LinkedIn thought leadership for B2B pipeline

Introduction

During COVID, I ran an experiment with personal branding. My friend Michel helped me get started on LinkedIn, and within months I grew my following to almost 7,000 people. It worked. But then I stopped.

For two years, I barely posted. I was running two different marketing agencies with completely different audiences, and I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to confuse people, so I said nothing. It’s a shame, because momentum is hard to rebuild once you’ve let it fade.

Now in 2025, I’m building my thought leadership on LinkedIn again from a much clearer position. This time, I’m documenting exactly how I’m doing it so you can follow along.

This playbook walks through the structure, tools and habits I’m using to grow visibility, attract leads and stay consistent without burning out. Whether you’re just getting started or want to revive a dormant profile, you’ll find a system here that actually works.

Chapters

1

How to optimise your LinkedIn profile

Your profile is your homepage so fix this before you post anything. Clear headline, sharp pitch, strong CTAs, and trust signals that convert visitors.

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2

How to warm up your LinkedIn profile

Boost LinkedIn reach in the week before you post. Warm the algorithm with daily chats, meaningful comments, a cleaner network, and new recommendations.

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3

How to plan your LinkedIn content calendar

Stop scrambling for ideas the night before you post. Set up a simple Notion calendar, balance value and sales, and stay three weeks ahead consistently.

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4

How to write engaging LinkedIn posts

Likes mean nothing if they don't convert into business. Break down winning formats, hooks, and structures that attract your ideal buyer and drive action.

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5

When to post on LinkedIn for maximum reach

Stop leaving reach to chance with random timing. Use a pre-posting checklist, well-timed publishing, and first-hour engagement to multiply impressions.

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LinkedIn thought leadership

tools

Taplio

Taplio provides LinkedIn content scheduling, analytics, and engagement features with AI-powered post ideas for building personal brands.

Rating

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per month

Explore tool

My review

Surfe

Surfe syncs LinkedIn profiles directly into your CRM with one click, capturing contact details, notes, and activities without manual data entry.

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per month

Explore tool

My review

Notion

Flexible workspace for docs, wikis, and lightweight databases ideal when you need custom systems without heavy project management overhead.

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€

per month

Explore tool

My review

Loom

Screen recording for quick updates and walkthroughs faster than meetings, clearer than text, excellent for async teams and client communication.

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€

per month

Explore tool

My review

ChatGPT

AI assistant for research, outlines, and drafts fast when prompted clearly, excellent for speed and idea generation in daily marketing work.

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€

per month

Explore tool

My review

Claude

AI assistant for long-form writing and analysis better than ChatGPT for research, strategic docs, and working with uploaded files.

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€

per month

Explore tool

My review

Books

Founder brand

Dave Gerhardt

Rating

A guide to purposeful visibility. Choose topics, set a cadence and turn posts, talks and interviews into warm conversations.

My review

Influence

Robert Cialdini

Rating

Classic psychology translated for B2B. Use social proof, scarcity and reciprocity in a way that respects buyers.

My review

Wiki

Thought leadership

Share original insights and expertise publicly to build authority and attract customers who value your perspective before they need your solution.

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Content calendar

Plan content publication in advance to maintain consistency, balance topics, and coordinate promotion rather than scrambling to create content reactively.

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Personal brand

Build professional reputation through consistent content and engagement to attract opportunities and establish trust before commercial conversations begin.

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Social selling

Build relationships and demonstrate expertise on social platforms to generate inbound interest rather than interrupting buyers with cold outreach.

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Engagement

Measure likes, comments, and shares to evaluate content resonance and algorithmic distribution on social platforms that reward interactions with reach.

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Other playbooks

Data & dashboards

Build the dashboards and data pipelines that show your growth engines in one view so you can spot bottlenecks and make decisions in minutes, not meetings.

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Planning & project management

Set up project boards, sprint rhythms, and communication habits that keep growth work on track without endless status meetings or lost context.

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Increase pricing

Raise prices strategically through better packaging, value communication, and positioning so revenue grows without adding customers.

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Increase line items

Develop cross-sell and upsell motions that expand accounts by solving more problems for customers who already trust you.

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Increase contract length

Build retention strategies, success milestones, and renewal processes that keep customers committed for longer periods.

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Improve win rate

Strengthen your closing approach — objection handling, negotiation, and follow-through — so more proposals turn into signed contracts.

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LinkedIn thought leadership

Introduction

Chapters

1

How to optimise your LinkedIn profile

2

How to warm up your LinkedIn profile

3

How to plan your LinkedIn content calendar

4

How to write engaging LinkedIn posts

5

When to post on LinkedIn for maximum reach

LinkedIn thought leadership

tools

Taplio

Surfe

Notion

Loom

ChatGPT

Claude

Books

Founder brand

Influence

Wiki

Thought leadership

Content calendar

Personal brand

Social selling

Engagement

Related topic

Demand generation

Other playbooks

Data & dashboards

Planning & project management

Increase pricing

Increase line items

Increase contract length

Improve win rate

Keep reading