Warm up your LinkedIn account

LinkedIn hides cold accounts. When your activity graph looks flat the algorithm assumes you are a spectator, not a contributor, and buries your posts plus profile from target buyers.

I learnt this during a consultancy launch in 2020. We spent hours polishing banners and case study features, yet inbound views stayed near zero until we warmed the account with small daily actions. Two weeks later connection requests and direct messages tripled without posting new content or spending on ads.

This chapter gives that same warm-up routine. Over fourteen days you will log in with purpose, visit ideal profiles, leave thoughtful comments and restart dormant conversations. Each step is quick, repeatable and designed to teach the algorithm that you belong in priority feeds.

Open LinkedIn at the same hour each workday. Consistent session timing trains the platform to expect you, much like email providers learn a regular sender.

Spend two minutes scrolling without reacting. This silent browse feeds LinkedIn signals about the topics you value, and soon your feed fills with posts from prospects rather than random connections.

Clear any unread inbox items. Fast response rates push future messages into priority view for both sides, increasing the chance your later outreach lands in the primary tab rather than “Other”.

End the session by noting new profile views. These early lurkers often convert fastest once you begin commenting, a link explored in the next section.

Search for ten profiles that match your ideal buyer persona and five respected peers. Filters such as job title, industry and location remove guesswork.

Click each profile and pause for ten seconds. The visit appears in their notifications and many will return the click, raising your profile-view tally and warming the algorithm further.

Scan headlines and About previews for phrases that reveal pain points you solve. Copy these snippets into a light spreadsheet. They become raw material for comments, direct messages and future content.

Consistency matters more than volume. Ten targeted views daily beat fifty random scrolls. Your list of headline phrases is fuel for meaningful engagement, detailed in the following section.

From the feed surface three posts written by your target buyers or niche influencers. Read each carefully, then write a comment of two short sentences.

Reference a specific point the author made, add one fresh insight or metric and finish with an open question. This structure signals expertise while inviting discussion.

Avoid generic praise such as “Great post”. LinkedIn values comment length and engagement when deciding whose faces appear beneath popular threads.

Reply to any responses within twenty-four hours to keep the micro-conversation alive. These threaded chats raise dwell time which the platform rewards. The goodwill built here prepares the ground for low-pressure direct messages, covered next.

Select one existing connection each day. Send a direct message no longer than sixty words. Thank them for a recent post, share a short resource or ask a relevant question.

Personal, low-friction notes reopen dormant contacts without triggering sales defences. Keep hyperlinks to one per message and skip attachments to dodge spam flags.

Track replies in a simple sheet. Aim for a thirty per cent response rate; if replies dip adjust subject lines or tighten relevance.

Do not pitch during the warm-up fortnight. The goal is to remind contacts you exist and provide value so that when an invitation to chat arrives it feels natural. With conversations restarted your account is ready to convert increased visibility into pipeline.

Daily log-ins, strategic profile visits, value-first comments and short personal messages warm both the LinkedIn algorithm and your immediate network.

After fourteen days your feed will include more posts from decision makers, your profile will land in priority notifications and your inbox will show revived threads. This foundation lets the optimised profile from Chapter 1 work at full power.

Next we will turn rising profile views into booked calls by moving curious lurkers smoothly from public comments into focused problem discussions.