How I Mastered LinkedIn Follower Growth Strategies to Build a Million-Dollar Network
Buckle up, because I’m about to reveal my LinkedIn follower growth strategies that catapulted my profile to stratospheric heights. At the dawn of 2024, I found myself at the helm of the fastest-growing account on LinkedIn. In just 12 months, I amassed a staggering 272,000 followers, and today, that number has soared to 468,000. My growth shows no signs of slowing, with an average of 11,300 new followers joining my ranks each month. The kicker? I didn’t spend a single cent on paid advertising.
Let me walk you through the ultimate seven-step guide that will help you skyrocket your audience to its first 100,000 followers. This isn’t just about vanity metrics; it’s about adding a whopping $2.8 million in annual revenue to your business. Now, before you dismiss this as some unattainable feat, let me assure you: I’m not an outlier. I’ve shared these LinkedIn follower growth strategies with thousands of founders who started just like you – with minimal experience and a whole lot of determination.
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Table of Contents
Step 1: Set Up Your Profitable Profile
The Power of First Impressions
Your LinkedIn profile is your digital storefront, and it’s working 24/7 to convert visitors into followers and customers. Think of it as a salesperson that never sleeps. While you’re out enjoying life, your profile is busy turning curious onlookers into newsletter subscribers and revenue generators. Don’t make the rookie mistake of neglecting this crucial aspect of your LinkedIn follower growth strategies.
Crafting the Perfect Headshot
Let’s start with your headshot – it’s the cornerstone of your visual brand on LinkedIn. Here’s a quick trick to elevate your profile picture game without breaking the bank: Grab your iPhone and have someone take a photo of you using the back camera. Find some soft window light on a cloudy day and position yourself at a 90-degree angle to it. Switch to portrait mode to blur out any distracting backgrounds, and make sure you’re close enough to the camera to minimize excessive headroom.
Once you’ve captured the perfect shot, it’s time for some light editing. If you’re a beginner, apps like Pixlr can work wonders. For those more experienced in photo editing, Lightroom or Photoshop are excellent choices. Crop the image to focus on your face and upper body, and voila! You’ve got a professional-looking headshot without spending a dime on a photographer.
Company Profile and Tagline
Next up in our LinkedIn follower growth strategies is adding your company to your profile. Ensure you’ve got a crisp, high-quality logo and a company page description that effectively sells your brand. Don’t forget to reach out to your team members and ask them to update their profiles with consistent company information – this creates a unified brand presence across LinkedIn.
Now, let’s talk about your tagline. This single line should concisely convey who you are and the value you bring to your audience. Here’s a pro tip: aim to own a word in the minds of your audience. Think about how James Clear owns “habits,” or how Ryan Holiday is synonymous with “stoicism.” What word do you want to be associated with in the hearts and minds of your followers?
Step 2: Mastering the Art of Posting
The Repost Factor
One of the core metrics that often flies under the radar in LinkedIn follower growth strategies is reposts. The more people who want to repost your content, the better. LinkedIn’s algorithm favors posts that get shared, so we need to reverse-engineer our content to be inherently repostable. This is how we’ll hijack the algorithm and grow to 100,000 followers at breakneck speed.
Consistent Posting Schedule
Best practice dictates posting once a day at a consistent time. If that feels overwhelming at first, start with a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule and gradually increase your cadence. Remember, the more you post, the faster you’ll learn what works and the quicker you’ll grow your following.
The Ikigai Content Strategy
To determine what you should post about, use the Ikigai exercise. Create four lists: what you’re good at, what you can be paid for, what the world needs, and what you love to do. The sweet spot where these four areas intersect is your content goldmine. This approach will help you attract your first 10,000 followers and create predictable profit in the future.
Step 3: Crafting Scroll-Stopping Hooks
The Three-Line Rule
In the world of LinkedIn follower growth strategies, hooks are king. The first three lines of your post are crucial – they’re what your audience sees before deciding whether to click “See more” or keep scrolling. These lines are your make-or-break moment, so make them count.
Simple Language, Big Impact
When crafting your hooks, aim for simplicity. Use language at a fifth-grade reading level – it’s easy to digest and doesn’t require mental gymnastics to understand. Keep your sentences punchy and rhythmic, alternating between long and short for maximum impact.
The Magic Words
There are two magic words that I’ve used in 67% of my viral posts: “I” and “Here.” Combine these with a scroll-stopping hook, and you’ll be well on your way to gaining 1,000 followers a month. But if you want to push beyond that to your next 10,000, you’ll need to master how your hooks interact with the rest of your post.
Step 4: The Four Power Formats
Long-Form List
This format combines a strong hook with a visually appealing image. The image serves as a second hook, enticing readers to click “See more” and dive into your full post. Focus on square or vertical images that won’t get cropped on LinkedIn’s feed.
Long-Form Carousel
Carousels are a series of images that users can click through, allowing you to present information in bite-sized chunks. My LinkedIn carousels have garnered over 30 million views a month. The key is to create a PDF document with a series of square-based images, each containing a list item or key point.
Long-Form Hook Stacking
This format strings together short, punchy statements that build upon your initial hook. The goal is to create a cascade of information that keeps readers engaged until they’ve consumed your entire post. Hook stacks are often effective without images, but adding one can supercharge your post’s performance.
Long-Form Image
My current favorite format involves putting an entire list or set of insights into a compelling image. I often hand-draw these, spending about 20 minutes each morning creating content that’s both visually appealing and packed with value.
Step 5: Powering Up Your LinkedIn Presence
Soaking in Inspiration
To take your LinkedIn follower growth strategies to the next level, start by following the best people in your industry. Study their content, analyze their strategies, and adapt what works for your own audience.
Leveraging Creator Mode
Turn on Creator Mode in your profile settings to enable the follow button and access powerful profile features. This simple switch can significantly increase your view-to-follower conversion rate.
Engaging with Your Community
Spend 30 minutes every morning after posting to engage with comments. Take note of common questions and use them to fuel your content creation. This not only boosts engagement but also helps you understand your audience better.
Step 6: Building a Creator Network
The Power of Collaboration
Connect with like-minded founders and creators to exponentially grow your LinkedIn presence. Create a WhatsApp group to share insights, discuss what’s working, and support each other’s growth. This method has been crucial to my personal development and success on every social platform.
Outreach Template
Use this template to reach out to 20 accounts per week: “Hey [name], loving your content! Big fan of your post on [insert subject]. What are your goals on LinkedIn?” After they respond, follow up with: “My goal is to get to [X] followers by [date] and drive people to my business. Would love to grow together. Cool if we collab in a WhatsApp group and share what’s working for one another on LinkedIn?”
Step 7: Winning Off LinkedIn
Converting Attention to Revenue
The ultimate goal of these LinkedIn follower growth strategies is to convert your audience into a thriving business and a life you love. As early as your first 1,000 followers, create a ConvertKit newsletter to transition your rented audience (LinkedIn followers) to an owned audience (email subscribers).
Optimizing Your Profile for Lead Generation
Transform your LinkedIn profile into a lead generation machine. Use your cover photo to promote your newsletter, set up a clear call-to-action button, and utilize the featured section to highlight your most important pages or products.
The Link Hack
To avoid LinkedIn penalizing your posts for external links, wait until your post gains traction before editing it to include your call-to-action and links. This strategy allows you to maximize views while still driving traffic to your newsletter and products.
Remember, 10,000 or even 100,000 followers is just the beginning. With these LinkedIn follower growth strategies, you’re well on your way to building a powerful personal brand and a thriving business. The key is consistency, value-driven content, and strategic networking. Now go forth and conquer LinkedIn – your audience awaits!
We strongly recommend that you check out our guide on how to take advantage of AI in today’s passive income economy.
