By Jo Edwards, Senior Director
I often give LinkedIn Masterclasses as part of Magpie CPD.
In those sessions, I’ve been talking about three key things: a) using LinkedIn purposefully as a lead generation tool, b) steering clear of generic, rambling content, and c) prioritising consistency – because showing up regularly is the most powerful part of any LinkedIn strategy.
For generating engagement and growing your connections, the key is consistency.
I don’t mean posting every day.
In fact, I’d argue that chasing daily content for the sake of visibility can do more harm than good.
It’s unsustainable and often leads to generic, forgettable posts.
What I mean is consistently showing up – in a way that feels authentic, intentional, and genuinely useful to the people you want to reach.
It starts with your profile but it doesn’t end there
Just to clarify, your profile still matters.
You wouldn’t open a shop and leave the sign half-painted or the front covered in old posters, so make sure your banner image is relevant, your headline speaks to your audience (not just your job title), and your About section reads like a real person wrote it.
But don’t spend hours polishing your profile and then sit back, waiting for leads to roll in.
That’s like putting a beautiful cake in the shop window and hoping people will just wander in.
They won’t.
The algorithm rewards participation, not perfection
LinkedIn is not a broadcasting tool, it’s a networking platform.
That means the algorithm doesn’t just reward content creation – it rewards engagement.
If you’re consistently active, the platform is far more likely to show your profile to others and this activity can take many forms:
- Liking and commenting on posts in your industry
- Sending meaningful connection requests
- Re-sharing content with your own take
- Following up on DMs or comments
You don’t have to go viral with these posts, you just have to be visible.
Here’s how to show up (without burning out)
Let’s ditch the myth that you need to be “always on” to be effective.
You don’t – but you do need a rhythm.
Here’s a simple structure you can follow, even if LinkedIn isn’t your full-time job:
- Post once or twice a week: Share something useful or interesting. A tip. A behind-the-scenes story. A client win. Something that helps people get to know what you do and how you think.
- Comment three to five times a week: Focus on posts where your audience is active. Offer genuine insight, not just “Great post!”
- Send a few connection requests weekly: But never pitch in the first message. Lead generation on LinkedIn is about warming people up, not spamming them cold.
- Follow up with people who engage with your content: A “Thanks for commenting” or “Glad that resonated” can start a brilliant conversation.
The thing most people forget is that LinkedIn is still a social platform and we buy from people we like, trust, and remember.
So, your content shouldn’t just be about what you do – it should be about how you do it, and who you are while doing it.
That doesn’t mean oversharing your personal life, but it does mean leaning into your personality.
If you’re funny, be funny.
If you’re analytical, share your frameworks.
If you’re passionate about ethics, values, or industry change – say so.
The most successful people on LinkedIn aren’t copy-pasting the same templated content, they’re showing up as themselves and that’s what builds trust over time.
Lead generation is a long game
People often give up on LinkedIn after a few weeks because they haven’t seen any results.
But most leads won’t engage with you the first time they see your post. Or the second. Or the third.
They’ll lurk, they’ll rea, they’ll form a quiet opinion about whether they trust you and then, one day, they might send a message that starts with:
“I’ve been following your content for a while and…”
That’s when it pays off.
Not from chasing numbers, but from showing up, consistently and helpfully, week after week.
What’s my key takeaway from LinkedIn?
If you’re serious about generating leads through LinkedIn, you need to do more than just exist on the platform.
You need to participate, you need to be visible and you need to add value.
No, you don’t need to become a content machine, you just need to show up in the right way:
- Show up with helpful insight
- Show up with curiosity and empathy
- Show up with a voice that feels real
If your presence makes people feel informed, understood, and connected, that’s how you turn a profile view into a pipeline.
For help with your LinkedIn strategy, please get in touch with our experts!
