Between client deadlines and running a business, LinkedIn always fell to the bottom of my to-do list. I aimed to post four times a week, but that rarely happened.
My strategy (if you could call it that) was posting when I remembered or had a spare moment. Sporadic posting did help me build an audience of around 8,800 followers, but I eventually hit a wall. I’d been chasing 10,000 for what felt like forever, and every slow uptick made the goal seem even farther away.
So this past November, I decided to try something different: posting on LinkedIn every day except Sunday for 30 days to hit my goal of 10,000 followers by year’s end.
I picked up quite a bit about what works (and what doesn’t) when growing a LinkedIn audience. Here’s what I learned and how you can use it to build a LinkedIn presence.
The experiment: 30 days of posting on LinkedIn
Before jumping into the results, let me explain exactly what I committed to achieving and how I structured this challenge. A clear framework made the difference between “wanting to post more” and actually following through.
Note: I chose to take Sundays off because maintaining a healthy work-life boundary mattered more to me than a perfect posting streak. Plus, I didn’t want to overdo it from my followers’ perspective.
Content strategy
Since I work with B2B SaaS companies, I needed content that would click with three audiences: fellow freelancers seeking growth tips, content managers looking for writing support, and founders considering content strategy investments.
To cover these bases, I created five content pillars for my LinkedIn profile. Here are the pillars, plus examples of each type of content:
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My real experiences with clients and prospects, both good and challenging
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Behind-the-scenes peeks at my content creation process and frameworks
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Practical advice on content strategy and writing techniques
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The occasional lighthearted post about freelance life or industry trends to keep things relatable (usually scheduled for Saturday)
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Links to my published work to show my writing style and expertise
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Advice to other freelancers
I also mixed up my content formats between text-only posts, carousel PDFs, and infographics to see what performed best with each audience.
Audience engagement
Building connections also meant showing up beyond my posts. I made it a point to respond to every comment within 24 hours and tried to add value wherever possible, rather than just saying thanks.
Here’s an example of a comment thread on my post on blog topic ideas.
I also spent time engaging with my network’s content. I engaged with content from my ideal connections: freelancers, content managers, and founders sharing interesting content in my field.
Rather than trying to be everywhere, I prioritized meaningful interactions over quantity. Sometimes that meant spending an extra few minutes coming up with a thoughtful response to one person’s post instead of dropping quick comments on ten different posts.
This approach helped me stay visible in my network’s feeds without falling into the trap of endless LinkedIn scrolling. More importantly, it helped me build genuine connections with people who eventually became followers, clients, or parts of my professional network.
Execution challenges
The biggest hurdle was coming up with enough ideas to fill 30 days of content. I knew relying on random inspiration would lead to missed days, so I needed a system to build and maintain a reliable content bank.
To tackle this, I turned to Claude as my brainstorming partner to come up with insights I might have missed. First, I asked it to help me identify my target audience’s key pain points.
Then, I worked with it to generate content ideas addressing these challenges. I ended up creating a list of topics that solved my audience’s problems.
But while ideas were flowing, I knew they’d go to waste without an organized approach to execution. So, I dedicated every Tuesday to content planning and scheduling. Front-loading the work removed the daily pressure of “what should I post today?” and freed up mental space to focus on creating better content rather than scrambling to meet the daily commitment.
To make things easier, I structured my Notion workspace into these lists to track each idea’s progress.
During this time, I’d review my content bank, choose the week’s posts, and schedule everything through the social media management tool Buffer.
I also assigned design tasks to my virtual assistant, who helped me create infographics and carousel PDFs to complement my written posts. That helped me build a consistent look and feel without taking up all my time. I was able to ensure consistency in my posting schedule and could focus on quality over quantity.
Results and insights from the LinkedIn challenge
After 30 days of consistent posting, I had both numbers and experiences to evaluate whether the challenge was worth the effort. (It was.)
Quantifiable results
Looking at my LinkedIn analytics, I compared my past 28-day performance with the previous 90 days to understand what consistent posting really did for my reach.
Impressions
During the challenge, my content reached 114,608 people. I averaged about 4,000 daily impressions, with peaks reaching 12,000 views.
The most encouraging change was in the consistency. Before the challenge, my engagement graph looked like a heart monitor during a panic attack: dramatic spikes followed by flatlines.
Compared to my performance during the previous 90 days, my daily average was much higher and more stable. I did have a viral post at the start of September, which would explain the impression decline, but my results were more consistent this past month. While viral posts occasionally boosted my reach in the past, the challenge helped me sustain a higher engagement baseline without relying on unpredictable spikes.
What’s interesting is that, according to a poll I ran, impressions across LinkedIn were down in general in November.
Despite this decline, a consistent content strategy kept my content visible and relevant. The steadier performance suggests LinkedIn’s algorithm started favoring my content more due to regular posting.
Engagements
The engagement metrics mirrored the growth in impressions. During the challenge, my posts generated 2,554 total engagements.
I averaged 91 daily engagements, with my best-performing content reaching around 300 interactions. This was a major improvement from the previous 90 days, where I struggled through periods of near-zero interaction.
What’s particularly encouraging is how the engagement growth (99.9%) matched the impression growth (106.2%). This suggests people weren’t just scrolling past my content—they were actually stopping to interact with it.
The consistency in engagement also improved dramatically. Before the challenge, I’d often see engagement drop to near zero. During the challenge, I maintained a steady floor of at least 50 engagements daily, with regular spikes above 100. This steadier pattern and several posts hitting 150+ engagements showed that success was becoming more predictable and repeatable.
I also noticed how some post formats and pillars did much better than others.
For example, carousels and posts offering behind-the-scenes (BTS) views of my content processes garnered higher engagement than, for example, my infographic posts or ones where I’m promoting client work.
Carousels likely worked well because they encouraged interaction through visual storytelling, while behind-the-scenes posts gave my audience a relatable perspective. These formats built a sense of connection that infographics and promotional content didn’t achieve.
These findings are even more interesting to me, considering that ideating and creating infographics take up a lot of time. I also learned I need to find a more interesting way to present client work.
Follower growth
The numbers that mattered most to me were the follower counts, since hitting 10,000 was my original goal. During the 30-day challenge, I gained 485 new followers—a 5.5% increase that brought my total following to 9,323.
This growth rate was significantly higher than my pre-challenge average. Before November, I’d typically gain five to 10 new followers daily. During the challenge, that baseline improved to 10 to 15 new followers even on slower days, with peak days bringing in up to 65 new connections.
The steady growth pattern also indicates this increase is sustainable rather than artificial. While I didn’t quite hit my 10,000 goal during the challenge, the momentum I built has me confident I’ll reach it before year’s end.
Qualitative wins
Beyond the metrics, this challenge created unexpected opportunities I didn’t find through sporadic posting.
After seeing my posts about content workflows and processes, two SaaS companies reached out about content strategy projects. One lead mentioned my post on content briefs as the reason they reached out, saying they wanted a writer they could simply hand a topic to.
Fun fact: It was one of my lowest-performing posts during the challenge. You never know which post gets you the lead.
And it wasn’t just leads. Several freelancers messaged me to say my posts about client relationships helped them navigate similar situations or just that they enjoyed my content more generally.
My biggest win was creating a structure for my LinkedIn postings. Daily posting forced me to organize myself instead of posting on the whim. I also noticed my writing becoming sharper and more focused. When you have to capture attention in a crowded feed daily, you quickly learn what works and what doesn’t.
Tips to improve your LinkedIn results
I’ve had a lot to reflect on since completing this challenge. While my personal results were encouraging, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t working in a bubble.
So I combined my insights with advice from other LinkedIn experts—Sara Stella Lattanzio, Head of Marketing at Stryber; Filipa Canelas, Founder at personal brand-building agency Able-Academy; and Tamilore Oladipo, Content Writer at Buffer.
Pick a sustainable and consistent posting schedule
One message came through clearly: consistency beats frequency.
As Sara noted: “If I miss one week because I’m burned out, the damage is way bigger than not nailing the format that specific day.” While my 30-day challenge was great for growth, I’m scaling back to four weekly posts. This aligns with Filipa’s discovery, too: “I decided to go over to three times a week, so I have the bandwidth to invest in high-quality content and spend more time researching and ideating.”
Setting fixed days for posting—in my case, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday—creates a rhythm for content creation and audience expectations. As Tamilore shared from her experience, “It helped me set an expectation with my audience and the algorithm of a consistent posting schedule, so it was always surfaced to regulars.” Though she found success with video content, the principle applies across formats.
I’m also keeping weekends free from posting, so I don’t check in on my engagement continuously. Filipa agreed: “Staying away from the platform actually fuels me and gives me more energy and time to think about the things I want to create.”
Test content formats
Through my experiment and conversations with other creators, I discovered that not all content formats deliver equal value for the effort invested. Sara emphasized: “I started experimenting with different formats, and obviously, some require more, some require less time.”
My highest-performing posts were carousels that broke down complex topics and behind-the-scenes content that showed my process. Meanwhile, my infographics—despite taking hours to create—generated less engagement.
But Sara added something interesting: “I feel those people who are always doing the same type of posts—they all look the same. You’re doing the same thing and saying the same thing a billion times.” That’s exactly why I would still publish my infographic posts once a week. They might not attract the most engagement, but they offer variety and showcase my expertise, which is super valuable for attracting quality leads.
Build a content buffer
Managing my content schedule became significantly easier once I maintained a content bank. As Filipa shared: “Usually, I use Saturdays, for example, to ideate and create some pieces of content. I just don’t post them over the weekends.” This approach to content creation—batching the work when you have creative energy rather than when you need to post—aligns with what multiple creators recommended.
Moving forward, I aim to keep at least two weeks of content ready. This buffer lets me focus on engagement and relationship-building rather than scrambling for daily content.
Combat audience fatigue through variety
The fear of overwhelming your audience with too much content is common, but the creators I spoke with had a different take.
Filipa mentioned how everyone doesn’t see all your posts: “I don’t think with three to five posts a week, you can get your audience fatigued. That’s because it’s not like most people are seeing all of your posts.” Instead of posting less, vary your approach, Sara advised: “You can combat the fatigue by switching formats and by switching topics a bit.”
This matches my experience during the challenge. My audience stayed engaged because I rotated between different content types—from tactical advice to behind-the-scenes glimpses of my work. When I notice engagement dipping on certain posts, it’s usually a signal to switch up my content mix rather than reduce posting frequency.
Tamilore’s experience with LinkedIn’s algorithm offers another perspective: “I’ve noticed that timing didn’t really impact the performance of my content, especially because the algorithm surfaces posts days and weeks after its original posting date, but the format of my posts did change the engagement.” She found that combining formats—like pairing video with detailed text—led to better results than using a single format alone.
Growing your audience means new people discover your content daily. As Filipa noted: “You’re attracting new people every single day. You’re not risking audience fatigue.”
Watch for diminishing returns
The creators I interviewed emphasized monitoring how your content performs to avoid diminishing returns. Sara warned: “If you post several times in a day, the second post tanks completely. I think it also applies if you post two days in a row.”
This matches what I observed with my daily posting experiment. When I noticed my engagement dropping on certain days, it wasn’t necessarily about the content quality—it was about giving each post enough time to reach its full potential in the algorithm.
Monitor your metrics mindfully
While tracking performance helps refine your strategy, don’t get too caught up in the numbers. Tamilore shared her practical approach: “My metrics dip a ton when I share more than one post a day, but I’ve had other people tell me that two posts a day works great for them. Too little is if my post impressions dip below 4,000.”
The key is finding your own baseline. What works for one creator might not work for another, and that’s ok. As Tamilore noted: “When it comes to what’s sustainable for me, I prefer to follow my instincts and keep to a routine that doesn’t feel overwhelming.”
Pay attention to your metrics, but don’t let them control your strategy. As Sara put it: “I don’t care much about algorithms. I want to make an impact.”
Was the 30-day LinkedIn challenge worth it?
After a month of nearly daily posting, reaching 9,323 followers, and landing two new client projects, I can confidently say the challenge was worth the effort. But it was exactly that—a lot of effort.
Between content planning, creation, design work, and engagement, I spent roughly 10 hours weekly on LinkedIn. That’s time I could have spent on client work or business development.
The challenge made sense for me because I had a specific, time-sensitive goal: hitting 10,000 followers by year’s end to boost my visibility with potential clients. The results were great, but this intensity isn’t something I’d recommend as a long-term strategy.
For now, I’m happy to scale back to a more sustainable rhythm of four quality posts per week. After all, LinkedIn is a tool to support your business growth—not become your full-time job.
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