Can You Generate Enough Revenue from LinkedIn Content?
With 1.3 billion professionals worldwide, LinkedIn offers a huge potential to reach and engage with potential clients. One of the most common misconceptions I see is that people think creating content is all they need to do. Post regularly, and clients will reach out, sign up and get their credit cards out.
That is what many believe. Yet they struggle to gain visibility from their posts, whereas others struggle to turn the visibility into actual revenue. The reality is harder, and more moving parts are required. Content builds awareness but rarely closes deals on its own.
There are some (large content creators), who usually sell something online (e.g. an online training course), who can ‘get away with’ primarily only doing content as their CTA leads straight to a low to medium-ticket course or community. No real conversations needed.
Unfortunately, the rest of us need to do more!
The Content-Only Strategy Illusion
Content creation-only sounds amazing and easy. Write a few posts, get thousands of impressions, prospects message you, and you sign them up.
Thousands of impressions do not necessarily lead to income, and the reality is, most people can’t generate posts that get thousands of impressions that have the right people looking. Impressions are not the best metric anyway!.
Strategy and consistency required: You need quality content that grabs attention from the right people. Building a following that engages regularly takes months or years of dedication.
Community building takes time: You must engage with supporters and influencers. Boosting reach requires reciprocal engagement. This isn’t fifteen minutes a day, as some ‘gurus’ suggest.
Hidden effort behind success: Above water, everything looks calm and graceful. Below the surface, legs paddle frantically. Most people see only polished posts and miss the hours of planning and execution.
Content works when executed well. The problem is that most don’t execute well. Doing so requires creating a variety of content that speaks to those at the top, middle and bottom of the funnel on an ongoing basis. Most people create content that aims to educate, but it doesn’t convert, leaving them feeling underwhelmed. Even good content has limits when it comes to selling services because, usually, a conversation is needed.
Why Content Alone Isn’t Enough
Buyers need multiple touchpoints before purchasing. One post rarely triggers action. Prospects lurk and consume content without reaching out.
Several factors limit content-only strategies:
Passive buyer: Buyers read your insights and think, “That was interesting.” They may save your post for later, but they may not check back. Buyers don’t chase you. They wait for you to initiate conversation. Content builds awareness, but not clients.
Wrong audience: With content creation, there is no control. You might attract thousands of followers, but if they’re untargeted, your pipeline stays empty. Engagement from others is great from an ego perspective, but targeted pays the bills.
Lack of Relationship: Content can only take a relationship so far. Medium to high-ticket sales require total trust that comes from human interaction.
Content alone does not work for 99.9% of LinkedIn content creators. You need to follow up and add additional touchpoints, or you won’t get the revenue you’re looking for.
The Certainty of Direct Messaging
LinkedIn messages guarantee delivery to your ideal targets. Content comes with uncertainty (the algorithm, people missing your content, etc.) and no guarantee that any of your ideal clients will see it. Direct outreach gives you control over who sees your message.
LinkedIn messaging works through several approaches:
Strategic network building: The #1 goal of sending connection messages is to get someone into your network as a 1st connection. Once connected, you can nurture these new relationships by providing valuable touchpoints until they are ready to buy (typically only 3% at any one time).
Sales Navigator, targeting and messaging: Targeting is the most underrated activity and is crucial to your success. Please don’t rush or skip this; it will impact your potential revenue. The same can be said for the Sales Navigator set-up. Random actions will not beat a good system set up. Sales Navigator helps you find, track, and nurture your prospects daily and on an ongoing basis, based on signals and intent.
Timing and relevance: Send timely, relevant messages to active engagers who are more likely to respond and to be ready to buy. Focus on adding value, following up and nurturing. If it’s relevant, recipients will respond.
Adding value and being relevant builds trust. Without trust, people won’t buy. You need to build relationships in the short, medium, and long term to take someone from being new to the network, through familiarity, to offering perceived value, and then to being trusted. This process cannot be rushed.
The Underrated Relationship Building Ability of Content Engagement
Content engagement (commenting and liking others’ content) is the poor cousin of content and messaging. Yet it enhances both strategies significantly. It makes the difference between invisibility and a strong, reliable partner.
Expert positioning: Thoughtful comments showcase your knowledge. Ask pertinent questions on others’ posts. Everyone who reads your comment evaluates your authority.
Trust and credibility building: Helpful, authentic engagement builds credibility over time. People research you after seeing valuable contributions. They become more likely to buy from you.
Network expansion: Thoughtful contributions attract connection requests. Content creators often connect with engaged commenters. Each new connection opens opportunities directly and indirectly.
Algorithm amplification: Your comments boost the original post’s visibility. Grateful creators engage with your content later. Their followers see your name repeatedly across the platform.
Market intelligence: Engaging with quality posts provides industry insights. You discover what matters to your audience and stay current on trends.
Commenting requires consistency and quality. Show up regularly on relevant posts. Make every comment meaningful and engaging. Avoid spammy short responses and blatant AI use!
Building an Integrated System
Content alone is not enough. Messaging alone is not enough, and neither is Content engagement. So what’s the right blend?
Create a comprehensive approach:
Use the three strategies together: Content creates awareness, establishes expertise and allows people to stick their hand up to show they’re interested. Content engagement builds relationships and expands your reach. Messages convert awareness and interest into conversations, meetings and revenue. The strategies compound when combined effectively.
Use Sales Navigator to power everything: Your master search should identify all your ideal prospects. Your segmentation system within Sales Navigator will provide the focus and relevance for whom to follow up with and what message to use.
Build a systematic approach: This structure will help you move your targeted ideal 1st connections in your network from cold to trusted and from a client to an advocate.
Execution without a good system causes confusion and wasted time. A good system with good execution will deliver consistent awareness, interest, relationship building, trust, leading to conversations with the best ideal prospects, meetings, and revenue won.
Summary
Content alone is not enough to generate revenue. Messaging alone is too aggressive and salesey. Content engagement alone is difficult to scale. Together with Sales Navigator, they create a revenue system.
As Dale Carnegie said, you make more friends by showing interest in others. The same applies to LinkedIn. Content shows your expertise and talks to your audience. Content engagement shows interest in others. Messages start relevant conversations that then close deals.
Don’t rely on content alone; build your revenue system through a comprehensive approach.
Can You Generate Enough Revenue from LinkedIn Content?
Can You Generate Enough Revenue from LinkedIn Content?
With 1.3 billion professionals worldwide, LinkedIn offers a huge potential to reach and engage with potential clients. One of the most common misconceptions I see is that people think creating content is all they need to do. Post regularly, and clients will reach out, sign up and get their credit cards out.
That is what many believe. Yet they struggle to gain visibility from their posts, whereas others struggle to turn the visibility into actual revenue. The reality is harder, and more moving parts are required. Content builds awareness but rarely closes deals on its own.
There are some (large content creators), who usually sell something online (e.g. an online training course), who can ‘get away with’ primarily only doing content as their CTA leads straight to a low to medium-ticket course or community. No real conversations needed.
Unfortunately, the rest of us need to do more!
The Content-Only Strategy Illusion
Content creation-only sounds amazing and easy. Write a few posts, get thousands of impressions, prospects message you, and you sign them up.
Thousands of impressions do not necessarily lead to income, and the reality is, most people can’t generate posts that get thousands of impressions that have the right people looking. Impressions are not the best metric anyway!.
Successful content marketing demands serious effort:
Content works when executed well. The problem is that most don’t execute well. Doing so requires creating a variety of content that speaks to those at the top, middle and bottom of the funnel on an ongoing basis. Most people create content that aims to educate, but it doesn’t convert, leaving them feeling underwhelmed. Even good content has limits when it comes to selling services because, usually, a conversation is needed.
Why Content Alone Isn’t Enough
Buyers need multiple touchpoints before purchasing. One post rarely triggers action. Prospects lurk and consume content without reaching out.
Several factors limit content-only strategies:
Content alone does not work for 99.9% of LinkedIn content creators. You need to follow up and add additional touchpoints, or you won’t get the revenue you’re looking for.
The Certainty of Direct Messaging
LinkedIn messages guarantee delivery to your ideal targets. Content comes with uncertainty (the algorithm, people missing your content, etc.) and no guarantee that any of your ideal clients will see it. Direct outreach gives you control over who sees your message.
LinkedIn messaging works through several approaches:
Adding value and being relevant builds trust. Without trust, people won’t buy. You need to build relationships in the short, medium, and long term to take someone from being new to the network, through familiarity, to offering perceived value, and then to being trusted. This process cannot be rushed.
The Underrated Relationship Building Ability of Content Engagement
Content engagement (commenting and liking others’ content) is the poor cousin of content and messaging. Yet it enhances both strategies significantly. It makes the difference between invisibility and a strong, reliable partner.
Strategic content engagement provides multiple benefits:
Commenting requires consistency and quality. Show up regularly on relevant posts. Make every comment meaningful and engaging. Avoid spammy short responses and blatant AI use!
Building an Integrated System
Content alone is not enough. Messaging alone is not enough, and neither is Content engagement. So what’s the right blend?
Create a comprehensive approach:
Execution without a good system causes confusion and wasted time. A good system with good execution will deliver consistent awareness, interest, relationship building, trust, leading to conversations with the best ideal prospects, meetings, and revenue won.
Summary
Content alone is not enough to generate revenue. Messaging alone is too aggressive and salesey. Content engagement alone is difficult to scale. Together with Sales Navigator, they create a revenue system.
As Dale Carnegie said, you make more friends by showing interest in others. The same applies to LinkedIn. Content shows your expertise and talks to your audience. Content engagement shows interest in others. Messages start relevant conversations that then close deals.
Don’t rely on content alone; build your revenue system through a comprehensive approach.
P.S. Share your experience in the comments.
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