, making me more relatable and interesting to my audience.
So, what should you post about?
Start with problems you or your audience face, then solve them. Layer in updates, insights, and nods to your network. And don’t shy away from the personal stuff. Mix it up, and you’ll find your sweet spot.
5. What types of posts actually work?
You’ve got options: text-only, photos with text, videos with text.
So, which type should you pour your energy into?
The posts that work are the ones you’re willing to actually create. It’s less about the “perfect” format and more about what you’ll stick with.
Start with whatever feels like the path of least resistance. If you’re more comfortable with writing posts without the added complexity of photos or videos, then do that.
If you enjoy being in front of the camera, create videos and post selfies.
The best type of post is the one you won’t dread doing.
For me, it’s a mix. I post text-only when I’ve got a thought to unpack fast. I also share screenshots of my X posts (formerly Twitter) on LinkedIn.
And I do videos, but they’re not scripted. They’re more like documentation. I’ll clip moments from video podcasts, speaking gigs, or even my side of a coaching session—real, live interactions where I’m in my element.
Staring at a camera to record a scripted spiel? Not my thing. Capturing what’s already happening? That I can do all day.
The takeaway? Play to your strengths. If text feels natural, write. If you like shooting videos or using photos, do that.
Just don’t force a format you hate. The type that works is the one you’ll keep doing.
The Next Step
There you have it—a strategy to turn LinkedIn posting into a powerful tool that builds your presence, strengthens your credibility, and pulls the right people into your orbit.
It’s about showing up consistently—whether that’s once a week or every day.
Start with your own lessons, solve real problems, and mix in the personal moments that make you human.
Pick the format that fits you.
Remember that, with each post, you’re planting seeds for trust, connection, and yes, even sales.
Want to take it further?
Look for the March 28th edition of the Systematic Selling Newsletter, where we unpack Part 5 of the “Selling on LinkedIn” series on Your Writing Strategy.
We’ll explore how to generate content ideas and write engaging posts. Get ready to learn how to craft posts that spark conversations and grow your book of business (without consuming all your time).
See you then 👊
Sean
Sean M. Lyden is the founder and CEO of Systematic Selling, a sales systems and coaching company for growth-minded SMB founders and owners looking to scale their sales (without the chaos).
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