My take on LinkedIn and Life…

Newsletter No.2

Before I start, you may want to open this on LinkedIn – after all, it’s a LinkedIn Newsletter!

Welcome to my second LinkedIn Newsletter! Let’s crack on!

I was humbled by the response to my first Newsletter. In 24 hours, there were 1,123 subscribers, and now there are 1,700 and counting!

I’m enjoying the banter in the post chat belonging to the newsletter and in all the direct messages people have sent. Truly, thank you. ????

My format is to talk about Life & LinkedIn, so here goes…

LinkedIn

The Power of Consistent LinkedIn Content Marketing

TL;DR

Success on LinkedIn boils down to two key elements: an optimized profile and regular engagement. Don’t expect immediate results from one post or interaction; instead, focus on the long game. Consistent, diverse efforts across posts, comments, and connections builds your brand, trust, and authority over time. The magic lies in repetition and serendipity—small actions compound into significant results.

While tracking each post’s performance can be tempting, real value comes from creating resonant content that speaks to your audience’s pain points. LinkedIn success is about showing up consistently, even if every post doesn’t generate instant engagement. Over time, this consistency creates lasting impressions, relationships, and opportunities.

I encourage you to keep engaging; the cumulative effect will deliver results far beyond any single post.

The longer version, diving deeper into what makes LinkedIn really work for you...

?Two things create a successful strategy for LinkedIn success:

1????An Optimised Profile

2??? Engagement

- It all stems from there.

Today, I want to dig a little deeper into the content: Why we shouldn’t chase results too quickly, and what did we/should we expect anyway? ??

In today’s rapidly shifting digital landscape, a content strategy has evolved beyond simple SEO tactics and one-off posts.

As marketers and professionals, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, it’s crucial to understand that the magic isn’t in a single post, newsletter, or video but in a sustained, diverse, consistent effort across multiple channels. This approach leads to real growth, brand awareness, and inbound traffic over time, even if every piece of content doesn’t seem immediately impactful.

Now, this doesn’t contradict what I tell all my clients - to be successful on LinkedIn, you need to optimise your profile for people and algorithms. (*In simple terms, optimise the text, words, and phrases.) But to rely on that alone would be naive, at best.

Rand Fishkin (I love this guy's content!) in his discussions of attribution in marketing, offers a refreshing perspective that challenges the overly granular tracking of leads and the myopic focus on short-term results. His philosophy is straightforward: marketing success isn’t about tracking every post or event down to the last pound or dollar. Instead, it’s about the cumulative impact of all your online and offline efforts.

This philosophy applies equally to LinkedIn, where the effects of your activity are often gradual, multifaceted, and less trackable than we might like - but no less impactful.

The Myth of Immediate Attribution - LinkedIn - The Long-Game

Too often, LinkedIn users fall into the trap of expecting immediate results.

...a post doesn’t get as many likes or comments as anticipated, or a connection doesn’t lead directly to becoming a client, and they abandon their strategy.

However, there’s a distinction between what first makes someone aware of you and what actually brings them in as a client or customer. The post they interacted with last week might not immediately lead to business, but the cumulative effect of seeing your content regularly might make them think of you months down the line when they have a need.

Furthermore, the impact of others beginning to talk about you cannot be underestimated.

Take, for example, my experience speaking at many events. I appreciate that many of my speaking engagements don’t directly generate new clients. Should I stop attending smaller events because they produce fewer leads? Certainly not. The practice, the exposure, and the serendipity of connecting with the right audience at the right time at each event build towards my success.

Likewise, on LinkedIn, each post, comment, and connection, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is part of a broader strategy to increase brand awareness and authority over time.

The Power of Serendipity and Repetition

In the same vein, one of the most overlooked aspects of marketing - especially on LinkedIn - is the power of serendipity and repetition. Yes, really.

While it may feel discouraging when a post doesn’t get immediate traction, the long-term effects are often invisible until they compound. People might have first heard of me from a variety of places – a networking event, my website, my LinkedIn posts, and now my Newsletter.

Each interaction is a touchpoint that builds recognition and trust. Similarly, every post I create on LinkedIn, every insightful comment, and every meaningful connection is an essential brick in the larger structure of building my professional brand.

What many LinkedIn users fail to appreciate is that some of the most valuable effects of their content can’t be easily tracked.

Maybe a decision-maker who saw your post recommends you in a meeting, or a colleague of theirs happens to mention your name in passing because they’ve been seeing your content regularly. These are second-order effects - small, untrackable ripples that, over time, create powerful waves.

Audience and Resonance - The Keys to LinkedIn Success

Here’s my marketing framework: reach the right people in the right places with the right message. (Notice I don’t say at the right time. How can we possibly know that?) It’s not complicated, but it is essential to any successful LinkedIn strategy.

Regarding LinkedIn, the ‘right people’ could be potential clients, industry peers, or key influencers in your space. But the real challenge is knowing where they engage, what they care about, and how to resonate with them.

As in all content marketing, the key to success on LinkedIn is resonance.

Reach is significant, of course, but even if a post reaches only a handful of people, its impact can be substantial if those people feel truly seen and understood. A post that addresses a burning question or provides an insightful solution to a pain point will have far more impact than a generic update. Using LinkedIn itself to identify these pain points is something any professional can incorporate into their content strategy.

For example, if you’re targeting customers on LinkedIn, you need to address their challenges. These could include issues like scaling revenue, improving productivity, integrating AI into the workplace, or navigating digital transformation. The content should be timely, relevant, and offer unique value.

A great LinkedIn post can inspire curiosity, generate emotion, and - most importantly - make your audience feel seen. As Rand describes, that sense of being understood is what creates real resonance and drives action.

Don’t Overvalue Tracking - Focus on Value and Consistency

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned is the need to embrace the unknown.

Not every post, video, or LinkedIn interaction can be directly tied to a new client or sale, and that’s okay. In fact, if you’re not ‘wasting’ some of your effort, you’re likely not experimenting enough to find out what truly works. Fail, fail and fail again. That is the road to success. Heaven knows I’ve done enough of that! ????♂? (Read on...!)

On LinkedIn, this means posting consistently, experimenting with different types of content, and being unafraid of posts that don’t immediately perform.

It’s not always about the immediate return or the instant gratification of impressions, leads, and likes. It’s about building a brand, honing your message, and repeatedly showing up for your audience. You're missing the point if all your marketing efforts are designed solely around tracking and immediate ROI. LinkedIn activity must be viewed as a long-term investment in relationships, visibility, and authority. Commit to being in the long game.

Conclusion: Keep Showing Up on LinkedIn

Just like in broader marketing efforts, success on LinkedIn is about the sum of all the parts. A single post, video, or connection might not seem transformative, but each action compounds over time. This is why consistency is critical. Don’t be afraid of content that doesn’t immediately perform. Don’t let a lack of direct attribution stop you from engaging regularly. The more you show up, the more likely you will be seen by the right people at the right time. And when that happens, the results - whether new clients, partnerships, or career opportunities - will speak for themselves.

Keep showing up, posting, engaging, and connecting - because the cumulative impact of all your efforts will lead to far greater returns than any single post ever could.

Today’s Valuable Tip ?

In response to my last LinkedIn Newsletter, a thread highlighted the often-talked-about lack of confidence in producing video content. (Thanks, Tama Trotti ????)

The impact of video has grown and grown in recent years, and even in the last few weeks, LinkedIn produced this content promoting the use of video:

My thanks to John Espirian for sharing this image - (more of him later...)

I've put together a list of ideas to help you get started, particularly when you lack the confidence to do so. Enjoy! (And please give feedback on any good ideas I have missed!)

My Top 20 Video Confidence Tips

#Pro Tip

Procrastination is the enemy of progress.

Commit to doing your first video – this month! ????

Life

Life has its ups and downs, right?

I have often reflected that when things appear to be at their peak (to the outside world, at least), they are not so on the inside.

I was lucky in my lifetime to meet the late Queen.

It was a very proud moment on the day of her Silver Jubilee celebration back in 2002.

On her carriage back to Buckingham Palace, passing down The Mall, her entourage stopped for me to present her with a plaque of the Jubilee Walkway, a path around London built and maintained with many plaques around the route still in the ground today.

I had been instrumental in the campaign's design and branding, and the team working on it awarded me the privilege of presenting it to the Queen - and on that special day!

However, the day was full of sadness for me...

We had been given notice of a large Government contract. The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom?in 2001?caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This catastrophe saw 2,000 cases of the disease on farms across most of the British countryside. My business handled much of the publicity, including website communication, and on the back of that, we grew and grew until the rug was pulled from beneath us with budget cuts.

I knew redundancies were impossible to avoid. It was one of the most challenging parts of running your own business I have ever experienced.

And it was happening in the very week I was meeting the Queen. ????♂?

I learned many lessons in those times. But the biggest one that stuck with me was the juxtaposition of the real story bearing no resemblance to the reality of my situation.

You never know what goes on behind a closed door. Not everything appears as it really is.

#Someone to Follow

In each newsletter, I promote someone whom I think you need to follow.

This week, it is John Espirian

Many readers of this Newsletter may already know John. But for those who don't, you should!

Apart from running a great community of like-minded, friendly LinkedIn folk, Espresso+ by John Espirian, he is also behind the launch of the only dedicated LinkedIn event held in the UK - UpLift Live. Along with Jeremy Freeman and Gus Bhandal

I was privileged to be asked to speak at the first event in March, and I can't wait to hear the list of phenomenal speakers for 2025: -

Sam Rathling

Juma Bannister

Ivana Brutenic

AJ Wilcox

Michelle J Raymond

Niraj Kapur

Gus Bhandal

John Espirian

Get your tickets now before prices rise very shortly! https://uplift-live.com/

John is one of the nicest guys you will meet. He truly lives up to his mantra of being "Relentlessly Helpful!" Thanks for your wisdom and friendship, John. ????

Well, that’s it for edition number two. I hope you enjoyed my content. Most of all, I hope you took some value from it. After all – my business is called ‘Value Exchange Ltd’!

Thanks for reading.

Nigel ????

Oh, you may be wondering about the photo at the start of this newsletter. I have just returned from a week away in the Outer Hebrides - Harris, to be exact. It was the most amazing place and has left a mark on me.

Here are a few more photos, but it was hard to select just a few:

Add it to your bucket list!

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