110 | Behind the scenes of my LinkedIn growth

Speaker: 00:00:00

Hello and welcome to Women in

the Coaching Arena podcast.

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I'm so glad you are here.

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I'm Jo Lott, a business mentor

and ICF accredited coach

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Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

and I help coaches to

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build brilliant businesses.

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I know that when you prepare to enter

the arena, there is fear, self doubt,

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comparison, anxiety, uncertainty.

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You can tend to armor up and

protect yourself from vulnerability.

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In this podcast, I'll be sharing

honest, not hype, practical and

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emotional tools to support you to make

the difference that you are here for.

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Dare greatly.

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You belong in this arena.

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Hello.

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Welcome to episode 110 of

Women in the Coaching Arena.

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I am so glad you are here.

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I feel like I haven't done a solo

episode for ages because I've had

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case studies and a few guests.

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And I have a really, really good one

for you because this quarter I have been

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doubling down on my LinkedIn growth.

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Posting more intentionally,

experimenting with new things,

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tracking my results, and I wanted to

share what I have learned with you.

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It's been wonderful because I have had

a social media manager for 18 months

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prior to this quarter, so it's been

really exciting to take back my own

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content, start to feel my way, start

to figure out what I want to share.

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I also think creating content

actually helps you clarify your

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voice, clarify your own thoughts.

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So it's been a really enjoyable if

hectic experience because one of my

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previous clients messaged me going,

is this some sort of AI wizardry

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that you're just whipping up these

amazing looking posts at pace?

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And I replied back going, sadly not.

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No.

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It is just me copying pasting

into Canva, figuring out how

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to make things look amazing.

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If you are going to invest time

into LinkedIn, my new thinking

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is that it really needs to count.

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When I set this goal of doubling

my LinkedIn followers in one

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quarter, and bearing in mind it's

taken me five years to build up

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my current LinkedIn connections.

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My thinking was why take 10 years to

do something that I could do in 10

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weeks if I'm truly intentional and

set an audacious goal to achieve.

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So, no, I have not managed to double

my five years followers in 10 weeks,

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but what I have done is created the

amount of followers that I would

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normally get in 12 months, in two

months, so that is pretty good growth.

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I honestly think aim for the moon and

you might reach the stars, and it's

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worked for me to set that audacious

goal which has helped me to make

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this a priority in my business.

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Another thing I've really learned

from making this my priority for

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this quarter is how lovely it is to

have one big goal for this quarter.

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Looking at my clients and the things they

are trying to achieve, I'm often like,

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wow, how have you got such high ambitions?

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For example, when they create

their first lead magnet and nurture

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sequence, they often want to create

several at the same time, and I'm

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like, oh my gosh, that's so tiring.

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So sometimes when you are in it,

you just want so many things often

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aren't really that essential.

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And it's been so nice to allow myself to

set a goal that was kind of achievable.

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I just wanna grow my LinkedIn

followers this quarter rather than

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have so many things on my to-do list

as my priority for this quarter.

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So that was my one learning, and I'm

actually really looking forward to this

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quarter ending and starting to think

about what is my next big priority

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for next quarter, whereas I've never

really done that before in my business.

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Had a quarterly priority that was

achievable, that made me remember

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what is my focus this quarter really

easily, because there was one big goal.

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So for example, that might be for

you setting up your email list

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and therefore how can you make it

absolutely amazing in your next quarter?

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So yeah, it's really, really exciting and

I hope you gain from that learning too.

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So let's get started.

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My first learning, which is crazy that

it's taken me this long to learn this

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in business, is your content has to

be so good that your people want to

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share it with everyone else they know.

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In all honesty, up until now, I've

never had people really reposting my

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posts or doing that type of thing.

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Whereas this quarter I have had

posts that have had maybe 25 plus

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reposts, maybe more than that.

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I haven't really checked as I'm

recording this, but a lot of reposts.

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So in other words, people like

your content that much, that they

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want to share it with their own

friends, family, and network.

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So you are not just creating content

for your ideal client, you are actually

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creating it, to their network as well.

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So you're creating it for them

to share with their network.

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Think about the last time you

shared someone else's post, maybe

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in Slack or you WhatsApped it

because something was so valuable.

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You couldn't help but share

it with your coach friends or

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whoever it might be for you.

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You didn't do it because

the post was okay.

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You did it because it

was supremely valuable.

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It maybe gave you a new perspective.

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You feel like it gave you huge

knowledge or education that

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you didn't have previously.

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It made you think differently, or maybe

it just nailed something that you have

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been struggling to put into words.

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So for me, one of my best performing

posts was 'everyone looks at the

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cost of working with a coach.

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Nobody considers the cost of being

in the same place as they are now.'

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So the best thing about that quote is

that it resonates with my ideal clients

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to want to share that message with their

audience because they are also thinking,

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honestly, invest in a coach because how

much time are you wasting, staying stuck?

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Just like I am thinking as well.

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We share that same belief that you really

need to invest in your own development in

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this world if you want to make progress.

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People also want to share content

that makes them look smart, informed,

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ahead of the curve in some way.

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So when you write a post, ask yourself,

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would someone share this

in a group of peers?

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Would they save this or bookmark it?

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Would this start a

conversation in the dms?

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If not, you need to uplevel your content.

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I was on a mastermind recently and they

said, what's your biggest learning?

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And it was, my content was not good

enough to gain followers previously.

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Whereas now people are choosing to follow

me rather than me connecting with them.

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I am literally attracting in the

most amazing people who are actually

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hitting follow on my profile

without me reaching out first and

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saying, do you want to connect?

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And that is just because my content

is good enough that they think I don't

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wanna miss something else she shares

in case I'm missing out on value.

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So fear of missing out is a

good one to touch on here.

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I often follow people also, even if I

don't particularly like their headline,

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if they've created such a good post.

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I honestly hit follow because

I think, what if I miss

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something else that they post?

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So how can you create such good

content that people do not want to

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miss out on whatever might be next.

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Okay.

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My second learning is

that the visual matters.

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Creative visuals are my

least favorite thing.

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I have very little visual capacity.

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I am not one to spend hours in Canva,

or if I do, it never looks quite right.

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But what I've learned is it is really

important and a well-designed carousel

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or infographic, or like a branded quote,

for example, really can stop the scroll.

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What I have been seeking this quarter

is to make something that the average

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person cannot just produce themselves

in Canva because anything that

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is generic and anyone can produce

it's just not interesting enough

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for people to stop in their feed.

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So I've been playing around with different

AIs to create really great images.

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Playing around with different formats

that can fit a lot of condensed text onto

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one page, so it's called a cheat sheet.

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How you can create something that's

supremely valuable just in that one page.

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Because people are scrolling fast.

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You have one second.

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Probably less.

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To attract their attention.

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Enough for them to hit see more.

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So if visuals aren't your thing,

you can also hire a designer.

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I worked with someone amazing to

create a few of the posts, and then

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I've been using those templates

to copy and paste new things into.

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It's been really, really valuable

paying for that and obviously I would

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love to have her permanently in my

business so I can just send my ideas.

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And she just creates that visual

and she's so talented at it.

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So what it's highlighted is that even if

you are what I would call a non-visual

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person, I don't know if that's what I

would call myself, but in other words.

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I just can't get things to

look like she does in Canva.

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It's just not my thing.

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There are other ways to get

that support and get that help

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to make things look amazing.

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Okay.

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My third learning is top of funnel

content really brings people in.

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The most important things that you

need to work on is your first two

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lines on LinkedIn, and they have

very specific character counts.

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So you get to read both sentences

before you hit see more.

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Plus your image is your hook.

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So those things together,

incorporate your hook.

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A hook is anything that stops

people scrolling mindlessly on

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LinkedIn enough for them to actually

hit see more because they're

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interested in what you have to say.

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So the hook needs to be good

enough that people will actually

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stop and want to read it.

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Usually things that bring up curiosity,

fear of missing out, things that

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they think, what is the answer?

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For example, it might be three

things successful entrepreneurs

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do that others don't.

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So you're thinking, do I do these things?

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I'm not sure.

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Shall I just check?

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And you can't resist hitting.

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See more.

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It could be something like

feeling stuck, here's what that

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might be trying to tell you.

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So again, if someone's feeling stuck,

they're thinking, am I missing something?

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Why am I getting this feeling?

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So anything like that can

be really, really great to

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help people stop the scroll.

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I've also learned that all your

posts don't need to be hyper niche.

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Previously, I'd always advise

my clients to speak very

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directly to their ideal client.

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This quarter I have experimented

with loads of different things.

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Really wide content like five steps

to becoming more confident, which

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obviously could be useful for anyone.

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Coaches, entrepreneurs, people

working in organizations.

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It's very generic.

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And previously I would've really advised

against that type of content and said,

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you wanna get known for your thing.

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But it's been fun to experiment

with it and it has had a few of my

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posts go way more viral than usual.

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So for example, things like 25,000

impressions with posts on communicating

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clearly, and things that are more

generic and the benefit of this

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is that LinkedIn start to think,

okay, this person is gaining views.

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Therefore, when you do share a more

niche, specific post, then LinkedIn

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will show those people your post.

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So having those few posts that do really,

really well can really improve your reach.

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Fourth learning is to give an opinion.

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Create an aha moment, or share a stat.

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This has really helped me

to create authority content.

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Posts about amazing stats from the

ICF for example, because then if

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you can assimilate that very complex

information that the ICF have maybe

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created into an easy to digest carousel,

then your clients will want to share

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that information with their network.

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It is such a skill to be able to take a

lot of information and make it simple.

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So I've really utilized this skill this

quarter in how can I pull out the most

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exciting parts, the most shocking parts,

the most controversial parts, and it

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has created conversations for me with

really key players in the industry who

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want to hear my opinion on these things.

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So even though I haven't done the

research, I've shared the research

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with my own unique slant on my

own personal experience, and it

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has helped people to see me as an

authority in the coaching space.

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The next one, which I avoided for

a while is case studies convert.

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Because I was aiming for follower

growth initially, I avoided any

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testimonials or case studies that

generally are never gonna get that reach.

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People know that they are a sales tool,

so therefore it's not like people are

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gonna really like them that often,

but your ideal clients will want to

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see them and they will see secretly

be interested in your case studies.

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So you can talk about your program

all day long, but what really

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converts is real life proof.

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If you are listening to this,

you may have already heard

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last week's episode with Merve.

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I really prioritize this in my business

and have worked with my clients to

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help this be a celebration for them

on how far they have come as well.

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So if you are saying to yourself

that no one will give you a case

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study because you don't work with

business owners, for example, just

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know that that isn't always true.

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I used to get video case studies,

even when I was doing career coaching.

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So it may just be a story you are

telling yourself, and there will be

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a way to invite people to do this

if you make it a benefit for them,

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not just as a testimonial for you,

which clearly many people won't be

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bothered to take their time to do.

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Okay.

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My final point is selling happens

off LinkedIn, so this is a big one.

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Quite different from what I used to teach,

and I've always taught email lists and

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webinars and different approaches as well,

but I had never really thought about never

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selling on social media, and now I am

moving far more that way because people

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don't wanna be sold to on social media.

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They are scrolling on

their phone, chilling out.

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It's Saturday night, they're

just looking for entertainment.

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Where you can do your selling is

emails, your workshops, your podcast

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like this, for example, anywhere

else you are directing people to when

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they are in a different headspace

than scrolling on social media.

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So this is where the real conversations

happen and conversations lead to

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conversions, and you can't really

often have those conversations

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with social media alone.

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So I've started to really use

LinkedIn to start the relationship.

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It is my top of funnel if

you want to talk technical.

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And then over to the podcast and

workshops is my middle of funnel,

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and then the case studies sales page.

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All of that is the bottom of funnel.

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So don't expect your social

media to carry the weight alone.

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If I was to rely on LinkedIn

posting as my only way of getting

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clients, I would tell you I have

zero clients with that strategy.

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So if you have zero clients right now

and you are posting all the time and

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you're wondering what's gone wrong, I.

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I know it's not just you.

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There is quite a lot to build, especially

at the start of your business, to

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gain that authority, to build that

relationship with your people.

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I know that's depressing.

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I know it's already hard work doing the

work you are doing, but really think

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about how you can build out your full

ecosystem that helps people to keep taking

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those steps towards you in your business.

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Okay.

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I'm not ready to finish just yet because

I have one extra bonus for you, which

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is the hidden upside of LinkedIn,

even if you are not selling yet.

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So if you are perhaps in coach training

and you are not really looking to

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get clients yet, it's still great

for you to post on social media.

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Even if you are posting for years

and you're feeling like nothing's

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working, this is completely pointless.

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I've wasted years of my life posting.

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Please know that you haven't.

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So here is why.

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First you're becoming layoff proof.

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If your business disappeared tomorrow,

or your job or your coach training,

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whatever it might be for you, your

audience and visibility will carry you

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through so much more powerfully than

someone who has 20 LinkedIn connections.

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A single post once you have built up your

audience can land you consulting gigs,

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amazing employment gigs, whatever you

are seeking, you can gain from the work

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you have done in building your LinkedIn.

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Second is your future

proofing your career.

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So networks fade, but LinkedIn lets

you stay visible, relevant top of mind.

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You are building that platform

that keeps eyes on you.

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So whatever you choose to do,

you will gain that support.

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Third is you are more valuable

to employers and to your clients.

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Visibility equals leverage.

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Companies pay big money for attention.

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If you go to a company and you've

already built up followers, you

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have got that negotiating power.

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They automatically assume you've got

something interesting to say that

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people have chosen to follow you.

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Fourth is you unlock opportunities

that don't exist on job boards.

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So you have that opportunity to get

people headhunting you, speaking

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gigs, board seats, collaborations.

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These all come to people

who are seen in this space.

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And my final point here is your

learning career long skills that last.

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So positioning, marketing, sales.

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These are not just

useful in your business.

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Whatever you do in life,

you'll use these skills.

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One of my favorite examples of

this is a client of mine who

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has relocated to the Caribbean.

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Imagine that, and she used to live in

London and she didn't move with her

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coaching business in the end because as

a single person, she felt very lonely

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in running her business from home.

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So it'd always been her dream.

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But actually in the end she

was like, do you know what?

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I actually quite want a team.

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I wanna get out the house.

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This isn't what I want.

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So she has landed herself

a really senior role in a

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different country off her dreams.

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Due to the marketing, the sales, all of

the things she learned in my program,

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despite the fact she learned that

solo entrepreneurship was not for her.

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So it still helped her to gain a better

job and move completely across the world

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and have an entirely different lifestyle.

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The best part is everything you are doing

is leading towards your future success,

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whatever that path may be for you.

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So if you have been sitting on

the sidelines, not knowing whether

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to post, whether it's worth

it, are you wasting your time?

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I hope this episode has helped you see

how very valuable it can be to build

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: 00:20:00

your LinkedIn, build your personal brand.

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: 00:20:03

Start to find your voice and

attract all of the opportunities

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that you want into your life.

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That's all I've got for you today.

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: 00:20:11

I hope it was super helpful.

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If you work with me, I'm intending

to build out much, much more on

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: 00:20:17

this to share my LinkedIn learnings.

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My current clients have been on this

journey with me, and it's been so,

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so fun to have 90 minutes on a Monday

together to really double down.

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: 00:20:28

So like I say at the end of every

episode, trust yourself, believe in

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: 00:20:32

yourself, and be the wise gardener

who keeps on watering the seed.

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: 00:20:36

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone):

Thank you so much for listening to this

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: 00:20:38

episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

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I have a mess of free resources on

my website joannalottcoaching.com.

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: 00:20:47

That's Joanna with an A

and Lott with two T's.

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: 00:20:51

joannalottcoaching.com.

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And I'll also put links in the show notes.

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Let me know if you found

this episode useful.

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: 00:21:00

Share it with a friend and

leave me a review, and I will

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: 00:21:03

personally thank you for that.

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: 00:21:06

Remember to trust yourself, believe

in yourself and be the wise Gardner

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who keeps on watering the seed.

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: 00:21:12

Get into the arena dare, greatly and try.