Here’s a short 1-page guide to creating posts that grow your startup’s audience, build mindshare, and boost your personal brand, even if you're starting with barely any followers.

Quick proof: I started posting in April with under 500 followers. Since then, I’ve grown to over 2,200 and hit more than 1,000,000 impressions, all organically.

1. Any topic is a good topic

You don’t need a breakthrough insight. Just start with something real, whether it’s a lesson, story, question, or observation. Outline the key point you want to share. Don’t over-polish it in the beginning. Raw thoughts that sound like a real person perform better than carefully filtered ones. Treat your post like a conversation, not a press release.

2. Create an eye-catching picture

The image is what gets people to stop scrolling. Make it clean, simple, and visually different from typical LinkedIn content. High contrast and minimal text work best. If it looks like a corporate stock photo or has too much going on, people will skip it. Think of it like a YouTube thumbnail. It should be bold enough to grab attention, but relevant enough to connect to the story. If the image doesn’t align with your message, the post will likely underperform.

3. The first 3 lines matter most

Once you catch their eye with the image, the first 3 lines decide if someone clicks “see more.” Always connect these lines to the visual or tease the main point. Keep it short, sharp, and interesting. This is where you set the tone. People are scrolling quickly, so make it worth their time right away. A good hook makes everything else more likely to get read.

4. Keep your post skimmable

Avoid long paragraphs. Use short sentences and space things out. People scroll on mobile, so the easier it is to skim, the better. Switch up your tone occasionally so your content stays fresh. If it makes sense, tag relevant people or companies. This helps boost visibility. End with a clear call to action. Asking a question or encouraging comments works especially well, since comments tend to drive more reach than likes.

5. Make the most of the golden hour

The first hour after posting is when the algorithm decides how far your content will go. Reply to comments within 10 to 30 minutes. This keeps your post active without looking automated. I’ve found that engagement momentum often extends two to three hours beyond the initial post, so stay active and available during that time window.

6. Bonus tips that help consistently

Stick to pictures over other formats. Videos and polls don’t perform as well unless your thumbnail is excellent. Hashtags don’t affect reach that much (my best-performing posts had none). Avoid putting external links in your post, since LinkedIn lowers visibility when content leads people off the platform. If you do need to share a link, drop it in the first comment instead.

That’s the one-page playbook I’ve followed to build reach, grow faster, and turn content into real results. If you have questions, send me a DM.