You’re putting in the effort to grow your LinkedIn presence by posting content and engaging with others. To track whether these efforts are working, you're watching your numbers: likes, comments, impressions, connections and followers.
You feel great when a post gets lots of engagement and discouraged when it doesn’t. You follow the algorithm changes and you tweak your content accordingly.
However, you wonder why others in your industry have more followers and engagement than you. And despite all this effort, your inbox isn’t filling up with potential clients.
In this post, I'll dive into why carefully tracking these traditional LinkedIn metrics is typically a critical mistake and what to do instead.
Your LinkedIn marketing should serve you, not the algorithm
Let's be clear: as a small business owner, you’re on LinkedIn because you want clients. You are not on LinkedIn because you want to become famous or go viral.
LinkedIn “gurus” have convinced small business owners that broad visibility equals success. They usually encourage focusing on getting more of the following:
Connections
Followers
Impressions
Likes
Comments
Shares
You are not chasing the same goals as these gurus. You are not looking for big-time sponsorship deals, low ticket course sales, or significant book deals.
For small business owners like you, visibility doesn't pay the bills. In other words, you don’t need thousands of followers or tons of likes on your posts. What you need is a handful of the right leads.
Tracking followers and impressions is a mistake
Most small business owners assume that better metrics = more success. Usually, that's not the case. Here's why:
You're writing for the masses, not for your ideal client. However, your ideal client has specific problems that you can solve. If your posts don't speak to them, they won’t take the next step to work with you.
You're letting fear of low engagement stop you from posting consistently. If you’re constantly worried about how well a post will perform, you might not post at all, or you'll feel stressed every time you do post. And in the process, you'll miss out on the consistency that actually builds trust with your audience.
You're neglecting direct outreach. While posting is a critical element of an effective LinkedIn strategy, so is direct outreach. Instead of directing your energy toward your metrics, I recommend focusing on your number of leads.
(In this short blog, I dive into why you dread sending direct messages on LinkedIn.)
“But if my posts get more reach, doesn't that mean more clients?"
Not necessarily! While reach is important, reach to the wrong audience is wasted effort. If you’re attracting people who aren’t your ideal clients, your visibility won't translate into business. Instead of trying to reach the masses, focus on delivering value to your niche audience. This ensures that the people engaging with your content are the ones who actually need your services—and are willing to pay for them.
How to get clients without focusing on vanity metrics
First, get in the habit of writing consistent LinkedIn posts for your ideal clients without obsessing over the metrics. Instead of checking your engagement daily, shift to reviewing your metrics once a month. This keeps you from getting distracted by short-term fluctuations and allows you to stay focused on creating valuable content for your audience. A consistent posting schedule builds trust and keeps you top of mind for potential clients.
Second, instead of focusing on tracking vanity metrics, track potential clients that you generate from your LinkedIn posting. For each lead, note their first and last name, how you found them, and how to stay in touch with them. Aim to increase your lead list by a certain amount each week (e.g. 10 new leads a week).
And lastly, incorporate direct messaging into your LinkedIn strategy. Direct messages are one of the most effective ways to turn a LinkedIn connection into a client. The key is sending high-quality messages—ones that are personalized, relevant, and not salesy.
You don't have to figure this out alone
Getting leads on LinkedIn always starts with an optimized LinkedIn profile. In my service LinkedIn Profile Refresh, I review more than 30 sections of your profile to make sure it clearly communicates your expertise, showcases real results you’ve achieved, and guides potential clients toward the next step in working with you.
You'll fill out a questionnaire, which I'll then take to provide word-for-word copy changes. Then, you'll watch my short tutorial videos (1-3 minutes each) and implement the changes to your profile. No more staring at your profile wondering what’s missing—I’ll take care of it so you can start seeing real results from the work you're already putting into posting and messaging LinkedIn.
After we optimize your profile, you'll then join my monthly coaching program Leads on LinkedIn. You'll learn and implement strategies to generate leads for your business.
The program includes the following:
Actionable curriculum: learn step by step how to identify leads, craft effective posts, and manage your direct message conversations
Time-saving templates: instead of staring at a blank screen, start with inspiration for every direct message and post you write.
Direct message feedback: get feedback leads on the messages you are sending on LinkedIn to improve your response rates and book calls
Post critiques: get critiques on the posts you write to ensure your messaging is clear so you build trust with your ideal clients and referral partners .
Ongoing email access: get personalized guidance any time a question arises so you keep making progress.
Instead of the uncomfortable, salesy outreach and posts you might be picturing, this program teaches you how to connect with potential clients and build genuine relationships.
I know that you don’t have hours to spend on LinkedIn. I’ll never suggest you post five times a week or spend your entire day online. Instead, you’ll focus on high-ROI activities that get results without overwhelming your schedule. You’ll learn specific, actionable strategies that streamline your lead generation process, so you can take control of your pipeline without cold messaging strangers.
Learn more and get started here.
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